Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath Temple is a major Hindu temple complex on the banks of the Bagmati River, located on the eastern edge of Kathmandu. The site is one of Nepal’s most important Shiva temples and a central focus for Hindu pilgrimage and ritual.

The complex centers on a gilt-roofed pagoda that houses the primary Pashupati shrine, while the riverbank is lined with cremation ghats used for funerary rites. The precinct also contains numerous smaller shrines, ashrams, and platforms used by mendicant groups and visiting pilgrims.

The precinct’s sacred status is ancient, with references to the site in medieval records and continued patronage and rebuilding by Kathmandu Valley rulers and devotees over many centuries. The complex has long been maintained as both a religious and communal site with ongoing ritual use.

Pashupatinath lies on the Bagmati River approximately to the east of central Kathmandu in Bagmati Province, a short drive from the city core. The temple sits within an urban river valley setting and is accessible from Kathmandu by road.

• Access rules: Non-Hindus are generally allowed to visit the temple precinct but are not permitted inside the main pagoda's inner sanctum.
• Cremation ghats: The riverbank cremation ghats are active and may be confronting for visitors unaccustomed to open-air rites; approach with respect and follow local guidance.

What to See #

• Main pagoda temple: The principal pagoda-style temple with a gilt roof and silver doors that houses the primary Pashupati shrine; the inner sanctum access is restricted to Hindus.
• Cremation ghats on the Bagmati: A series of riverfront ghats on the Bagmati River where cremation rituals and other funerary activities are performed openly by Hindu families.
• Auxiliary temples and ashrams: A dispersed complex of smaller temples, ashrams and shrine sites for various Shaiva and other Hindu traditions that form the larger temple precinct.