One of the UNESCO’s World Heritage, Pashupatinath Temple (listed in 1979), is located in the capital city of Nepal, in the banks of the holy river, Bagmati. Believed to be in existence since 400 BC, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the oldest and sacred Hindu temples of Nepal.
The temple was built in Pagoda style where roofs are made with two-layer of copper and gold. the temple is one of the main tourist destinations points in Nepal devotees and sadhus from all over the world visits here. The temple sees a huge number of devotees in major festivals like Maha-Shivaratri and in the month of Shrawan. Despite that, the regular crowd can be seen every Monday as it is the day of Lord Shiva.
History
The exact date of the temple construction is unknown, but it is believed to be found in 400 BC. The temple’s construction was by Lichchhavi King Prachanda Dev in the 5th century and the further renovation was done in the 17th Century replacing the previous temple destroyed by termites and to a new one designed in pagoda style. In addition, it is said that various mythology, Mahatmaya, and Himvatkhanda, the deity here gained great fame. A temple is a place where we can feel the unique spirit of the Hindu tradition of life, death, and reincarnation.
Interesting fact of Pashupatinath
The word “Hinduism” in “Vedas” reflects one of the most ancient religions in the world. In the philosophy arena, there are four most prominent religious trends, i.e, Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and other minor cults, four different religious cults are fundamentally different in terms of their own religion. However, all of them adore Pashupati worshipping as one of the highest spiritual offerings, and hence all of them accept Lord Pashupatinath as ‘Devaadidev’. i.e, the god of all gods/goddesses.
The meaning and Importance of Pashupatinath
Pashupati means the Lord of all Pashus, which are living as well as non-living being . The temple lies near the bank of Bagmati River where pilgrims take bathe in the holy river, with the belief of being born as a human in the next birth Besides, there are many other stories and rituals associated with this place.
As guardians of this particular shrine, Bhatt Brahmins lived there for many years, those Brahmins came from south India and had a kinship link. The most figurative things in the temple complex are the architectural style of the temple. The temple complex shows a holy sculpture representing the Lingham of Pashupatinath.
The temple is one of the highly respected temples by the Hindus around the globe. After death; this place is the gateway to Heaven for many people. In addition, this place also reflects the holiest place due to the presence of the head of the supreme gold Lord Shiva. In contrast, The inner place of the temple is not accessible for the Non-Hindus.
Secret stories behind the location
Many people are unknown about how the temple came into existence on the bank of Bagmati River. Well, there are several stories in this regard among of those, One story is widely believed and expressed as, Lord Shiva and Parvati came to the Kathmandu, while both of them rested in the bank of Bagmati River, they found stunning and mesmerizing view of the beauty of the valley and the forest which surrounded it.
Thus, both of them decided to transform themselves into a deer and started to inspect around the forest to savor in the forest beauty. While Lord Shiva was exploring the beauty and enjoying at the moment, Other God Started to look for him and requested him to get back to his pavilion. Lord Shiva refused to go back with them but other God insisted. Lord Shiva then decided to fight them and lost one of his antlers during the fight. That lost antler later became the first lingam worshipped by the devotees in Pashupatinath.
Link-up with Kedarnath and Doleshwor Temple
Many people are unknown about the fact that; after visiting 12 Jyotirlingas, 4 Dhams, and 5 Kedars; it is deemed incomplete without visiting Doleshwar Mahadev and Pashupatinath. Thus, the temple is a focal point of Hindus around the World and it has a great significance from the heritage tourism point of view to establish socio-cultural, religious, historical, and aesthetic value. So, it can be summarizing that the place carries a lot of significance for the country as well, while it is one of the most potential destinations for cultural heritage tourism.
