Pashupatinath Temple
One of the holiest Hindu religion shrines in Nepal is the Pashupatinath Temple which is stretched across both the banks of the sacred Bagmati River on the eastern fringes of the capital city of Kathmandu. The magnificent sanctum devoted to Lord Shiva draws in thousands of devotees who come to offer their prayers and seek blessings from him. Sprawled over a large area with temples and ashrams. Bagmati is represented as a pious river by religious people where they rinse their bodies before entering the temple for worshipping. The enclosed area of Pashupatinath temple is on the UNESCO world’s heritage list.
This Pagoda-styled temple stands as an important religious symbol for the Hindu religion in Nepal. Pashupatinath temple’s origin starts several centuries prior to the construction of this structure. Many legends surround this place and most of them are quite interesting to listen to, whether or not you are a Hindu religion follower. This temple is one of the seven UNESCO heritage sites located in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. Surrounded by bustling arrays of markets, this temple overlooks the glittering stretch of Bagmati River. In the words of every religious visitor, this site is the emblem of spiritual energy. The pilgrimage site is each year visited by thousands of devotees, general people and tourists from all over the world either for worshipping, research, or knowledge about the history behind the Hindu religion, temple glory and construction. Only Hindus are allowed to enter the main temple complex.
Structure of Pashupatinath Temple
The temple complex covers 264 hectares of ground, which covers 518 structures inside it. The main temple is built in pagoda style inside a fortified courtyard. But the entire complex is divided into two parts, the inner courtyard and the outer complex. The main temple is beautifully carved with wooden rafters. The roof of the temple is made of copper and is coated with gold. There are four main doors to the temple and all the doors are covered with silver sheets. The inner sanctum of the temple holds the idol and the outer sanctum is a corridor-style open area.
The main idol in the temple is a stone lingam with a silver serpent. This lingam has four sides and five faces. Each face holds two hands with rukrasha mala and a kamandalu. Once you enter the large arch gate, you will see a golden bull statue, which is the enabler of Lord Shiva. The style of Pashupatinath temple is pagoda style. You can find statues of Lord Parvati, Lord Ganesh, Lord Kumar, Lord Ram with Sita, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Lakshmi.
History of Temple according to Hindu religion myth
According to mythology, Gods sometimes take the disguise of animals, birds, or men to retire from their cosmic work and enjoy the earth. On one such occasion, Lord Shiva and Lord Parvati was visit earth in the form of deer. They reach the forest regions of Nepal and were mesmerized by the beauty of the land. When they reached the banks of River Bagmati, they have to decide to stay there for eternity.
When the other gods and saints decided to bring the couple back to their cosmic work, Lord Shiva has reject the offer. With no other option, Gods decided to use force to bring them back. During this colossal fight, Lord Shiva, in the disguise of a deer, lost one of his antlers. But this antler was worshiped as the first lingam of Nepal in Pasupatinath. The lingam is reclaimed by Mother Earth and was lost for several centuries, until one day, Kamadhenu, a deity in the form of cow came down to earth, irrigate the soil around the region with her milk and retrieve the lingam. The villagers retrieve the lingam and built a wooden temple. The temple remains at the site from 400 AD.
According to an inscription found inside the Pashupatinath temple, the wooden temple was thriving during 800 AD and Supusapa Deva king built the five stories over the temple, again using wood. The temple was rebuilt in 5th century. In 13th century, Ananta Malla King add artistic details to the temple. Later, it was destroyed by passage of time and termites. In the 17th century, the current structure was rebuilt with 492 temples along with the main temple.
Important things to see/visit Around Pashupatinath
- Birth, and Death Are Integral Parts of Life
This temple denotes an ancient Hindu philosophy, which dictates that death is not something to be fear and it is inevitable.
- It is not just one temple
The Hindu religion Pashupatinath temple is the main shrine of this complex. However, you can find hundreds of smaller temples inside the complex. You can find Guhyeshwari temple, Vatasala Temple, Ram temple, Sati’s Gate and so on. Gorakhnath temple complex holds many small shrines inside it too.
- One of the Jyotirlinga Complex in the Hindu religion
There are twelve jyotirlingas in the world. According to legends, Shiva appears as a mighty pillar of light, piercing the world. jyotirlingam is the spots where the light touches earth. There are twelve Jyotirlingams in the world and each site is now a temple of Lord Shiva. These sites are very pure sites of pilgrimage activities. One of those twelve is Pashupatinath temple of Nepal.
- After-Life Salvation
It is believed that this temple provides salvation from the sins committed by a soul during its life on earth. Many elderlies and saints live in this temple complex, to make sure they die at this site of religious salvation.
- Watch Cremation
As said before, death is an integral part of life. The Holy River Bagmati is the site for cremation. You can watch the whole process of cremation and even take pictures. Make sure to be subtle and stay far away from the process. It might be an adventure for you, but it is the last ritual of a loved family member for people in the Hindu ritual.
