Pashupatinath Temple is a famous and sacred Hindu temple complex located on the Bagmati River that runs through Kathmandu. This temple complex is the largest in Nepal covering 608 acres of land. It includes 518 temples and monuments, as well as a cremation site.
The main temple is dedicated to Pashupatinath, a form of Lord Shiva, the supreme God in Hinduism. It is a huge building that is 110 ft. tall. The temple houses a sacred lingam, a holy symbol of the god Shiva. Thousands of people come here daily to worship because this is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus. However, only practicing Hindus of South Asian diaspora and Buddhists of Nepali and Tibetan origin can enter the temple courtyard. Others can pay a fee to enter the complex but only to visit the smaller temples around it. The fee is worth the experience of seeing the complex and all the smaller temples and ashrams and to watch the people there.
While many legends surround the origin of the temple, it is widely believed that the shrine was established by Pranchanda Dev in the 5th century. The main structure, built in pagoda style, has two levels of copper roofs with gold covering. It also has four doors covered with silver sheets. It is topped with a gold pinnacle. The doors each face one of the cardinal direction. We spend half a day there and still didn’t see all of it. The site is really impressive.
These pictuers give you a sense the place. Remember there are 518 temples, ashrams, and statues to see. Next with be the Monkey Temple.