Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath is the most revered Hindu temple in Nepal and one of the most important Shiva shrines anywhere. It stands on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, and its existence is recorded from around 400 CE, making it the oldest Hindu temple in the city. The main pagoda took its current form in 1692. It forms part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 1979.

The temple is a Newar pagoda with two tiers of gilded copper roofs, a golden pinnacle and four doors covered in silver. The inner sanctum holds a stone mukhalinga about a metre high, and only four priests may touch the idol. The wider complex covers 246 hectares and includes hundreds of smaller shrines, among them the Guhyeshwari Temple, as well as a forest that shelters monkeys and a herd of deer kept in honour of Shiva.

The main sanctum is open only to Hindus. Non-Hindus watch from the terraces and ghats on the far bank of the river, where you look across to the temple and the cremation platforms of Arya Ghat. Cremations take place in the open, and the temple trust asks visitors to photograph external areas and ghats respectfully. Leather items such as belts and shoes are not allowed inside the sanctum, and photography is forbidden there. The temple trust lists the temple as open daily from 4am to 9pm, with puja in the early morning and an evening aarti on the riverbank that draws large crowds.

The biggest festival is Maha Shivaratri, when pilgrims from Nepal and India arrive for darshan and sadhus, the ash-smeared holy men, gather in the grounds. Teej, around mid-September, is a women's festival when worshippers in red saris fill the complex, and the eleventh lunar day of each fortnight, Ekadashi, also brings crowds. The site suits anyone interested in Hindu ritual, and the open-air cremations are part of daily life here.

Taxis, microbuses and tempos drop visitors at Gaushala, a short walk away, and the temple trust estimates about 15 minutes by taxi from Thamel. The trust also lists Bus Routes 11, 22 and 30. Full moon concerts are held at nearby Kirateshwar, an option for an evening visit.