Pashupatinath Temple Kathmandu, Nepal: (श्री पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर) is a revered Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupati, a manifestation of Shiva. Located on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, the temple is one of the oldest and most significant religious complexes in South Asia. The exact time of construction is not known but Pashupatinath Temple’s existence is recorded as early as 400 CE.
The main temple of Pashupatinath is a building with a bunk roof and a golden spire.
It is considered a masterpiece of Hindu architecture. The two-storied roof is made from copper and is covered with gold. This richly decorated temple with wooden sculptures is believed to make wishes come true. One of the most astonishing decorations of the temple is the huge golden statue of Nandi – Shiva’s bull.
Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, it is one of seven monument groups in UNESCO’s designation of Kathmandu Valley and is described as an “extensive Hindu temple precinct” comprising a vast network of temples, ashrams, inscriptions, and images raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati river. The temple, considered one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus, is built on an area of 246 hectares (2,460,000 m2) and includes 518 mini-temples and the principal pagoda-style temple.
Pashupatinath temple is venerated as one of the holiest abodes of Shiva in Skanda Purana and is honored as one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams (Tamil Tevara Sthalam) of Tevaram. The linga of Pashupatinath, as per Shiva Purana, is believed to be the bestower of all wishes. Mythologically, the temple is seen as the head of Shiva with his body stretching to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in India, and is also spiritually connected to the temples of Kedarnath, Rudranath, Kalpeshwar, Madhyamaheshwar and Tungnath as per the legend of Mahabharata. The main temple priests are, as a long-standing tradition, Bhatt Vedic Dravida Brahmins from Karnataka trained at the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in Southern India.
15 Shivalayas and viewpoint for visitors overlooking the temple area
Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. The temple is considered to be pre-Vedic in its origin and according to Nepal Mahatmaya and Himvatkhanda of Skanda Purana, the deity here gained great fame as Pashupati.
As per Shiva Purana, the linga of Pashupatinath that lies in Nepal has the capacity to fulfill all desires, and the story of Pashupatinath is narrated along with the greatness of Kedareshwara (Kedarnath) in the 9th chapter of “Koti-Rudra Samhita” which describes the journey of Pandavas in the search of Shiva. After Pandavas perform much penance, Shiva who had hidden himself underground in the form of a bull, reappears with his head in Pashupatinath, hump in Kedarnath, face in Rudranath, arms in Tungnath and navel in Madhyamaheshwar.
One legend says that Shiva and Parvati took the form of antelopes in the forest on the Bagmati river’s east bank. The gods later caught up with him and grabbed him by one of his horns, forcing him to resume his divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as a linga, but over time it was buried and lost. Centuries later a herdsman found one of his cows showering the earth with milk, and after digging at the site, he discovered the divine linga of Pashupatinath.
The ornamented pagoda houses the linga of Shiva. According to Gopalraj Aalok Vhat, the temple was built by Prachanda Deva, a Licchavi king. Another chronicle states that Pashupatinath Temple was in the form of Linga shaped Devalaya before Supuspa Deva constructed a five-storey temple of Pashupatinath in this place. As time passed, the temple needed to be repaired and renovated. It is known that this temple was reconstructed by a medieval king named Shivadeva (1099–1126 CE). It was renovated by Ananta Malla adding a roof to it. Further temples have been erected around the two-storied temple, including the Vaishnava temple complex with a Rama temple from the 14th century and the Guhyeshwari Temple mentioned in an 11th-century manuscript, overtime. The current form of the temple was renovated in 1692 CE after the previous structures were affected by termites and earthquakes.
Adi Shankaracharya’s Temple:
While not the main idol, there is a separate temple dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya within the Pashupatinath complex, known as the Bhutesvara Pratapesvara, Adi Shankaracharya Temple.
This main temple is built in Newari architecture. The two-level roofs are of copper with gold covering. The temple rests on a square base platform with a height of 23m 7 cm from base to pinnacle. It has four main doors, all covered with silver sheets. This temple has a gold pinnacle (peak). Inside are two garbhagrihas: the inner garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is where the idol is placed, and the outer sanctum is an open corridor-like space.
The sacro sanctum, or the main idol, is a stone Mukhalinga with a silver snānadroṇī base bound with a silver serpent. It is one metre high and has faces in four directions, which represent various aspects of Shiva; Sadyojata (also known as Barun), Vamadeva (also known as Ardhanareshwara), Tatpurusha, Aghora, and Ishana (imaginative). Each face has tiny protruding hands holding rudraksha mala in the right hand and a kamandalu in the other. Unlike other Shiva lingams in India and Nepal, this lingam is always dressed in its golden vastram except during abhisheka, so pouring milk and Ganga Jal is only possible during the ritual through the main priests.
The priests who perform the Pooa rituals are the Bhatta brahmin priests. Bhatta are highly educated Vedic Karnataka Brahmin scholars from Karnataka. Unlike other Hindu temples, the priesthood of Pashupatinath is not hereditary. Priests are selected from a group of scholars. The chosen priest is sent to Kathmandu to perform puja and daily worship of Pashupatinath.
The temple courtyard has four entrances in the cardinal directions. The western entrance is the main entrance to the temple courtyard and the remaining three entrances are open only during festivals. Only practicing Hindus of South Asian diaspora and Buddhists of Nepali and Tibetan diaspora are allowed into the temple courtyard. Practicing Hindus of Western descent are not allowed into the temple complex and must go no further than other non-Hindu visitors. An exception is granted to Sikhs and Jains of Indian ancestry who may enter the temple complex. Others can look at the main temple from the adjacent side of the river and pay $10 (1,000 Nepali rupees) to visit the small temples located in the external premises of the temple complex.
The inner temple courtyard remains open from 04:00 to 19:00 for the devotees, but the inner Pashupatinath Temple is open from 05:00 to 12:00, for the morning ritual and viewing and from 17:00 to 19:00 for the evening ritual. Unlike many other Shiva temples, devotees are not allowed to enter the inner garbhagriha, but are allowed to watch from the exterior premises of the outer garbhagriha. The temple closing times change depending upon the season: in November, it closes at 18:30. In summers, it closes at 20:00.
