| Shri Pashupatinātha Temple | |
|---|---|
श्री पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर | |
 Pashupatinātha Temple, associated withShiva as 'the lord of all beings' | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Kathmandu |
| Province | Bagmati Province |
| Deity | Shiva (asPashupati) |
| Festivals | Mahashivaratri,Teej |
| Features |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Kathmandu |
| Country | Nepal |
  Location inNepal | |
 Interactive map of Shri Pashupatinātha Temple | |
| Coordinates | 27°42′35″N85°20′55″E / 27.70972°N 85.34861°E /27.70972; 85.34861 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Pagoda |
| Established | 5th century CE |
| Specifications | |
| Site area | 2,460,000 m² |
| Temple | 519 pagodas |
| Elevation | 817 m (2,680 ft) |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iii)(iv)(vi) |
| Designated | 1979(3rdsession) |
| Part of | Kathmandu Valley |
| Reference no. | 121bis-006 |
Pashupatinath Temple (Nepali:श्री पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर) is a reveredHindu temple dedicated toPashupati, a manifestation ofShiva. Located on the banks of the sacredBagmati River inKathmandu,Nepal, the temple is one of the oldest and most significant religious complexes in South Asia. Recognised as aUNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, it is one of seven monument groups inUNESCO's designation ofKathmandu Valley and is described as an "extensive Hindu temple precinct" comprising a vast network of temples,ashrams, inscriptions, and images raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River.[1] The temple, considered one of the holiest pilgrimage sites forHindus, is built on an area of 246 hectares (2,460,000 m2) and includes 518 mini-temples and the principal pagoda-style temple.[2]
Pashupatinath temple is venerated as one of the holiest abodes ofShiva inSkanda Purana and is honored as one of thePaadal Petra Sthalams (Tamil Tevara Sthalam) ofTevaram.[3][4] Thelinga of Pashupatinath, as perShiva Purana, is believed to be the bestower of all wishes.[5][6] Mythologically, the temple is seen as the head of Shiva with his body stretching to theKashi Vishwanath Temple in India,[7][8][9][10] and is also spiritually connected to the temples ofKedarnath,Rudranath,Kalpeshwar,Madhyamaheshwar andTungnath as per the legend ofMahabharata.[11][12][13] The main temple priests are, as a long-standing tradition,VedicDravida Brahmins fromKarnataka trained at theSringeri Sharada Peetham inSouthern India.
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Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. The temple is considered to be pre-Vedic in its origin[14] and according toNepal Mahatmaya andHimvatkhanda ofSkanda Purana, the deity here gained great fame asPashupati.[15]
As perShiva Purana, the linga of Pashupatinath that lies in Nepal has the capacity to fulfill all desires, and the story of Pashupatinath is narrated along with the greatness of Kedareshwara (Kedarnath) in the 9th chapter of "Koti-Rudra Samhita" which describes the journey ofPandavas in the search of Shiva. After Pandavas perform much penance, Shiva who had hidden himself underground in the form of a bull, reappears with his head in Pashupatinath, hump inKedarnath, face inRudranath, arms inTungnath and navel inMadhyamaheshwar.[13]
One legend says that Shiva andParvati took the form of antelopes in the forest on the Bagmati river's east bank. The gods later caught up with him and grabbed him by one of his horns, forcing him to resume his divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as alinga, but over time it was buried and lost. Centuries later a herdsman found one of his cows showering the earth with milk, and after digging at the site, he discovered the divine linga of Pashupatinath.
Pashupatinath Temple's existence is recorded as early as 400 CE.[16] The ornamented pagoda houses thelinga ofShiva. According toGopal Raj Vamshavali, the temple was built by Prachanda Deva, aLicchavi king. Another chronicle states that Pashupatinath Temple was in the form of Linga shaped Devalaya before Supuspa Deva constructed a five-storey temple of Pashupatinath in this place. As time passed, the temple needed to be repaired and renovated. It is known that this temple was reconstructed by a medieval king named Shivadeva (1099–1126 CE). It was renovated by Ananta Malla adding a roof to it.[17][18] Further temples have been erected around the two-storied temple, including theVaishnava temple complex with aRama temple from the 14th century and theGuhyeshwari Temple mentioned in an 11th-century manuscript, overtime. The current form of the temple was renovated in 1692 CE after the previous structures were affected by termites and earthquakes.[19]
The main temple complex of Pashupatinath and thesanctum sanctorum was left untouched, but some of the outer buildings in the complex were damaged by theApril 2015 Nepal earthquake.
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This main temple is built inNewari architecture. The two-level roofs are of copper with gold covering. The temple rests on a square base platform with a height of 23m 7 cm from base to pinnacle. It has four main doors, all covered with silver sheets. This temple has a gold pinnacle (peak). Inside are twogarbhagrihas: the inner garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is where the idol is placed, and the outer sanctum is an open corridor-like space.[20]
Thesacro sanctum, or the main idol, is a stoneMukhalinga with a silver snānadroṇī base bound with a silver serpent. It is one metre high and has faces in four directions, which represent various aspects of Shiva; Sadyojata (also known as Barun), Vamadeva (also known as Ardhanareshwara), Tatpurusha, Aghora, and Ishana (imaginative).[21] Each face has tiny protruding hands holdingrudraksha mala in the right hand and akamandalu in the other. Unlike other Shiva lingams in India and Nepal, this lingam is always dressed in its golden vastram except duringabhisheka, so pouring milk and Ganga Jal is only possible during the ritual through the main priests.
Only four priests can touch the idol. Daily rituals of Pashupatinath are carried out by two groups of priests: the Bhatta and theRajbhandari. Bhatta perform the daily ritual and can touch the lingam, whereas Rajbhandaris are helpers and temple caretakers who are not qualified to performpuja rituals or to touch the deity.[22]
Bhatta are highly educatedVedicKarnataka Brahmin scholars fromKarnataka. Unlike other Hindu temples, the priesthood of Pashupatinath is not hereditary. Priests are selected from a group of scholars. The chosen priest is sent toKathmandu to performpuja and daily worship of Pashupatinath.
The current Bhatta priests of the temple are:
The current Bhatta priest of the Vasukinath Naag temple of Pashupatinath
The Rajbhandaris are the treasurers, temple caretakers, and assistant priests of the temple. They are the descendants of helper priests brought up by early Bhatts, but were allowed to settle inKathmandu Valley and later assimilated into the existingNewar caste system of Rajbhandari – a high-caste Chathariya/Kshatriya clan ofKashyapagotra. Their main task is to help the Bhatt priests and perform maintenance of the innergarbhagriha. They can have little or no Vedic knowledge but still qualify as assistant priests if they belong from the same family lineage and undergo some basic criteria like caste, gotra, lineage purity, and educational qualification. They work in a set of three and switch every full moon day. There are a total of 108 Rajbhandaris.[25][26]
The temple courtyard has four entrances in the cardinal directions. The western entrance is the main entrance to the temple courtyard and the remaining three entrances are open only during festivals. The temple security (Armed Police Force Nepal) and the Pashupatinath area development trust are selective regarding who is allowed entry into the inner courtyard. Only practising Hindus ofSouth Asian diaspora and Buddhists of Nepali and Tibetan diaspora are allowed into the temple courtyard. PractisingHindus of Western descent are not allowed into the temple complex and must go no further than other non-Hindu visitors. An exception is granted toSikhs andJains of Indian ancestry who may enter the temple complex. Others can look at the main temple from the adjacent side of the river[27] and pay $10 (1,000 Nepali rupees) to visit the small temples located in the external premises of the temple complex.
The inner temple courtyard remains open from 04:00 to 19:00 for the devotees, but the inner Pashupatinath Temple is open from 05:00 to 12:00, for the morning ritual and viewing and from 17:00 to 19:00 for the evening ritual. Unlike many other Shiva temples, devotees are not allowed to enter the innergarbhagriha, but are allowed to watch from the exterior premises of the outergarbhagriha. The temple closing times change depending upon the season: in November, it closes at 18:30. In summers, it closes at 20:00.
The inner sanctum where the lingam is placed has four entrances: east, west, north, south. From 09:30 to 13:30, devotees can worship from all four doors. All four doors are also opened duringabhisheka from 09:00 to 11:00. Abhisheka is done based on the direction the mukh (face/entry) is viewed.
There are many festivals throughout the year, such as theMaha Shivaratri and the Teej festival. Teej is one of the most celebrated festival at Pashupatinath Temple.[28]
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Buddhists consider the temple complex as sacred, and is associated with numerousmahasiddhas such asMatsyendranath,Gorakhnath,Padmasambhava,Naropa andTilopa. The temple area is believed to be the place where Gorakhnath opened up the practices ofhaṭha yoga to people from all walks of life.[29] InVajrayana Buddhism, the cremation zone of the temple complex falls under'Lhundrup Tsek' or 'Spontaneous Moundcharnel ground' and is revered among the eight greatcharnel grounds wherePadmasambhava meditated and gained spiritual accomplishments.[30] The two caves situated to the north of the cremation zone along the river banks are worshipped as the meditation caves of mahasiddhasTilopa and his discipleNaropa. The caves are considered sacred as the site where Naropa received direct teachings from his master Tilopa and had the vision ofVajrayogini.[31] Naropa was also the main teacher ofMarpa, the founder ofKagyu school ofTibetan Buddhism who broughtVajrayana teachings toTibet. Marpa, in turn, was the master ofMilarepa, one of Tibet's most famous yogi.[32]
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In January 2009, after the forced resignation by the chief priest of Pashupatinath temple, the Maoist-led government of Nepal "hand picked" Nepalese priests of Khas-Gorkhali ethnicity to lead the temple, bypassing the temple's long-standing requirements.[33] This appointment was contested by theRajbhandaris (temple caretakers) of the temple, stating that they were not against the appointment of Nepalese priests but against the appointment without proper procedure.[34] After the appointment was challenged in a civil court, the appointment was overruled by theSupreme Court of Nepal,[35][36] but the government ignored the ruling and stood by its decision, which led to public outrage and protests over a lack of transparency. A clash between the youth wing of theCommunist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the protesting temple staff caused over a dozen injuries when some 100 Maoist cadres attacked the temple caretakers,[37] though the maoists denied the attack.[38][39] Lawmakers and activists from opposition parties joined protests, declaring their support for the Bhatt and other pro-Bhatt protesters.[40] After long dissatisfaction and protest by Hindus both in and outside Nepal, the government was forced to reverse its decision and reinstate Bhatta priests.
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Pashupatinath.
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