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Photo: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This important Hindu temple is dedicated to Shiva in his form as the Lord of the Beasts. While only Hindus are allowed to enter the inner sanctum, the surrounding temple grounds are open to all visitors. The area features not only historic architecture and rich religious iconography, but also sadhus (holy men), a market for spiritual items, and a revered sacred cave. One of the most fascinating parts of the complex is the cremation ghats along the banks of the Bagmati River. These are best experienced in the early morning or evening, with striking light and moving devotional ceremonies beginning around 7 PM. Buddhist visitors should not miss the nearby caves — just beyond the high-caste cremation area— where the great teacher Tilopa instructed Naropa, who later attained enlightenment there.
Pashupatinath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupati, considered a manifestation of Shiva. Located on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, the temple is one of the oldest and most significant religious complexes in South Asia. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, it is one of seven monument groups in UNESCO's designation of Kathmandu Valley and is described as an "extensive Hindu temple precinct" comprising a vast network of temples, ashrams, inscriptions, and images raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. The temple, considered one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus, is built on an area of 246 hectares and includes 518 mini-temples and the principal pagoda-style temple.
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One of the Shakti Peethas of Nepal, considered auspicious to Shakti devotees.
turn it into a do umentation centre documenting what artists, photographers, architects, anthropologists and Samskritists from abroad had contributed in the second half of the 20th century to identify, highlight and preserve the cultural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley.
Boudha Chorten
According to legend, Boudhanath Stupa was built in the 5th century AD by an elderly poultry woman who sought land from the king to construct a shrine to the Buddha. The king agreed, offering her as much land as she could cover with the skin of a water buffalo. Cleverly, she cut the hide into thin strips and laid them end to end, creating a vast circumference. Though the king realized he had been outwitted, he honored his promise, and the stupa was built according to these dimensions. It is believed to enshrine various relics, including those of Kashyapa, a Buddha from a previous aeon. Today, Boudhanath Stupa stands as Nepal’s most revered Buddhist site, drawing pilgrims who circumambulate the structure throughout the day, chanting mantras. It is especially spectacular at night when bathed in the glow of warm floodlights. Visitors should remember to walk around the stupa in a clockwise direction and spin the prayer wheels the same way. Information on Buddhism and the points of etiquette at Buddhist sites: Buddhism
A beautiful Tibetan monastery near Boudhanath Stupa. It is inaugurated by Trulshik Rinpoche and Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche in October 2005. The monastery has an elementary and a training school. It consists of monks from remote region of Nepal and Tibet. There are many exquisite Tibetan Buddhist wall paintings.