Pashupatinath
The Holiest Hindu Temple In Nepal, Dedicated To Shiva; One Of Seven Monument Zones Of The Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site · Kathmandu, Bagmati
Pashupatinath is the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal and one of the most important Shiva temples in the world, a complex of shrines, ashrams and cremation ghats on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River on the eastern edge of Kathmandu. The main temple, a two-tiered golden-roofed pagoda, is open only to Hindus; everyone else watches from the terraces across the river. What visitors see there is life and death in the open: at the Arya Ghat, bodies are cremated on the riverbank in full view, families performing rites while ash drifts into the water. Sadhus, wandering holy men with painted faces, sit around the complex, some of them posing for photographs for money. Monkeys roam the shrines. At Maha Shivaratri, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrive, many from India. The evening aarti on the riverbank is a moving ceremony of fire and song. Pashupatinath is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site, and it asks visitors for respect: this is a place of grief as much as of worship.
Pashupatinath, on the Bagmati River, eastern Kathmandu, Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal
The complex is open daily from early morning to evening; foreigners pay an entry fee. The main temple is open to Hindus only. Evening aarti is held daily on the riverbank. Maha Shivaratri, in February or March, brings enormous crowds and heavy security.