Darshan, Puja & the Bagmati Aarti at Pashupatinath

The Inner Shrine & Who Can Enter

The heart of the complex is the two-tiered pagoda temple crowned with a gilded copper roof and four silver-plated doorways, with the great golden Nandi bull kneeling before the western gate. Inside the sanctum stands the revered Mukhalinga, a four-faced stone lingam of Lord Shiva that only the temple priests may touch.

Only practising Hindus may enter the inner main temple. Other visitors view the tiered roofs and golden spire from the eastern bank of the Bagmati, where the classic view is found. The chief priests, known as the Bhatta, are Brahmins traditionally drawn from South India — a centuries-old practice explained in the history guide.

Darshan & Offerings

Hindu devotees queue for darshan of the lingam, offering water, flowers, bilva leaves, incense and sweets. Stalls around the gates sell everything you need, so you do not have to bring anything in advance.

• Common offerings: water and milk poured over the lingam, flowers and garlands, bilva (bel) leaves sacred to Shiva, incense and sweets.
• Prasad & tika: after darshan, devotees receive blessed offerings and a tika to take home.
• The 108 shivalingas: pilgrims also circumambulate the rows of votive shrines within the complex, a compact pilgrimage in itself.

The Bagmati Aarti

Each evening around dusk, priests perform the Bagmati Aarti on the ghats — a ritual of fire, conch shells, bells, incense and devotional chanting offered to the river and to Lord Shiva. Spectators gather on the stone steps of the eastern bank as oil lamps are circled in the darkening air.

Unlike the inner shrine, the aarti is fully open to all, Hindu or not, and is the most atmospheric moment of any visit. Arrive early to find a good spot on the steps; see the best-time guide for timings through the year.

The Cremation Ghats

The stone platforms lining the Bagmati are where Hindu cremations take place throughout the day. Arya Ghat, just upstream of the temple, was historically reserved for royalty and the most pious; the larger ghats downstream serve the wider public. Watching from the opposite bank, you witness one of the most powerful expressions of the Hindu view of death as a passage.

This is a funeral, not a spectacle. Observe quietly, keep your distance, and never photograph a cremation in progress or a grieving family.

Temple Etiquette

• Dress modestly — cover shoulders and knees throughout the complex.
• Non-Hindus must not enter the inner sanctum or main courtyard; enjoy the temple from the eastern bank.
• Keep leather items discreet (belts, bags), as they may be restricted in the most sacred areas, and don't bring meat, eggs or alcohol into the precincts.
• Walk clockwise around shrines and lingams, and don't step over offerings.
• Sadhus and photos: many holy men pose for photographs but expect a small tip — agree it first, and be wary of men dressed as sadhus purely to charge tourists.