Raju Bhattarai
Pashupatinath Temple is a hindu temple dedicated to Lord Pashupathinath, and is located in Kathmandu, Nepal near the holy River Bagmati is the most revered Hindu temple in Nepal . This is currently the largest temple in the world as well as one of the Oldest Temple. The main temple complex is open only to the Hindus; non-Hindus must satisfy themselves by observing from the terraces just across the Bagmati River to the east.
In 1979, this temple was designated as a World Heritage Site. One of seven monument groups in the Kathmandu Valley designated by UNESCO, the “extensive Hindu temple sector” is a “vast collection of temples, ashrams, images and inscriptions raised over the centuries along the banks of the holy Bagmati river.” On a 246 hectare (2,460,000 m2) plot of land, it is comprised of a main pagoda house, 518 smaller temples, and other structures.
One of the Paadal Petra Sthalams on the continent is the temple.
The exact date of the temple’s construction is uncertain, Over time, many more temples have been erected around the two-storied temple, including the vaishnava temple complex with a Rama temple from the 14th century and the Guhyashwari Temple mentioned in an 11th-century manuscript.
The oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu is Pashupatinath Temple. The exact date of the construction of Pashupatinath Temple is unknown. The Pashupatinath Temple has been around since at least 400 CE. The Shiva linga is housed in an ornate pagoda. Numerous traditions explain how this particular Aalok Pashupatinath temple came to be.
One legend says that Shiva and Parvati took the form of antelopes in the forest on the Bagmati river’s east bank. The gods later caught up with him and grabbed him by one of his horns, forcing him to resume his divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as a linga, but over time it was buried and lost. Centuries later a herdsman found one of his cows showering the earth with milk, and after digging at the site, he discovered the divine linga of Pashupatinath.
Another chronicle states that Pashupatinath Temple was in the form of Linga shaped Devalaya before Supuspa Deva constructed a five-storey temple of Pashupatinath in this place. As time passed, the temple needed to be repaired and renovated. The main temple complex of Pashupatinath and the sanctum sanctorum was left untouched, but some of the outer buildings in the complex were damaged by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
Pashupatinath Temple stands as a symbol of Nepal’s rich religious heritage and attracts visitors from around the world who seek spiritual solace and marvel at its architectural beauty.
