Pashupatinath Temple
Sacred 5th-century Hindu temple to Shiva on the Bagmati River and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A sprawling complex of pagodas, ghats and cremation grounds, famed for its riverside evening aarati.
About this spot
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu shrines in the world, dedicated to Pashupati, a form of Lord Shiva, and set on both banks of the sacred Bagmati River in eastern Kathmandu. The gilded, pagoda-roofed main temple traces its origins to around the 5th century, and the wider 246-hectare complex contains hundreds of smaller temples, shrines and ashrams. It has been inscribed as part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
Visitors come to watch the rhythms of living faith: sadhus (holy men) gathered in saffron and ash, riverside cremations on the Arya Ghat, and the daily rituals along the ghats. The highlight for most is the Bagmati evening aarati, performed by priests with large oil lamps, conch shells and devotional song from roughly 6:00 to 7:30 PM. The inner sanctum is open only to Hindus, but non-Hindus get sweeping views of the temple and ghats from the eastern bank.
Best visited in the late afternoon so you can explore the complex and stay for the aarati, or early morning for a quieter darshan. Entry is free for Hindu/Nepali and Indian visitors; foreign (non-Hindu) tourists pay an entry fee of about NPR 1,000. The temple draws its largest crowds during Maha Shivaratri in February/March.
Why it's worth it: rated 4.5★ on TripAdvisor (Travellers' Choice; ranked #4 of 289 things to do in Kathmandu) (7,000+ reviews).
Location
Pashupatinath, Gaushala, eastern Kathmandu (banks of the Bagmati River), KathmanduPashupati Nath Road, Gaushala, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
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