Pashupatinath

The Pashupatinath Temple complex on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu is Nepal's holiest Hindu shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dedicated to Pashupatinath (Lord Shiva as lord of all living beings), the main temple's golden roof and silver doors are visible from the ghats below. The surrounding complex contains 518 mini-temples and houses one of the four most important Shivalinga in the world. The riverside ghats serve as cremation sites, and witnessing the sacred funeral rites here is a moving and deeply spiritual experience. The temple precinct is open to Hindus only, though non-Hindu visitors can observe freely from the eastern bank of the Bagmati. The annual Maha Shivaratri festival draws over one million pilgrims.