Pashupatinath

Tuesday Feb 14 was not only Valentine's day but also the day we visited 3 very famous temples/stupas in Kathmandu.  I will be sharing my experience at the one Hindu temple we visited, Pashupatinath. Pashupatinath is one of the most famous Shiva temples in the world.  It is the richest temple in Nepal and biggest in area as well.  

Within the temple area, there are a total of 108 shrines devoted to Shiva, with the one main temple in the center.  Only Hindus were allowed inside the main temple but non-Hindus were allowed to take a separate path that went around the temple.  

The temple with the two golden roofs is the main temple here at Pashupatinath.  Entrance fees were also collected, but only for non-Hindus.  What made us feel a little bit better about the steep entrance fee was that some of the money also went to the old age home situated right on the temple grounds.  This home was for the elderly who could no longer care for themselves but who also had no one to care for them.  Once inside the main temple, I was trying to keep up with our tour guide, Urmila, as she weaved through the temple making stops at certain places to bow or pray.  The weaving was secondary to the crowd but also due to the number of animals that were wandering about, including pigeons, cows, and monkeys.  One of the places inside the main temple that we visited was a maze that was lined with Shiva lingams (a lingam is the figure of Shiva that we worship) and they were supposed to represent the number of lives we have lived as animals before becoming a human.  The human form is thought to be the last reincarnation before ascenting to heaven.  

Once outside the main temple, the Bagmati River courses through the middle of the temple grounds.  This river is thought to be sacred because it joins the Ganga River in India.

 On the banks of the Bagmati River, you can see multiple cremations, as it is thought to be a sacred place for a deceased person's body.  Regarding cremations, our tour guide Urmila explained some of the traditions related to this practice.  For example, the eldest son sets fire to the deceased person, and in particular, the son must set fire first to the mouth as it is believed that doing so will open the gates to heaven.  Urmila also pointed out the changes that have occurred through time including that women were not allowed to set fire, even in the case of only having daughters and no sons. However, more recently, daughters have been performing this important task if necessary.

Multiple Shrines of Shiva within Pashupatinath. (Total of 108)

Hope you enjoyed this mini-tour into Pashupatinath.  We are now off to the town of Chapaguan to meet our host family and tour the health center that we will be working in for the next couple of weeks.