Pashupatinath Temple is the most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal, dedicated to Lord Shiva in his form as Pashupati โ Lord of Animals. Located on the sacred banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, it is one of the most significant Shiva temples in the world, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. As a living heritage site, it serves as an active place of worship, pilgrimage, and cremation โ not a museum.
Unlike museum-type heritage sites, Pashupatinath is an active sacred site where devotees practice rituals daily. Cremations on the Arya Ghat are performed continuously. Sadhus reside permanently. The evening Aarati ceremony draws hundreds of pilgrims every night. Visitors are guests of an ongoing spiritual tradition, not observers of a static exhibit.