A Famous Religious Place In Nepal

  Nepal is not only rich in natural beauties and gifts but also in cultural, historical and religious importance. There are many temples which belong to Hindu gods and goddesses. Major religious places are Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Janaki Temple in Janakpur, Manakamana in Gorkha, Barahachhetra in Sunsari, Krishna Temple in Patan, Lumbini, Swayambhunath and so on.
            In Kathmandu, there are so many temples and other religious places. Among them, Pashupatinath is one of the most famous temples in the kingdom. Most of the Hindus want to visit here because it is the temple of god Mahadev. It is situated about five km east of the city centre. The temple was made many years ago, perhaps around 400 A.D.
            Gopals, the people taming cows, are believed to be the first inhabitants of the valley. One of the Gopals saw a cow pouring her milk over something everyday. He suspected that there must have been the power of God. Then they dug the place. After digging it, they discovered the image of sacred Linga of Mahadev. Then they build the temple of Pashupati. Since then it has been one of the famous holy places of the valley.
            The temple is richly-ornamented in pagoda style. It is on the bank of the Bagmati river. It is a very beautiful place surrounded by green forest. We can see many monkeys and birds arround the temple. Many Shadus have been living there for a long time. There is a big funeral place where the dead bodies are cremated. We can see many of Pashupati having ritual dips in the Bagmati river every morning. Specially during Shivaratri fair, many devotees come here from foreign countries, too. Among four doors of the temple, only one is open for usual days like Maha Shivararti, Teej etc., all the doors are open for pilgrims.
            Pashupati Site is not only a place of historical and cultural importance but also one of the ‘World Heritges’. Nowadays, the holy river Bagmati is getting polluted because of rapidly growing urbanization, industrialization and pollution. The devotees and pilgrims cannot have ritual dips in the river because of the water being polluted. Fortunately a concrete plan to save the Pashupati Site  and the holy river Bagmati has already been affective. Nowadays, the water is cleaner than it was just a few years ago.
            The people who are strongly theist believe  that the Pashupati has saved the kingdom. Everyone realizes that Pashpati Site should be quickly cleaned and well-planned to save it properly. The government as well as all the sectors concerned are responsible for it.