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Kathmandu Photo Gallery - Pashupatinath

Pashupatinath Temple, Bagmati River, Nandi Bull, Golden Door, Sadhus, Half-Buried Buddha Statue, Burning Ghats, Chaityas Stupas, Lingam

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 01 Pashupatinath Temple From Across Bagmati River The Pashupatinath Temple complex in Kathmandu on the banks of the holy Bagmati River is Nepal’s most important Hindu temple, and probably the holiest Hindu site outside India. Pashupati is one of the many names of Shiva, the most revered god in the Hindu pantheon, this one meaning the Lord of the Animals. Supposedly Shiva needed a holiday from Mount Kailash and chose the Kathmandu valley. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple. Below the Pashupatinath temple runs the Bagmati River, a holy river that eventually joins the Ganges. Pilgrims throw the holy water onto themselves, while a few hearty Hindus bathe fully.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 01 Pashupatinath Temple From Across Bagmati River

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 02 Pashupatinath Temple Entrance gate Since non-Hindus are not allowed inside the Pashupatinath temple near Kathmandu, I settled for looking in through the west entrance gate. Above the entrance, situated on the south side, is a depiction of Shiva as Yogeshvara, lord of yogis.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 02 Pashupatinath Temple Entrance gate

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 03 Pashupatinath Temple Entrance Nandi Bull Backside The golden rear end of Nandi, Shiva's bull, can be glimpsed in the courtyard through the western Pashupatinath entrance gate. The bull is about 300 years old.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 03 Pashupatinath Temple Entrance Nandi Bull Backside

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 04 Golden Door At Pashupatinath Temple Entrance A golden door sits just to the right of the western Pashupatinath entrance gate.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 04 Golden Door At Pashupatinath Temple Entrance

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 05 Old Sadhu

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 05 Old Sadhu

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 06 Cow Walking Past 7C Half-Buried Buddha Statue Cows are sacred to Hindus and wander freely around Kathmandu. Here one wanders down between the 7th century statue of Buddha and the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 06 Cow Walking Past 7C Half-Buried Buddha Statue

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 07 Peter Ryan With 7C Half-Buried Buddha Statue Peter Ryan poses with a 7th century statue of Buddha carved on a stele and half-buried amid the flagstones at the Pashupatinath Hindu temple complex in Kathmandu Notice the pervasive military presence in 2005 with the barbed wire behind the peaceful Buddha.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 07 Peter Ryan With 7C Half-Buried Buddha Statue

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 08 Pashupatinath Burning Ghats From Down The Bagmati River I walked south on the side of the Bagmati River and looked back from a bridge, with the Pashupatinath temple complex and burning ghats on the left side of the river.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 08 Pashupatinath Burning Ghats From Down The Bagmati River

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 09 Burning Ghats Next To Pashupatinath Temple Burning ghats used for cremating the dead jut out on the Bagmati river bank at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. Male members of the family lay the deceased relative on the wood and straw funeral pyre, and ghee (clarified butter) is laid on the logs to help them burn. Please show discretion for these intensely personal religious affairs.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 09 Burning Ghats Next To Pashupatinath Temple

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 10 Burning Ghat At Edge of River The wood and what’s left of the burned body are dumped into the Bagmati River after the cremation at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu is over.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 10 Burning Ghat At Edge of River

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 11 Hindu Sadhu A very gentle colourful Hindu sadhu posed for me at Pashupatinath near Kathmandu.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 11 Hindu Sadhu

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 12 Hindu Sadhu With Colourful Hat

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 12 Hindu Sadhu With Colourful Hat

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 13 Hindu Sadhu

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 13 Hindu Sadhu

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 14 Pashupatinath Temple From Across River There is a very good view of the Pashupatinath temple complex from across the river on the eastern side. The central two-tiered pagoda dates from 1696.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 14 Pashupatinath Temple From Across River

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 15 Pashupatinath Temple Complex From Terrace I climbed the terrace across the Bagmati River on the eastern side at Pashupatinath near Kathmandu, and looked back to get a very good view of the Pashupatinath temple complex, looking down the Bagmati River.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 15 Pashupatinath Temple Complex From Terrace

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 16 Chaityas Stupas With Lingam After crossing the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath near Kathmandu, Charlotte noticed how the 11 small stone Chaityas (stupas), each with a lingam, lined up nicely to give a seemingly endless mirror effect.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 16 Chaityas Stupas With Lingam

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 17 Lingam On Terrace At the northern end of the Pashupatinath terraces near Kathmandu is a Shiva lingam on a circular pedestal dating from the 6C. A finely featured face of Shiva has been sculpted on one side of the lingam.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath 17 Lingam On Terrace


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