Nepal is a unique blend of heritage, history, nature, and spirituality. From the wild beauty of Chitwan to the mesmerizing mysticism of Lumbini and the serene spirituality of Pashupatinath, it is an experience that transcends the ordinary. This post here is however restricted to the ancient and famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Shiva temple of Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. Read on to know everything, from the Pashupatinath temple timings, Pashupatinath Temple History, and interesting facts about Pashupatinath Temple Kathmandu Nepal.

Pashupatinath Temple Timings | About Pashupatinath Temple Nepal | History | Interesting Facts About Pashupatinath Temple

Guide to visiting Pashupatinath Temple |  Pashupatinath Temple Timings | Pashupatinath Temple History | Interesting Facts About Pashupatinath Temple

The Kathmandu Valley resonates with an aura of spirituality and mysticism. In fact, when you enter the city from the airport, you are engulfed by the aura of the Pashupatinath temple, one of the important and ancient Shiva temples in the world. Elsewhere you have the Budha Nilkantha temple, the Boudhanath Stupa, the Swayambhunath temple, and the Changu Narayan Temple.

Pashupatinath Temple History | Importance Of Pashupatinath Temple | Pashupatinath Temple Story | Interesting Facts About Pashupatinath Temple

The history of the Pashupatinath temple dates back to the 4th century BC. The Shiva Purana refers to it as a temple that fulfils the wishes of devotees. The temple also finds mention in the Skanda Purana. When Parvati asked Shiva about the important Shiva Kshetras of the world, Maha Deva lists out 68 sacred temples and the Pashupatinath temple was one of them.

The main temple existing today is believed to have been built in the 17th century after the older temple fell prey to termites and bit the dust. There are many myths and legends associated with the Pashupatinath temple regarding its origins.

One of the most popular legends associated with the origin of the Pashupatinath temple is a legend related to Shiva and his consort Parvati. Legend has it that once Shiva and Parvati had shaken the form of deer and were roaming around the forest near the banks of the river Bagmati. The other Gods wanted Shiva to return to his divine form and chased the deer. They caught up with the divine couple and held Shiva in the form of the deer by its horns. In the tussle, one of the horns broke and fell off. This broken horn was worshipped as a Shivalinga for centuries before it was lost and buried deep in the earth.

After a few centuries, it is said that Kamadhenu, the divine cow, used to go to a particular spot and pour its milk there. The spot was dug and the ancient Shiva Linga retrieved, and worship resumed. This is believed to have been the very Pashupatinath Shivling that is worshipped even today. In due course, a temple was built over it and the sacred place is known today as Pashupatinath temple.

Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal | Pashupatinath Mandir | Pashupatinath Mandir | Pashupatinath Temple Timings

The Pashupatinath temple is just one of the sites of the heritage monument groups of the Kathmandu valley. The temple complex stretches parallel to the banks of the river Bagmati and consists of the Pashupatinath Temple Kathmandu main temple and more than 500 other minor temples, open pavilions, Ashrams, and living quarters.

The entire complex is spread over an area of about 1.58 acres. The main temple is built in the Pagoda style and consists of two tiers and has gilded roofs that sparkle when kissed by the rays of the sun. A golden spire known as Gajur rises up into the sky from the roof. There are four doors, one each in each of the cardinal directions that open to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. One of the doors is plated with gold while the others are silver-plated. 

A mammoth bronze statue of Nandi maintains vigil outside the sanctum and grabs the attention of visitors, as they enter the inner courtyard through the main gate. The main Shiva temple is surrounded by a cluster of smaller temples that including temples of Ganesha, Vasuki, Hanuman, Unmatta Bhairava, and others.

Occupying centre stage is the main deity of the temple an ancient Shiva Linga that is about a meter high. It has five faces attached to it, four of these face the cardinal directions, and the fifth looks upwards. The face that looks eastwards is known as Tatpurush, the one that looks westwards is called Sadyojata, the face looking towards the north is called Vamdeva, and the one looking towards the south is called Aghora. The face that looks upwards is featureless and is known as Ishana.

Pashupatinath Mandir Nepal – Priests From Karnataka | Interesting Facts About Pashupatinath Temple

 The Pashupatinath temple is strongly connected with the southern Indian state of Karnataka. The distinctive feature of Pashupatinath temple is that the main deity can be touched only by a set of four priests. These priests are selected from the Dakshinamaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, in Karnataka, India. The priests belong to the Smarta Brahmin sect and are well versed in Rig Vedic traditions, Pashupata Yoga which is believed to have originated from Shiva himself, Shiva Agamas, and Samaveda.

There is no historical evidence to say how and when the practice of entrusting the worship of the sacred Shiva Linga of Pashupatinath to priests from Karnataka originated. This tradition is however be traced to more than 300 years ago. It is believed that the practice traces its origins to the Advaita philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya and his visit to Pashupatinath, however, there is no documentary evidence for this.

The general belief is that in the middle of the 15th century the then king of Nepal Yaksha Malla asked the Bhatta Brahmin priests from Karnataka to take over the rituals of the temple. He wanted the worship of the deity to be done according to Sattvic and Vedic traditions and not the Vamachara practices that had Tantric origins which were then prevalent.

The Bhandaris are the assistant priests who assist the main priests or the Bhattas. A total of 108 Bhandari priests work in the Kathmandu Pashupatinath Mandir.

Kathmandu Burning Ghats | Interesting Facts About Pashupatinath Temple

By the side of the Pashupatinath temple along the banks of the river, Bagmati lie the cremation ghats where the last rites of the Hindus are performed. On the banks of the river, smoke rises from the pyres of the dead and wafts its way upwards, as if transporting the souls of the departed heavenwards. The scenes are poignant and leave one with thoughts about the ephemeral nature of life.

Good To Know Information – Pashupatinath Mandir Kathmandu

• Entry into the inner courtyard of Pashupatinath temple is restricted to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs
• The western door of the temple opens at 4.00 AM while the other three doors open at 9.30 AM
• The evening Aarti to the main deity is offered immediately after sunset after which the temple is closed

Shree Pashupatinath Temple Timings | Rituals And Ceremonies

• The first visitors can enter the inner courtyard of the Pashupatinath Mandir through the west gate at 4.00 AM
• Abhisheka which is the ritual bathing of the deity and its decoration is done at 8.30 AM by the Bhatta priests
• The offering to the deity known as Bal Bhog is offered at 9.30 AM
• The three other doors open at 9.30 AM
• From 10.00 AM to 1.45 PM the public can offer special worship or puja to Lord Shiva known as Farmayishi puja
• The afternoon Bhog is offered to the deity at 1.50 PM
• The temple closes at 2.00 PM for the afternoon
• The evening Aarti At Pashupatinath Temple to the deity at the main temple takes place at 5.15 PM
• In the evening a grand Ganga Aarti is done on the banks of the Bagmati river
• The temple closes for the day at 7.00 PM

Pashupatinath Temple Video

How To Reach Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu

• The Kathmandu Pashupatinath Temple is a famous UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu
• Pashupatinath Kathmandu is about 2.5 kilometres from the Tribhuvan International Airport
• One can reach the Pashupatinath temple by taxi or public bus from Central Kathmandu

Do you hear the call of Shiva? Are you thinking of visiting Kathmandu in the near future, you can get great offers on booking your air tickets right here. you can book a cheap flight to Kathmandu through TripAdvisor or Agoda or CheapAir or Cleartrip or Makemytrip or Priceline right here.

Where To Stay In Kathmandu, Nepal | Hotels in Kathmandu Near Pashupatinath Temple

Kathmandu is an international tourist hotspot and offers a wide range of accommodation options to suit every budget and preference. These include backpacking hostels, budget hotels, and luxury hotels and resorts. During our Kathmandu sojourn, we stayed in two nice properties Hotel Tibet and Hotel Tibet International. There are plenty of hotels in Kathmandu near Pashupatinath Temple.

Whether you are looking for a hotel in Thamel or Hotels in Kathmandu Near Pashupatinath Temple, you can book these hotels or any other hotel in Kathmandu or anywhere in Nepal very conveniently right here through TripAdvisor or Cleartrip or Agoda or Makemytrip or Priceline and save a lot by getting the best savings on booking your stay.

Places To See In Kathmandu Other Than Pashupatinath Temple

• Swayambhunath
• Budhanilkantha Temple
• Changu Narayan Temple
• Narayanhiti Palace
• Garden of Dreams
• Durbar Square
• Bhaktapur
• Patan Durbar Square
• Thamel

You can book your Kathmandu tours and activities here. A 6 hour Kathmandu valley tour can also be booked online. Here are some more options for tours in and around Kathmandu.

You can plan your Kathmandu/Nepal itinerary and book your  Kathmandu trips, right here.  So go ahead and book online places to see in Kathmandu and popular activities in Kathmandu and cover attractions in Kathmandu.

Pashupatinath Mandir – FAQ

Why Pashupatinath temple is famous?

It is an ancient Shiva temple that is sacred for Hindus and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Is Pashupatinath a jyotirlinga?

Though Pashupatinath Temple Shivling is not one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, it is believed to have a connection with Kedarnath and is sometimes referred to as the 13th Jyotirlinga.

Who is Lord Pashupatinath?

It is Lord Shiva represented as the lord of all sentinel beings.

When should we visit Pashupatinath temple?

There is no Best Time To Visit Pashupatinath, the Nepal Temple Pashupatinath can be visited at any time of the year.

Is Passport required for Nepal?

Passport and visa requirement is based on country of origin. For Indian citizens, they do not need a visa or even passport, they can visit with any government identity card like Aadhar, etc..

Which is the biggest temple of Nepal?

Pashupatinath Kathmandu is the biggest temple of Nepal.

What is the belief of Pashupatinath?

There is a belief that when a small shrine emerges from the river Baghmati, it will signal the end of Kalyug.

How can I reach Pashupatinath?

One can easily reach the Kathmandu Pashupatinath temple by public bus or taxi from anywhere in Kathmandu.

Who Built Pashupatinath Temple?

The origin of the temple dates back to the 5th century, but the temple was reconstructed later by a king belonging to the Malla dynasty.

Is their Dress Code For Pashupatinath Temple?

Though there is no specific dress code, one needs to dress conservatively as this is a place of worship.

We hope you liked our Pashupatinath Temple blog and also liked Pashupatinath Temple photos in this post. Hope it serves as a complete guide to Pashupatinath temple. Do connect with us through our comments section. Stay tuned to our social media channels for interesting information and travel updates.

You can also read our article about the Pashupatinath temple that was published in the Deccan Herald.

Do You Love Traveling?

Do you want to know how to travel the world? We have put together a very useful travel resources page with best travel tips. Go check it out now.

Thanks for visiting our site Voyager – imvoyager.com and taking the time to read this post!

If you wish to collaborate/work with us then reach us at [email protected]

We’d love if you’d comment by sharing your thoughts on this post and share this post on social media and with your friends.
Follow our journey on our social media channels:
Facebook   Twitter   Instagram  Pinterest  YouTube

60+ Million Users Trust TripAdvisor With Their Travel Plans. Shouldn’t You?