Shiva Purana
Kotirudra Samhita, Chapter 11 — mahatmya of the Shivalingas of the northern direction; Pashupatinath extolled as 'the bestower of all desires'
Kathmandu · Bagmati Province
Shri Pashupatinath Temple
Pashupatinath — Lord of all beings (Shiva)
अन्य नाम: Pashupati · Pashupati-Nath · Nepal-Kailash · Lord of the Sleshmantak forest
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Nepal's supreme Hindu tirtha
- Principal Shiva-linga of the north…
इस मन्दिर की विशेषता
- UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1979; foremost of the 7 monument groups of the Kathmandu Valley)
- Nepal's supreme Hindu tirtha
- Principal Shiva-linga of the northern direction described in the Shiva Purana Kotirudra Samhita
01
मूल विग्रह
मुख्य देव एवं स्वरूप
Shri Pashupatinath (Shiva — Lord of all beings; in the chaturmukha mukha-linga form)
Chaturmukha (four-faced) mukha-linga — a 1-metre stone linga with faces in four directions, mounted on a silver base wreathed with a silver serpent
सम्प्रदाय: Shaiva (Nepal's foremost Shaiva pitha; Adi Shankaracharya-established tradition of Karnataka-origin Bhatta priests)
02
स्थल-पुराण
कथा, इतिहास एवं महत्व
Skanda Purana
Nepal Mahatmya section — detailed account of the Pashupati region and the Sleshmantak forest
Linga Purana
Reference to the Pashupati form and the Pashupati-vrata
Gopalraj Vamsavali
Nepal's oldest royal chronicle — reference to the construction of the first five-storey temple by Lichchhavi king Supushpa Deva
संत एवं परम्परा
- Lichchhavi king Supushpa Deva — traditionally credited with the construction of Pashupatinath's first five-storey temple; the Gopalraj Vamsavali places him 39 generations before Manadeva
- Lichchhavi king Jayadeva II — installed an inscription in the Pashupatinath courtyard in 753 CE; authoritative documentation of Pashupati history
- Adi Shankaracharya — founder of the tradition of appointing Karnataka-origin Bhatta brahmins as Pashupatinath's chief priests; an effort to bind India's north and south
- Malla king Bhupatindra Malla (1692 CE) — rebuilt the present main pagoda-style temple; gold-gilded roof and silver-plated doors
ऐतिहासिक घटनाक्रम
- 100Approximately 1st-2nd century CE — construction of the first five-storey Pashupatinath temple by Lichchhavi king Supushpa Deva (per the Gopalraj Vamsavali) — Gopalraj Vamsavali via PADT + Wikipedia
- 753753 CE — Lichchhavi king Jayadeva II installed an inscription in the Pashupatinath courtyard; authoritative documentation of Pashupati history — Wikipedia + PADT
- 16921692 CE — the present main structure was rebuilt in the Malla period (after the earlier structures were damaged by termites and earthquakes); Newari pagoda style; two-tier gold-gilded copper roof; silver-plated doors; 23.07 metres from base to pinnacle. (Wikipedia confirms the year of reconstruction; some sources credit the Malla king Bhupatindra Malla as the builder — this is not confirmed by Wikipedia.) — Wikipedia + Britannica + Shanker Hotel UNESCO
- 19791979 — UNESCO designated Pashupatinath as a World Heritage Site (foremost of the 7 monument groups of the Kathmandu Valley). The total extent of the Pashupati region is 246 hectares; 518 mini-temples are included. — UNESCO + Shanker Hotel
- 2015April 2015 — many monuments of the Kathmandu Valley were damaged in the Nepal earthquake (M 7.8); the main Pashupatinath temple was safe; some smaller temples within the complex were restored. — UNESCO post-earthquake reports
03
नित्य उपासना
दर्शन समय एवं आरती
Mangala Aarti / morning ritualBegins at 05:00
Sanctum opens at 5 AM (Wikipedia confirmed); the outer complex is accessible from 4 AM
Nitya Abhisheka and Bhog09:00-12:00
Bagmati Sandhya Aarti (riverside)18:00 (30 minutes before sunset)
Grand ritual on the banks of the Bagmati — lamp aarti, mantra chanting; akin to the Kashi-Ganga aarti. Non-Hindus too may view from the western bank of the Bagmati.
Sanctum Evening Ritual17:00-19:00 (seasonally until 18:30 or 20:00)
The day's last sanctum ritual; outer complex open until 21:00
04
दर्शन
दर्शन के प्रकार
General Darshan (Hindus only)निःशुल्क
Only Hindu devotees are permitted inside the sanctum. Darshan of the main Shivalinga is free.
Foreign tourist entry fee (outer complex)
Entry fee for the outer complex for foreign tourists is NPR 1,000 (set by PADT). Nepali and Indian citizens and children under 10 enter free. Verify the fee at the counter.
Special Puja and Abhisheka (Online Booking)
Online special puja and abhisheka booking via the official PADT website.
05
उत्सव
प्रमुख पर्व एवं उत्सव
MahashivratriPhalguna Krishna Chaturdashi
Pashupatinath's highest annual festival. Temple gates open from 2:15 AM; over 10 lakh devotees arrive from Nepal, India and across the world. 4-prahar puja (morning, midday, evening, midnight). 2026 — 15 February, Sunday.
Teej (Haritalika Teej)Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya
The principal vrata festival for Nepali women; lakhs of women arrive in red sarees for Pashupatinath darshan; vows for the longevity of husbands and, for the unmarried, for a suitable spouse
Bala ChaturthiMargashirsha Krishna Chaturthi
Local festival of the Pashupati region; night of Pashupati aradhana
Shravana MonthShravana
Shiva upasana for the entire month; special Rudrabhisheka every Monday; Nepali Kanwariyas and Indian devotees
06
आस्था
मनोकामना एवं फल
Per the Shiva Purana Kotirudra Samhita, Pashupatinath is the 'bestower of all desires' and the giver of liberation
स्रोत: Shiva Purana Kotirudra Samhita Chapter 11
Arya Ghat and Bhasmeshwar Ghat on the Bagmati banks within the Pashupati region are the most sacred Hindu cremation sites; bestower of pitr-moksha
स्रोत: Skanda Purana Nepal Mahatmya
'Pashupati' = Lord of all beings; the deity of pashu-papa-mukti and the ahimsa vow; the deity of all creatures and the protection of the environment
स्रोत: Linga Purana + Shiva Purana
07
जप
मन्त्र एवं स्तोत्र
- Pashupatinath Ashtakam / Stotra
- Mahamrityunjaya Mantra — 'Om Tryambakam Yajamahe...'Principal mantra of Pashupatinath abhisheka and Rudrabhisheka
- Om Namah Shivaya — Panchakshara Mantra
- Shri Rudram ChamakamPrincipal Vedic stotra of Pashupati upasana
08
तीर्थाटन
समीप के तीर्थ एवं परिपथ
Guhyeshwari Temple (51 Shakti Pitha)1 किमी
Dedicated to Devi Sati — one of the 51 Shakti Pithas. Critically important for Tantra-Shakta upasakas. Essential alongside the Pashupatinath yatra.
Arya Ghat100 मी
Nepal's supreme sacred cremation site; the last rites of the Nepali royal family are performed here
Bhasmeshwar Ghat200 मी
Wood-pyre cremation ghat for the general public; the Bhasmeshwar Mahadev Shivalinga; Kathmandu's principal ritual-rites site
Gauri Ghat500 मी
The entry point of the Bagmati into the Pashupati region; tradition of Gauri-Shiva-snan
Kirateshwar Temple800 मी
Kirateshwar Shiva — temple of Shiva in the Kirata form; on the Pashupati-Guhyeshwari route
Sleshmantak Forest1.5 किमी
Mythological site of the Shiva-Parvati deer-lila; the Pashupati origin story (Shiva in the deer form and the broken-horn narrative) is associated with this forest; natural part of the 264-hectare Pashupati region
Boudhanath Stupa2 किमी
Among the largest Buddhist stupas in the world; UNESCO World Heritage. An essential part of any Kathmandu religious yatra.
Nepal's supreme Hindu tirtha; combined yatra with Muktinath (Vishnu-Dham) and Janakpur (Sita-Janmabhumi)
3 मंदिर
Foremost Hindu tirtha among the 7 UNESCO monument groups of the Kathmandu Valley
7 मंदिर
Central; 246-hectare region; 518 mini-temples; full yatra in 1 day
Kathmandu-Pashupatinath darshan is traditional before and after the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra
09
मार्गदर्शन
यात्रा एवं संपर्क
- पता
- Pashupatinath Temple, Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), Gaushala, Kathmandu — 44621, Bagmati Province, Nepal
- हवाई अड्डा
- Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), Kathmandu — ~4 km from Pashupatinath (15-20 minutes)
- रेलवे
- Nepal's railway network is limited; nearest Indian railhead: Raxaul (RXL, Bihar) — ~150 km by road; from Jaynagar (JYG, Bihar) via the Janakpur train + road ~370 km
- उत्तम ऋतु
- October-March best; temperatures 5-22°C; clear darshan. Bagmati riverside is stunning in the monsoon (June-September). Peak crowds at Mahashivratri (February) — 10 lakh+.
4 किमीTribhuvan Airport
5 किमीKathmandu city centre
13 किमीBhaktapur
6 किमीPatan
200 किमीPokhara
150 किमीRaxaul
280 किमीLumbini