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All 177 Kathmandu Attractions »

Pashupatinath (Temple of Living Beings)

Kathmandu, Nepal
Ranked #6 of 55 attractions in Kathmandu
4.5 of 5 stars 229 Reviews
Type: Religious Sites
Description: Situated on the banks of the Bagmati River, this sacred shrine to Shiva is said to be Nepal’s oldest and holiest place of worship.
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229 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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Date Rating
Earth
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2012 NEW

I went here during a funeral rite. It was a strange feeling to sit there and watch someone's funeral, but it was at the same time somehow calm and comforting to see how family said their goodbyes and prepared the body for his journey covering it with beautiful clothes and flowers. The ceremony took hours. And then there were some... More

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See 2 more reviews by Edea for Kathmandu
Jaipur, India
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

I went to Katmandu primarily to vist this temple and I was satisfied. Amazing place and a must visit. The place is clean and not a typical Temple where you find people asking for alms. Nice to pray and the system is streamlined as well. Take some prasad before entering and dont get duped by people trying to sell you... More

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See 3 more reviews by Prashant1972 for Kathmandu
CHENNAI
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

The local people have to keep the area clean. They have to maintain the buildings, so that people can view them as it was 15yrs ago. In the evening couples sit all around the monuments and eating and drinking and making it dirty. More

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See 2 more reviews by NSRAO for Kathmandu
Omaha, Nebraska
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2012 NEW

Non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple, but I got a feeling we weren't welcomed even near the temple. I must say I felt uneasy seeing mourning families perform funeral rites right in front of us while toursts fill up memory cards snapping photos of their loved ones being cremated. I guess I just didn't feel comfortable making their spiritual... More

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See 5 more reviews by BeckyCakes for Kathmandu
Miami, Florida
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 21, 2012 NEW

We went by with our guide who gave us the rundown on the temple. As soon as you walk in, you see the river and the area where the religious cremations take place. There were several taking place during our visit, and it was a culture shock to see the entire process. Once you turn away from the river and... More

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See 4 more reviews by jgmiami for Kathmandu
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2012 NEW

If you like visiting temples etc then this is a must. However its not the cleanest place. Its quite filthy in all honesty. Also you must keep in mind that there is a cremation ground here which is always busy. So if you have children may not be a good idea to go as these are quite morbid/disturbing things to... More

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See 5 more reviews by Ud-ace for Kathmandu
Boston, Massachusetts
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2012

To the western eye and mind the Pashupatinath Temple may be a bit jarring. The idea of watching the mourning as well the mourned as bodies are cremated is quite foreign to the typical western ideas around death, however, there is something quite humbling and beautiful about witnessing this. A guide is definitely helpful here, but be cautious of the... More

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See 8 more reviews by Martinic_chic for Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Nepal
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 17, 2012

It has become much cleaner now but beware of the men calling themselves "the priests assistants" as well as pick pockets !!! More

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See 4 more reviews by alpa s for Kathmandu
Rio de Janeiro
Top Contributor
107 reviews 107 reviews
Reviews in 27 cities Reviews in 27 cities
72 helpful votes 72 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This visit to the Pashupatinath hindu temple proved to be an extreme experience. Non-hindus are not allowed inside the inner art of the temple but can visit the rest if the grounds that have plenty to offer. Especially the crematoria along the very dirty river was an unique and new sight. Every hour or so a body was brought to... More

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See 7 more reviews by DutchCarioca for Kathmandu
gold coast
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012

temple and surrounds are filthy,dust of burnt bodies can be choking,"holy"river not the place to be finally dumped.but a must for cultural travellers More

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See 4 more reviews by trevlotz for Kathmandu

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