Pashupatinath Temple | |
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श्री पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
District | Kathmandu |
Province | Bagmati Province |
Deity | Shiva (as Pashupati) |
Festivals | Maha Shivaratri, Teej |
Features |
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Location | |
Location | Kathmandu |
Country | Nepal |
Location in Nepal | |
Geographic coordinates | 27°42′35″N 85°20′55″E / 27.70972°N 85.34861°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Pagoda |
Date established | 5th century CE |
Specifications | |
Site area | 2,460,000 m² |
Temple(s) | 519 Pagodas |
Elevation | 817 m (2,680 ft) |
Criteria | Cultural: (iii)(iv)(vi) |
Designated | 1979 (3rd session) |
Part of | Kathmandu Valley |
Reference no. | 121bis-006 |
The Pashupatinath Temple (Nepali: पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupati, a form of Shiva. It is located in Kathmandu, Nepal near the Bagmati River. The temple was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1979. This "extensive Hindu temple precinct" is a "sprawling collection of temples, ashrams, images and inscriptions raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati river", and is one of seven monument groups in UNESCO's designation of Kathmandu Valley.[1] The temple, considered one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus, is built on an area of 246 hectares (2,460,000 m2)[2] and includes 518 mini-temples and a main pagoda house.
Pashupatinath temple is given a status of one of the most sacred Shiva Kshetras (abodes of Shiva) in Skanda Purana, and is also one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams (Tamil Tevara Sthalam) of Tevaram.[3][4] The temple is considered to be the other half of Kedarnath Temple, both complementary to each other.[5][6][7] The main temple priests are, as a tradition, Vedic Dravida Brahmin scholars from Karnataka educated by Śrī Śaṅkarāćārya Dakṣiṇāmnāya Pīṭha, Sringeri.