A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Pashupatinath temple is one must-visit place in Kathmandu valley. For some, it is a pilgrimage while for others it is a fantastic heritage monument to discover.
Pashupatinath literally means “Lord of the animals“. This name was given to Lord Shiva following a legend around this very temple. There are several versions of it but I will stick to the one that our guide at Pashupatinath mentioned. It is said that Lord Shiva had taken the form of a deer and was caught later by the Gods. Though he returned back with the other Gods, he left with reluctance and an announcement that he be known as the “Lord of animals”. After he left, a Shiva Linga was found in this very place that he had made home and this forms the center of the Pashupatinath temple today. Belief has it that whoever glimpses this linga will never be born again as an animal. This is possibly one of the reasons why they say that even after you have worshiped Lord Shiva at the 12 sacred Jyotirlinga temples in India, your pilgrimage is not complete till you have visited the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.
