Viewpoint


This hilltop spot offers bird's eye views over the otherwise off-limits Pashupatinath Temple. Look for the enormous golden trident on the northern side of the temple and the golden figure of the king kneeling in prayer under a protective hood of nagas (serpent deities) to the south. It's also a discreet place to watch the cremation rituals below.


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Nearby attractions

1. Shiva Shrines

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Two footbridges cross the Bagmati in front of the Pashupatinath Temple, entering a garden of stone terraces covered in dozens of small Shiva shrines…

2. Lingam with Shiva Face

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At the northern end of the upper terrace on the east bank of the Bagmati River look for the interesting lingam with the Shiva face.

3. Bachhareshwari Temple

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Between the two groups of ghats on the west bank of the Bagmati is this small, 6th-century temple, decorated with Tantric figures, skeletons and erotic…

4. Ram Temple

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This elaborately frescoed wooden temple is often thronged by visiting sadhus, especially during the Maha Shivaratri Festival.

5. Nandi Statue

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From the main gate on the west side of the compound, you can view the mighty golden behind of an enormous brass statue of Nandi, Shiva’s bull. Inside the…

6. Pashupatinath Temple

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Undiminished by the earthquake, the pagoda-style Pashupatinath Temple was constructed in 1696, but has been a site of Hindu and Buddhist worship for far…

7. Yogi Caves

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At the north end of the ghats, visible from across the river, are a series of yogi's caves in use since medieval times and still used today by meditators.

8. Eastern Ghats

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Pashupatinath's ghats are often full of life and it's worth taking some time to absorb it all. Devotees ritually bathe in the dubious-looking waters of…