Pashupatinath is a word derived from Sanskrit which means ‘Lord of the animals’. Pashupatinath Temple is most important religious site of Asia. It devotes Lord Shiva Mahadev. This temple is dedicated to Shiva and built in 5th century, later renovated by Malla Kings. The temple is said to have existed itself from the beginning with Shiva Lingam. It is largest temple complex in Nepal. This temple dedicates high ritual, religious, cultural, spiritual activities and trust. Pashupatinath denotes with religion Hinduism and Buddhism. Pashupatinath temple is the 8 UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site of Kathmandu Valley.
The main Temple of Pashupatinath is built in Pagoda style. Temple has gilded roof, four sides covered in silver and wood carving. It is sacred and famous Hindu Temple. One of the major festival of this temple is Maha Shivaratri
Temple Complex
The area of Pashupatinath is 24 hectares land. There is hundreds of lingam inside the compound. It is located 3 km away of Kathmandu northwest on the bank of Bagmati River. The inner area has a Shiva lingam and outside the largest statue of Nandi the bull, vehicle of Shiva. There are around 492 temples, 15 Shivalayas, 12 Phranic shrines. The temple has 4 main doors of silver sheets. It has gold gajur. The unique feature of temple is only four priest can touch the main Lord Shiva Lingam which has faced in the four direction. The Shiva lingam Is coated by silver and always dressed in Golden Wastram except during abisekha.
History
The Pashupatinath Temple is oldest temple in Kathmandu. It was erected in 5th century by Lichhavi king Prachanda Dev. It is assumed that Pashupatinath temple exist since 400 B.C.
There are several story beliefs about the origins of Pashupatinath. It is said that, when Shiva and Parvati once visited the Kathmandu valley, they took rest in bank of Bagmati River. Lord Shiva was so impressed by the natural beauty of surrounding. They changed themselves into deer so that nobody can recognize them as they are God and Goddess. And start walking into the jungle. There are many spotted place around where Shiva and Parvati visited as a deer. Later, other God and people started to search Lord Shiva and Parvati and found them as a deer. He refuses to leave the place but later he announced that he visited Bagmati River as a deer. He gave name Pashupatinath to the place because he lived as animal ‘lord of all animals’. It is also said that whoever comes here and beheld the lingam that appeared there would not reborn as animal.
Finding of Shiva Linga in Pashupatinath Temple
It is said that the wish fulfilling cow ‘kamadhenu’ took shelter on one of the cave. Every day she uses to go down and pours the milk on the top of soil where lingam was sunken. After few thousand years people started noticing kamadhenu pouring milk on same spot everyday and started wondering why? Then they dogged the soil and found the beautiful shinning lingam and started worshiping it.
Temples and shrines in Pashupatinath
- Hanuman Shrine
- Budanilakantha Shrine
- 184 Shivalinga Shrine
- Kirtimukha Bhairava Shrine
- Suryanarayan Temple
- Vasukinatha Temple
- Unmatta Bhairava Temple
- Ram Mandir
- Guheyshwori Temple
How to Reach Pashupatinath Temple?
There are regular bus services from Kathmandu to Patan. It takes about 45 minutes to reach Goshala, the stop for Pashupatinath. Thereafter,a tempo can be hired. It is just 3 km far away from Kathmandu.
Things to do in Pashupatinath
- Meditation
- Astrology
- Ayurveda
- Pashupatinath Tour
- Pashupatinath Bagmati Arati
Pilgrimage Tour
