Paśupatināth

Śiva as Lord of all beings · Bāgmatī river, Kathmandu, Nepal

Paśupatināth is the most sacred Śiva temple of Nepal and part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site. The pagoda-roofed temple, with its gilded roof and silver doors, houses a four-faced liṅga. By long tradition its chief priests come from South India.

Along the Bāgmatī below the temple are cremation ghats, and sādhus gather in the grounds. Mahāśivarātri brings very large crowds from Nepal and India. Entry to the main temple courtyard is traditionally restricted to Hindus, but visitors can view the complex from across the river. Guhyeśvarī is close by.

Tradition says Śiva once roamed the forest here as a deer, enjoying the beauty of the valley. When the gods found him and tried to bring him back, one of his horns broke, and that horn was later worshipped as the liṅga. Ever since, he has been honoured here as Paśupati, Lord of all creatures.

Nepal · Śiva · Paśupati · UNESCO World Heritage · Mahāśivarātri

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