What is Pashupatinath Temple means?
Pashupati (Sanskrit Paśupati) is an incarnation of the Hindu god Shiva as “lord of the animals (any living being)”. He is revered throughout the Hindu world, but especially in Nepal, where he is unofficially regarded as a national deity.
The twelve Jyotirlinga (in India) are the body and the Jyotirlinga at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu (Nepal) is the head over this body. The temple is one of the 275 Tamil Paadal Petra Sthalams (Holy Abodes of Shiva) on the continent. Kotirudra Samhita, Chapter 11 on the Shivalingas of the North, in Shiva Purana mentions this Shivalinga as the bestowed of all wishes.
Who Built Pashupatinath Temple ?
According to Gopalraj Aalok Vamsavali, the oldest ever chronicle in Nepal, this temple was built by Supuspa Deva, a Lichchhavi King, who according to the stone inscription erected by Jayadeva 11 in the courtyard of Pashupatinath in 753 AD, happened to be the ruler of 39 generations before Manadeva (464-505 AD).
Where is Pashupathinath Temple ?
The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous and sacred Hindu temple complex that is located on the banks of the Bagmati River, approximately 5 kilometers north-east of Kathmandu in the eastern part of Kathmandu Valley, the capital of Nepal. The temple serves as the seat of Nepal’s national deity, Lord Pashupatinath.
Is there Daily Rituals time table at Pashupatinath Temple
Pashupatinath is also one of the very few living cultural heritage sites in the world. Unlike other cultural sites or museums, Pashupatinath is centre of energy with active participation of people all times of the day, every day. The daily rituals of Pashupatinath Temple are as follows:
- 4:00 am: West gate opens for visitors.
- 8:30 am: After arrival of Pujaris, the idols of the Lord are bathed and cleaned; clothes and jewelry are changed for the day.
- 9:30 am: Baal Bhog or breakfast is offered to the Lord.
- 10:00 am: Then people who want to do Puja are welcomed to do so. It is also called Farmayishi Puja, whereby people tell the Pujari to carry out a special Puja for their specified reasons. The Puja continues till 1:45 pm in the afternoon.
- 1:50 pm: Lunch is offered to the Lord in the main Pashupati Temple.
- 2:00 pm: Morning prayers end.
- 5:15 pm: The evening Aarati at the main Pashupati Temple begins.
- 6:00 pm onward: Recently the Bagmati Ganga Aarati; done by the shores of Bagmati, has been gaining lots of popularity. We can see the shores of Bagmati crowded mostly on Saturdays, Mondays and on special occasions. Ganga Aarati along with Shiva’s Tandava Bhajan, written by Ravana, is carried out on evening Ganga Aarati.
- 7:00 pm: Door is closed.
Why Pashupatinath Temple is listed in UNESCO HERITAGE Sites?
This temple complex was inscribed one of the 8th UNESCO World Heritage Sites’s list in 1979. This “extensive Hindu temple precinct” is a “sprawling collection of temples, ashrams, images and inscriptions rose over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River” and is included as one of the seven monument groups in UNESCO’s designation of Kathmandu Valley as a cultural heritage site. One of the major Festivals of the temple is Maha Shivaratri on which day over 1 million devotees visit here. It is also a cremation site where the last rites of Hindus are performed. The site and events at cremation is not for the faint hearted; still visitors are seen watching curiously from across the river from the hill. To visit Pashupatinath Temple is for an out-of-this-world experience. Experience this highly recommended religious hub for a mix of religious, cultural and spiritual experiences. Located 3 km northwest of Kathmandu on the banks of the Bagmati River, the temple area also includes Deupatan, Jaya Bageshori, Gaurighat (Holy Bath), Kutumbahal, Gaushala, Pingalasthan and Sleshmantak forest. There are around 492 temples, 15 Shivalayas (shrines of Lord Shiva) and 12 Jyotirlinga (phallic shrines) to explore.
What is architectural structure of Pashupatinath Temple (Pashupatinath complex)?
The main temple of Pashupatinath is a building with a bunk roof and a golden spire.
It is located on the Western bank of Bagmati and is considered a masterpiece of Hindu architecture. It is a cubic construction with four main doors, all covered with silver sheets.
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.
Do Foreigners other then Hindu can visit Pashupatinath Temple ?
Only followers of Hinduism can enter the main temple, but all the other buildings are available for foreigners to visit. From the Eastern bank of the river the main temple can be seen in its whole beauty. The western bank of Bagmati also hosts the so called Panch Deval (Five temples) complex, which once was a holy shrine but now serves a shelter for destitute old people.
Numerous religious buildings are also located on the eastern bank of Bagmati, most of them are devoted to Shiva. The majority of these buildings are small single storey constructions made from stone. From the outside these buildings are reminding crypts, but in reality these are sacral buildings, created for holding the symbol of the deity Shiva – lingam (erect phallus). Lingams can be found all over the complex. Along the right bank of Bagmati numerous platforms for funeral pyres are built. The cremations on these platforms are a common activity.
Usually tourists have the chance to see at least one open-air cremation.
The majority of religious rituals are culturally unusual and even mind-blowing for Westerners, but probably the most culturally unusual thing in Pashupatinath is the specific smell of cremated bodies. Unlike any expectation the smell has nothing in common with the smell of decaying flesh, but rather reminds the smell of clabber mixed with different spices.
Another culturally shocking thing in Pashupatinath is the image of local women washing clothes downstream the river. The waters of Bagmati contain animal fat because of the ashes of cremated Shiva followers and easily wash the dirt from linen. It is believed that this is how the soap was invented.
As far as Shiva is considered the patron of animals and all living organisms, monkeys and deers are wandering all around the temple complex on both banks of Bagmati. Monkeys are very often unfriendly, they beg for food, snatch things from careless tourists and may even be dangerous.
Who are Sadhus around Pashupathinath Complex?
Sadhus are wandering ascetic yogis, who are trying to acquire liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth by meditating. Sadhus in Pahsupathinath are Nirvana seekers. They have very unique appearance with specific yellow paintings on their bodies. Majority of sadhus are very tourist friendly and eager to pose for the photos with foreigners, but it is not free of charge. They live in caves or tiny cells on the territory of Pashupatinath. Sadhus have extremely ascetic and even miserable life but for a Westerner their independent and unconstrained behavior looks mysterious.
Do Pashupathnath Temple effected by Earthquake ?
On 25 April 2015, when an earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes hit Nepal it started turning most of the nearby structures and some UNESCO’s world heritage sites into dust. But Pashupatinath Temple which has withstood the test of time once again stood tall facing the disaster. With just a few cracks on the wall, it appeared as a miracle structure amid all dust and rubble. While devotees claimed it as a sign of divine power; others are arguing that its strong base and architecture are the main factors which helped Pashupatinath temple to withstand the effects of the earthquake.
