9 Mar 2018 Outdoor Himalayan
Shivaratri in Pashupatinath is very grand and many Hindu devotees around the world attend with great enthusiasm. Shivaratri, a great festival for Hindus is knocking at the door this year. This year’s “night of Shiva” (the literal meaning of Shivaratri) is the night of February 27.
Shiva is one of the three supreme Hindu deities and perhaps the most flamboyant among them. His role is the protection the creation by destroying evil. In legends and myths, he is portrayed as a carefree deity who can take many forms, from pleasant to very ferocious. A gifted dancer, Shiva rides a bull and commands the troop of ghosts and dark powers.
According to Hindu mythology, Shiva had the drunk entire amount of deadly poison that emanated after the churning of the sea, which he managed to keep in his throat. The poison turned his throat to blue color. This carefree, ash-smearing, long-haired deity’s habits and manners are portrayed as being non-conformist to society.
So the cults of sadhus, who have gathered in hundreds in Pashupatinath temple premises in Kathmandu for this special occasion, are even seen taking puffs of hashish and marijuana! These hippy-like activities of the sadhus and their appearance stand at the center of attraction in Pashupatinath during this festival. Youths and other people from Nepal and abroad pose with them and get their photographs were taken, days before and after the festival.
Although Pashupatinath, one of the most revered shrines of Shiva in Nepal and India, attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Nepal and India on this day, the other Shiva temples also remain busy. In the evening, people gather firewood and make a bonfire on the premises of Shiva temples. This fire is said to mark the final farewell to the chilly winter. People gather around the fire, sing bhajans (religious songs), and some even sing and dance.
If you are in Kathmandu this time around, do not miss experiencing this festival. Visit the Pashupatinath temple, one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu Valley, in the evenings before February 27, sit with some sadhus, converse with them, and take some photographs.
On February 27, a sea of pilgrims surrounds the Pashupatinath temple. Please make it a point to visit a “dhuni,” the ritualistic bonfire on the premises of a Shiva temple this evening. Beat the cold from your body for the rest of the year and return carefree, just like the Shiva himself.
Read similar articles on other interesting festivals in Nepal or view our festive greetings.
TAGS: Pashupatinath Shivaratri Shuva Temple World Heritage Sites