Pashupatinath sees sea of devotees on Shivaratri

Nisha Bhandari

Kathmandu, March 8

Hindus across the world are observing Maha Shivaratri, or the great night of Shiva, on Friday.

Maha Shivaratri is one of the major festivals in Hinduism and the biggest dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is observed every year on the 14th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Phalgun according to the Hindu calendar.

On this day, devotees visit nearby rivers, ponds, and Shiva temples to worship and offer prayers to Lord Shiva.

Sadhus and pilgrims from different parts of Nepal and India have arrived in Kathmandu in large numbers for the festival. According to the Pashupati Area Development Trust, more than 2 million devotees are expected to visit the Pashupatinath Temple during Shivaratri this year.

Devotees are also visiting Kumbheshwar in Lalitpur, Doleshwar in Bhaktapur and other Shiva temples in the Kathmandu Valley.