Shivaratri - The Night of Lord Shiva

First to arrive are the Sadhus. Months preceding Shivaratri, half naked Sadhus with only ash covering their skin, besides their loin-cloth brave the chilly winds of Pashupatinath. This golden Shiva temple is one of the holiest shrines of the Hindus and attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees.

Next come the buses from India bringing some of the most devout Shiva worshippers. Thousands of such pilgrims pour into Pashupati and find shelter in the surrounding areas where voluntary organizations set up camp to meet their needs. For days Bhajans (devotional songs) can be heard over loud speakers interrupted by announcements informing anxious parents of the whereabouts of their lost children or other information passed on to concerned people. By the time the big day arrives Pashupati is teeming with people. This year Shivaratri falls on the 21st of February.

On this day the local Hindus too, make it a point to visit the holy shrine by the Bagmati to pay homage to Lord Shiva. This is a great spectacle for tourists who throng the hillside on the opposite bank. From this vantage point curious visitors click away happily through the day. There is much to see and a lot to photograph. Sadhus with dread locks smoking marijuana in extra large chillums. Sadhus standing on one foot or half-buried in the ground. A certain Sadhu has held his arm up continuously for years and one can see it is shrinking. Other Sadhus are found in impressive yoga positions while some are lost in prayer or meditation. On the opposite bank the queues start from the temple steps and grow longer by the minute snaking all the way over the bridge and up the steps on the other bank. Devotees bathe in the shallow river and walk up the steps with offering in their palms to enter the sacred temple.

Lord Shiva is the God of regeneration or reproduction. Hence women pray for fertility and pour holy water over the numerous Shiva lingams which are phallic symbols representing Lord Shiva. There are hundreds of Shiva lingams all over the Pashupati area and men and women alike invoke Lord Shiva through them and place offering on them. Within the temple in the inner sanctum lies the holiest of holies, a three foot black stone lingam with five faces of Shiva. Here gifts and holy water are offered and alms given to the Brahmin priests. Only Hindus are allowed within the temple. The massive crowds that gather outside the gates require a large force of volunteers and police to maintain control. The bare-footed devotees enter the temple in single file. The air inside is filled with smoke from burning incense and the constant drone of priests chanting from ancient texts. The crowds gather from dawn and last until the evening. Many are on a twenty-four hour fast and have traveled long distances to be here on this most holy occasion. The Shiva lingams are the most commonly found idol in the valley and more have been discovered in recent times. They are often seen covered with vermillion powder and flower petals.

It is believed that in ancient times Lord Shiva appeared here as a forest deer and later as a brilliant flame. Over this very spot was built this famous shrine known as Pashupati temple. The double-tiered roof is gilded and much of the walls and doors are covered in elaborately designed silver. A good view of the temple can be had from the adjacent hill from where most tourists capture the beautiful structure on film.

Towards the evening a motorcade weaves through the jostling crowds bringing His Majesty the King and other members of the Royal Family to the shrine. They bring gifts and offerings to pay homage to Lord Shiva.

When darkness falls in the Valley most of the devotees are gone but many remain at Pashupati huddled around bon-fires along with the sadhus. Even along the city streets people are seen lighting log-wood fires to burn through the night. Young boys go around collecting fire-wood from neighbours. Those keeping an all-night vigil around the temple premises discuss religion and philosophy with the sadhus and share their chillum. Occasionally a shout of "Jai Shambhu" is heard in the stillness of the night. ‘Shambhu’ is yet another of Shiva’s many names. With the break of dawn the sacred night of Lord Shiva is over and the pilgrims prepare to return home. The sadhus are the first to come and last to leave.