Hindus across the world are observing Maha Shivaratri, or the great night of Shiva, on Wednesday.
Devotees, including those from abroad, have been arriving in large numbers at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu since early morning on Wednesday.
All four gates of the temple were opened from two in the morning.
Sadhus (ascetics) from different parts of Nepal and India have also arrived in Kathmandu in large numbers for the festival.
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.
The Pashupati Area Development Trust estimates that 1 million people will visit Pashupati for this year’s Maha Shivaratri.
With such a large number of people expected to visit the temple, security and traffic management in the area have been arranged accordingly.
