Pashupatinath Temple

21st Feb, 2021

Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most sacred Hindu temples in the world and is located in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. This temple is dedicated to Lord Pashupatinath, who is a manifestation of Lord Shiva, one of the main deities in Hinduism. Pashupatinath Temple is not only a place of religious worship but also a symbol of Nepal's rich cultural and spiritual heritage. It is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in Hinduism, architecture, and the cultural diversity of Nepal.

After Christianity and Islamism, with over 1.2 billion followers, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. It is the leading religion of the south Asian countries like Nepal and India. Around 90% of the Hindus live in India. Hinduism is originated from the Vedic religion, which was practiced in India a long time ago, but still, it exists in Hinduism as “Veda” and is the oldest religion in the world. The place where the Hindus worship their god is known as a temple.

Hinduism is a leading religion in Nepal with about 81% of people following the religion. There are three major gods in Hinduism each representing Creation, Destruction, and Preservation. Shiva is the god of destruction and as a major god, has many temples dedicated towards him.
Kathmandu, which is the capital city of Nepal and also known as the city of temples as well as containing all temples are with pagoda style and vast architecture.
There is one famous Hindu temple (Pashupatinath) dedicated Lord Shiva (Pashupati) Pashupatinath is known as also most important temples in Kathmandu due to it being an important shrine of Lord Shiva.

Pashupatinath is the largest temple in Nepal with a total area of 0.64 hectares of land. It is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Asia for the devotees of Lord Shiva. The temple is dedicated to Lord Pashupatinath, Lord of animals, who is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Located on the eastern outskirts of the banks of the holy Bagmati River, it is one of the most sacred temples of Hindus in Nepal. Pashupatinath doesn’t indicate one temple; in fact, there are 518 temples and monuments signified by Pashupatinath. It was built in the 5 th century and was later renovated by Malla kings.

The temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and every year hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit this holy place to worship. Many pilgrims go to worship Lord Shiva at key festivals which make a queue of hundreds of meters consisting of pilgrims. Apart from festivals, people also visit this temple to perform their different religious traditions like pujas, meet the astrologers for different astrology things, sightseeing of the temple, and so on. The chief things to see in this temple are the temple’s architecture, monuments, statues, surroundings, monkeys, pigeons, and other holy animals and birds, and so on. Moreover, the fact of having hundreds of temples and thousands of idols of gods and goddesses amazes everyone and attracts strangers towards it. Considering all these facts, UNESCO has listed the temple in the list of world heritage sites since 1979AD.

Though built in ancient time and style, the architectures of this temple are breathtaking. Every single piece of architect and monument seems to take a lot of effort, patience, trust, skill, and teamwork. Therefore, the physiology of the temples is worth building confidence for working in a team, having trust on own, and believe in hard work in each visitor.

The Main Temple

The main temple precinct is located west of the Bagmati River and is built in pagoda style. Due to its significance in Hinduism and its expensive and historical architecture, it is guarded by the Nepal Army and Nepal Police. The main temple is beautifully carved with wooden rafters and the roof of the temple is made of copper and is coated with gold. Although people of other religions and atheists are allowed in the temple complex, only Hindus are allowed inside this main temple.
Taking photos and pictures are also prohibited inside the temple. The main idol in the temple is a stone lingam with a silver serpent and it is the main place to worship the deity.

Major Festivals

Pashupatinath is one of the most hectic temples during the times of festivals in Nepal. Shivaratri is one of the most famous festivals celebrated here and it is very crowded on the day of the festival due to the pilgrimage of over 1 million people, most of which come from India. ‘Nagababas’ also come in these festivals from various parts of the world mainly India. 'Bhang dhaturo’ (weed) is a popular commodity during this festival here. A big campfire is also performed during this time.
Another major period is every Monday of the Shrawan month of the Nepali calendar. This is mainly popular among women. Another

popular festival for women includes teej during which the temple is crowded as well. Dance and ritual ceremonies are performed during this time.

Activities

Many activities are performed in Pashupatinath from ritual to refreshment. Funerals for Hindus and for those who dig the dead body are performed. One atypical thing found here is Aghori Baba (human), which is weird and atypical because they eat the flesh of a human. Also, there is a famous place called Bankali. Aarati (Hindu ritual of worship) is performed twice a day: 8 am in the morning and 7-8 pm in the evening. Astrology, shraddha, lightening lakh batti (hundred thousand lights), Puran, etc are the famous rituals performed here. It’s not only a temple also a home for old, aged people who were left out by their families.

Why do People Visit Pashupatinath

As a major shrine of one of the three major gods in Hinduism, it is of no surprise that religious believers and pilgrims would want to visit this place. However, it is more than just a religious destination; it is an embodiment of history, culture, tradition, and art. Located in the heart of Kathmandu, it is different from the noise and irritation of the city. It is a place of peace and tranquility that is filled with nothing but positivity. So, to feel better and uplift your emotions with zeal, people visit this place whether they are Hindus or Catholics, or even atheists. One should visit Pashupatinath to know the ancient sculpture, art, culture and history of Nepal, absorb positive energy from its environment, cheer up when you’re feeling down, and also because praying helps in boosting our concentration power and, many more. Once you visit here, believe me, you will say ‘I
Would love to come back again.