A holy shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, Pashupatinath Temple is a highly visited holy destination revered by spiritual dwellers, devotees and foreign tourists. Located in the proximity of holy Bagmati river in capital city of Kathmandu, this temple is surrounded by ashrams and temples. This temple of Lord Shiva was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979. For those who are interested to visit spiritual destinations, Pashupatinath Temple is a revelation in its own. Though this shrine is primarily dedicated to Lord Shiva, there are several small temples inside the temple complex which comprise Guhyeshwari Temple, Ram Temple, Sati’s Gate. One will find several small tombs inside the temple complex.
One of the twelve Jyotirilingams in the world, Pashupatinath is highly revered by his devotees who frequent this destination during Mahashivratri, Teej and Bala Chaturthi.
Legend of Pashupatinath: A temple steeped in myth, this holy shrine has captivated several sanyasis, photographers, devotees and spiritual travelers who are keen to explore the legend behind the temple’s creation. Since there are several tales behind the creation of Pashupatinath Temple, there is one legend which says that Lord Shiva and Parvati took the form of antelopes and visited the forests on the eastern bank of Bagmati river. Such was the impact of this location on Lord Shiva that he decided to stay on this place in form of a deer. The other Devas compelled Lord Shiva to return back to his original form by holding one of his horns which got broken in the process. The broken horn was worshipped as a Shivalinga. Later it got buried and was lost till centuries later a herdsman found that one of his cows was showering milk on the place. Surprised, the herdsman dug the site to discover the Shivalinga. Other legends say that Pashupatinath Temple was constructed by Supusha Deva, one of the Lichavi rulers. The unique thing about this Shiva Temple in Nepal is that the lingam has four faces.
There is a belief among the devotees that temple brings Moksha (salvation) to the soul who breath their last in this sacred place. So, when you visit the temple, you will find a cremation ground very close to the temple.
A highly recommended destination for sight seeing in Nepal, Pashupatinath preserves the legacy of Lord Shiva’s divinity.