Pashupatinath

Pashupatinath is one of the most sacred Shiva temples in the world and part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site. The gilded two-tiered pagoda of the main temple dates in its present form from the 17th century, though worship here is far older; only Hindus may enter the main courtyard.

Everyone can watch from across the river as families perform cremations at the Arya Ghat, see the sadhus, and explore the hundreds of shrines and lingas on the terraces. The evening aarti by the river is beautiful, and the great festival is Maha Shivaratri, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrive.

What to see and do

From the east bank of the Bagmati, climb the terraces with rows of small stone shrines (the Panchadeval and the 'eleven Rudras'), look across to the main temple's golden roofs and the cremation ghats, and walk up into the Mrigasthali forest where deer live and monkeys roam. The Guhyeshwari temple, one of the most important Shakti shrines, is a short walk downstream.

Every evening the Bagmati aarti takes place on the ghats with lamps, music and chanting — one of the most atmospheric sights in Kathmandu. Sadhus with painted faces gather around the temple, especially during Shivaratri, when the whole area fills with pilgrims from Nepal and India.

Good to know

Foreign visitors pay an entry fee and cannot enter the main temple courtyard. Cremations are private family rites: watch quietly from the opposite bank and do not photograph mourners closely. Sadhus may ask for money if photographed. Mornings and evenings are the most atmospheric times.