Pashupatinath Temple

Overview

Pashupatinath Temple is a Hindu temple complex on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is dedicated to the god Shiva in his form as Pashupati, the lord of all living beings, and is one of the most significant Shiva temples in Hinduism. Daily worship, festivals, and cremation rituals take place at the site, which is part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Present

Pashupatinath Temple is administered by the Pashupati Area Development Trust, a body established by the Government of Nepal. Priests perform worship at the main temple daily. Entry to the main temple courtyard is reserved for Hindus, a permanent restriction that is a defining characteristic of the site. Cremation ghats (stepped platforms at the riverbank) line the Bagmati River within the complex, and Hindu cremation rituals take place there daily. The annual festival of Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva, draws hundreds of thousands of devotees to the temple, including sadhus, Hindu ascetics who renounce worldly life, from across Nepal and India.

Religious Significance

Pashupatinath Temple is dedicated to Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism, in his form as Pashupati, meaning lord of all living beings. Hindus regard the temple as one of the most significant Shiva shrines in the world, and Pashupati is venerated as a guardian deity of Nepal. Hindu tradition holds that Shiva once lived in the forest beside the Bagmati River in the form of a deer, and that the temple marks the place of this manifestation. The main shrine houses a lingam, the aniconic form in which Shiva is worshipped, with a face of the god carved on each of its four sides. Hindus regard the Bagmati River as holy. Many Hindus consider cremation at the ghats of Pashupatinath auspicious, and Hindu tradition holds that those cremated there receive a favorable rebirth. Worship, pilgrimage, and the rituals of death are all part of daily religious life at the site.

History & Structure

A temple is documented at the site of Pashupatinath from around 400 CE, during the rule of the Licchavi dynasty, the kings who governed the Kathmandu Valley in that period. The temple was rebuilt and renovated repeatedly over the centuries. The present main temple dates from 1692 CE, when it was reconstructed after earlier structures were damaged by termites and earthquakes. It is a two-tiered pagoda with gilded copper roofs and silver-plated doors, resting on a square stone base. Inside the main shrine is the lingam of Pashupati. In front of the temple is a large gilded statue of Nandi, the bull that Hindus regard as Shiva's mount. The complex extends along both banks of the Bagmati River and contains hundreds of smaller temples, shrines, and ashrams (religious residences) built over many centuries, along with the cremation ghats. Pashupatinath was inscribed as part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Additional Resources

• Official website: Pashupati Area Development Trust
• UNESCO: Kathmandu Valley