Pashupatinath

Pashupatinath

Paśupatinātha is the national deity of Nepal and one of the most sacred Shaiva pilgrimage sites in the subcontinent. The temple on the Bagmati river is counted among the Jyotirlingas in some traditions and is classified as one of 275 Paaḍal Petra Sthalaṅgaḷ (Shaiva Tamil canonical sites).

The Paśupatinātha complex has a history exceeding 1,400 years. The current pagoda-style structure dates from 1692 CE (Malla era). The temple features a unique FOUR-faced Shivalinga — one face in each cardinal direction:

• Sadyojāta (west) — creation
• Vāmadeva (north) — preservation of femininity
• Aghora (south) — fierce-protective
• Tatpuruṣa (east) — the great ascetic

Plus the fifth Īśāna face at the top, invisible. This is the cosmic Pañcamukha Śiva — encoded mathematically in every Shaiva sadhaka's meditation. Only Hindu Brahmins may enter the inner sanctum; non-Hindus view the temple from across the Bagmati river.

Ārya Ghāṭ on the temple's Bagmati-side is Nepal's principal cremation ghat — cremating royalty, presidents, and commoners alike. Cremation here is said to liberate one from the cycle of rebirth.