Pashupati Nath Temple
Pashupatinath Temple, with its astonishing architectural beauty, stands
as a symbol of faith, religion, culture and tradition. Regarded as the most
sacred temple of Hindu Lord Shiva in the world, Pashupatinath Temple's
existence dates back to 400 A.D. The richly-ornamented pagoda houses the sacred
linga or phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the
world come to pay homage to this temple, that is also known as 'The Temple of
Living Beings'.
Fast Facts
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Location |
5 km north-east of
Kathmandu |
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Category |
UNESCO listed World
Cultural Heritage Site |
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Era |
Prior to 400 A.D |
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Unique Features |
Only four priests,
appointed by the King, can touch the idol of Lord Shiva.
The priests are always
from south India. |
It is believed that this tradition have been started by Sage
Shankaracharaya in 6th century.
What to See
Gold-painted images of guardian deities
Chaturmukha (four-faced statue)
Chadeshvar, an inscribed Licchavi linga from the 7th century
Brahma Temple
Dharmashila, a stone where sacred oaths are taken
Arya Ghat
Gauri Ghat (holy bath)
Pandra Shivalaya (15 shrines)
Gorakhnath and Vishwarup Temples
Guhyeshwari (Guhjeshwari) Temple
Kirateshwar Mahadeva Mandir and Surya Ghat
Architecture
The two level roofs of the temple are embellished with gold and the
four main doors are adorned with silver.
The temple is famous for its
awe-inspiring and astounding pagoda architecture.
The western door has a statue of a large Bull, Nandi, is ornamented in
gold. This black stone idol, about 6 ft in height and circumference, adds to
the beauty and charisma of the temple.
The present architectural nature of Pashupatinath temple came into
existence as a result of renovation by Queen Gangadevi during the reign of
Shivasimha Malla (1578-1620 AD).
Legends
There are many legends describing as to how the temple of Lord
Pashupatinath came to existence here. Some of them are narrated below:-
The Cow Legend
Legend says that Lord Shiva once took the form of an antelope and
sported unkown in the forest on Bagmati river's east bank. The gods later
caught up with him, and grabbing him by the horn, forced him to resume his
divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as a linga but overtime it was
buried and lost. Centuries later an astonished herdsmen found one of his cows
showering the earth with milk. Digging deep at the site, he discovered the
divine linga of Pashupatinath.
The Linchchhavi Legend
According to Gopalraj Vamsavali, the oldest ever chronicle in Nepal,
this temple was built by Supus Padeva, a Linchchhavi King, who according to the
stone inscription erected by Jayadeva 11 in the courtyard of Pashupatinath in
753 AD, happened to be the ruler 39 generations before Manadeva (464-505 AD).
The Devalaya Legend
Another chronicle states that Pashupatinath Temple was in the form of
Linga shaped Devalaya before Supus Padeva constructed a five storey temple of
Pashupatinath in this place. As the time passed, the need for reparing and
renovating this temple arose. It is learnt that this temple was reconsturcted
by a mediaeval King named Shivadeva (1099-1126 AD). It was renovated by Ananta
Malla adding a roof to it.
Festivals
Pashupati area is regarded as one of the most important places of
pilgrimages for the followers of Hinduism. Thousands of devotees from within
and outside the country come to pay homage to Pashupatinath every day. And on
special occasions like Ekadasi, Sankranti, Mahashivratri, Teej Akshaya,
Rakshabandhan, Grahana (eclipse), Poornima (Full moon day) the whole atmosphere
turns festive and mirthful as people congregate here in a far greater number.
During the Shivaratri (also spelled Shivratri) festival Pashupatinath
temple is lit with ghee lamps throughout the night and the temple remains open
all night. Thousands of devotees take ritual baths in the Bagmati river on the
day of the festival and observe a fast for the whole day. Hundreds of sadhus
(sages) from different parts of Nepal and India come here on the occasion of
Maha Shivaratri.
Auspicious Days to Visit
In August, during the Teej festival, thousands of women visit the
temple to bathe in the holy waters of the Bagmati River. Because this ritual is
meant to bring a long and happy marriage, many women dress in red saris, which
are traditionally worn for wedding ceremonies. Full moon and New moon days are
also considered auspicious to visit the temple.
Good to know
According to a legend recorded in local texts, especially the
Nepalamahatmya and the Himavatkhanda, the Hindu Lord Shiva once fled from the
other gods in Varanasi to Mrigasthali, the forest on the opposite bank of the
Bagmati River from the temple. There, in the form of a gazelle, he slept with
his consort Parvati. When the gods discovered him there and tried to bring him
back to Varanasi, he leapt across the river to the opposite bank, where one of
his horns broke into four pieces. After this, Shiva became manifest as
Pashupati (Lord of Animals) in a four-face (chaturmukha) linga.
How to Reach
There are regular bus services from Kathmandu (from Ratna Park or City
Bus Station) to Patan,. It takes approximately 45 minutes to reach Goshala, the
stop for Pashupatinath.
Battery-operated Safaa tempos depart from near the Ratna Park office in
Kathmandu and drops the pilgrims at Ring Road, west of Pashupatinath.
Thereafter, a tempo going to Chabahil or Bodhnath can be hired.
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