puja in pashupatinath temple

Importance of doing Puja In Pashupatinath Temple
Pashupatinath temple (Oldest and Largest Shiva Temple In World), the holiest pilgrimage site for Hindus, a unique heritage site for archaeology enthusiasts, and a charming and lively site for protectors and promoters of religion and culture.
Lord Shiva represents the aspect of the Supreme Being (Brahman of the Upanishads) that continuously dissolves to recreate in the cyclic process of creation, preservation, dissolution and recreation of the universe. Lord Shiva is the third member of the Hindu Trinity, the other two being Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu.

Importance and Significances:
Culturally, Pashupati is the centre-point of faith and respect of not just Hindu, but also Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, etc. Pilgrims as well as tourists come to Pashupati from all over the world, averaging 4,850 of them/day (2052 B.S.). Festivities like Mahashivaratri, Teej, etc. are celebrated with great enthusiasm.
The words destroyer and destruction have been erroneously associated with Lord Shiva. This difficulty arises when people fail to grasp the true significance of His cosmic role.
The creation sustains itself by a delicate balance between the opposing forces of good and evil. When this balance is disturbed and sustenance of life becomes impossible, Lord Shiva dissolves the universe for creation of the next cycle so that the bad souls will have another opportunity to liberate themselves from bondage with the physical world. Thus, Lord Shiva protects the souls from pain and suffering that would be caused by a dysfunctional universe. In analogous cyclic processes, winter is essential for spring to appear and the night is necessary for the morning to follow.
By worshipping Pashupatinath, wealth, grandeur and prosperity are achieved physically and spiritually and it is said that if a childless couple do puja and make vow to Pashupatinath they will get child. Likewise when did puja at this temple worshipper will be bestowed with all his /her desire come true. Devotees visiting the shrine usually worship Pashupatinath with flowers, garlands, fruits, incense, akshata (whole rice grains) barley, vermilion etc. Since Pashupatinath is the form of Shiva-Shakti, red flowers is considered pleasing to Him. And, leaves and fruits of Bel and Dhatura (Dhatura stramonium) are most dear to Lord Shiva. Sweets are generally not offered, although it is not a taboo, since Shiva is an ascetic here.
Daily Puja at Pashupatinath temple:
Every morning the west door of the sanctum is opened by the Bhandaris (store-keepers) at 4 AM, from when worship begins. At half past nine in the morning the other three doors are also opened. After bathing the lingum with holy waters, sacred worship by Panchamrit Abhishek (consecration by ghee, milk, honey, sugar and curd) is done by the priests. During the time the lingum is elegantly dressed up in gorgeous costume, made of brocade and set with tripunda (sandal paste mark) Chattras (umbrellas) are also placed on the four heads. On the top head, the graphic Shri Yantra is drawn with sandal paste.Arti is performed then. Later Bhog is offered. After this Individual puja has been done for the public who would like to do special Puja at temple.
Drashan can be done any time from 4 A.M to 12 noon. From 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM, temple closes. At 6 pm Rudravishekam is done as mention above and from 6:30 to 7:00 P.M, client special puja is performed. In the evening Arti is performed exactly as morning methods.
Special worships are done on festivals i.e. full moon day (Purnima) the Ekadasi (The eleventh day of the new and full moon fortnights), every Monday and other auspicious days of the year like mahashivaratri, Teej, etc. Mahashivaratri, Hindu devotees on this night throng Shiva shrines everywhere, but the grandest of all activities revolve around Pashupatinath temple located on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River about three kilometers east of downtown Kathmandu. This all-night vigil and the exciting crowded festival days before and after attract thousands of people from India and Nepal. On this day women do fasting for prosperity, happy life, etc.
DEVOTEES PUJA AT TEMPLE
As puja can carried out any time as per wish of devotees, you can visit Pashupati temple any time. Those devotees who cannot able to visit the temple, we Rudra Bhandar would provide these services. There will not be any charge for services from us. The puja will be done with full amount that our customer Provide us. 80% of the amount we received from our customer will be spent on purchasing the Necessary Items needed for Puja (like Curd, ghee, milk, flowers, Rice, etc.) 10 % of total amount of money is donated to Temple and rest 10% will be given to Pundit (Priest of Temple) for doing puja in manner of vedic ways.
Method and Purpose Of Puja:
Puja is a ceremony in which the ringing of bells, passing of flames, presenting of offerings and chanting invoke the devas and Mahadevas, who then come to bless and help us. Puja is our holy communion, full of wonder and tender affections. It is that part of our day which we share most closely and consciously with our beloved Deity. It is believed that worshiping god fulfills unfulfilled desires and bring more prosperity.

Pashupatinath temple

The magnificent temple of Lord Pashupatinath about 5 kms north-east of Kathmandu, is situated amidst many other temples on the right bank of the river Bagmati. Pashupathinath is the guardian spirit and the holiest of all Shiva shrines in Nepal. Lord Shiva is known by many different names; and Pashupati is one. Pashu means leaving beings, and Pati means master. In other words Pashupati is the master of all living beings of the universe. This is how lord Pashupati is eulogized in the Vedas, Upnisada and other religious books. Legends are numerous as to how the temple of Lord Pashupatinath came to existence here. As stated in chronicles, the image of Lord Shiva in the form of Jyotirlinga was covered with earth over the years, and soft green grass sprouted over it. Further, as the legend goes, a cow used to come here mysteriously every day and offer her milk to this holy but hidden Linga of Lord Shiva.
When the Gwala (owner) saw that the cow had stopped giving milk since the last few days he started keeping eye on her; and finally came across the place where the cow used to offer her milk. With a natural curiosity to know the importance of the place, where his cow used to make offering of her milk, the gwala dug the place and found the Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.
After this number of gwalas gathered to worship this Linga according to religious conformity, starting the tradition of worshipping this Linga. As the time passed Lord Pashupatinath started gaining more and more popularity and reverence of the devotees as a guardian spirit and gradually the temple of Lord Pashupatinath became a great place of pilgrimage. The rulers of Nepal, over centuries made contributions in enriching and beautifying this holy temple. According to Gopalraj Vamsavali, the oldest ever chronicle in Nepal, this temple was built by Supus Padeva, a Linchchhavi King who according to the stone inscription erected by Jayadeva 11 in the courtyard of Pashupatinath in 753 AD happened to be the ruler 39 generation before Manadeva (464-505 AD).
Yet, there is another chronicle which states that this temple was in the form of Linga shaped Devalaya before Supus Padeva constructed a five storey temple of Pashupatinath in this place. As the time passed, the need for reparing and renovating this temple arose. It is learnt that this temple was reconstructed by a mediaeval King named Shivadeva (1099-1126 AD). It was renovated by Ananta Malla adding a roof to it. As described in the history, this temple was attacked and badly destroyed by Sultan Samsuddin of Bengal in the mid 14th Century. This plunder caused so much damage to the temple that it needed reconstruction. It was only after ten years, in 1360 AD, that it could be reconstructed and renovated by Javasimha Ramvardhana. Another renovation work here after was taken up by Jyoti Malla in 1416 AD. The present architectural nature of Pashupatinath temple came into existence as a result of renovation by queen Gangadevi during the reign of Shivasimha Malla (1578-1620 AD). The temple of Lord Pashupatinath stands in the middle of an open courtyard. It is a square shaped pagoda temple built on single platform measuring 23.6 meters from the ground.
There are gold gilt doors on all the four sides of the temple. Inside the temple there is a narrow walk engulfing the sanctum from where one can have closer view of Shivalinga. On the both sides of each door of the temple there are artistic niche of different sizes containing attractiv images of Apsara, Ashtha Bhairava and other gods and goddesses. These images and niches, painted with gold enhance the grandeur of the temple. The latticed windows below the roof are another elements of attraction. The struts supporting the roofs and depicting the image of different postures are equally alluring. The gold gilt images of birds in flying posture in all the four corners of the roof and the winged images of lion, griffin, Ajarapurusa and Mahanaga on the struts in all the corners of the temple present soaring beauty to the temple. On the upper part of the struts supporting the lower roof, the images of moon, sun and a Purna-Kalasha are carved out.
This Purna Kalasha is worshiped as a symbol of Guheshwori. In the sanctum of the temple, there is a very attractive, about three feet high Shivalinga with four faces. All these faces have different names and significance. The face facing east is known as Tatpurusha and the one facing south as Aghora. Similarly, the faces looking west and north are known by the name Sadhyojata and Vamadeva respectively. The upper portion of this linga is known as Ishan. These faces are also defined as the symbol of four dharmas (the most famous places of pilgrimage for Hindus) and four Vedas (sacred books of Hindus). The images of Vishnu, Surya, Devi and Ganesh are also placed in the sanctum of the temple .Pashupati area is regarded as one of the most important places of pilgrimages for the followeres of Hinduism. Thousands of devotees from within and outside the country come to pay homage to Pashupatinath every day. And on special occasions like Ekadasi, Sankranti, Mahashivratri, Teej Akshaya, Rakshabandhan, Grahana (eclipse), Poornima (Full moon day) people congregate here in far greater number.
Pashupatinath is not only the holiest Hindu pilgrimage in Nepal but also one of the holiest destinations in the entire world. This temple that has been declared UNESCO Heritage site has been erected and razed to the ground numerous times. There are lingam images of Shiva along with statues and temples dedicated to other deities in the complex. There is historical evidence that a temple dedicated to Shiva existed at this site in AD 879. What happened of that temple, nobody knows. However, King Bhupatindra Malla built the present temple in the year 1697. The present temple is the subtle work of architecture with its gold-plated roof, be-jeweled doors, flowered motifs and woodcarvings of the finest quality. The square-shaped pagoda like temple, which is built on a single platform of 24 meters in height, stands in the middle of an open courtyard. The entrance of the temple is from all the four sides and is decorated by gold-gilt doors. Inside the temple there is a narrow walk engulfing the sanctum from where one can have closer view of Shivlinga.
On the both sides of each door of the temple there are artistic niche of different sizes containing attractive images of Apsara, Ashtha Bhairava and other gods and goddesses. Nearly all these paintings have been done in gold. The latticed windows are lift from the Bhutanese monasteries. The beams that support the roofs have pictures that depict different sexual and suggestive postures. On the upper part of the beam that supports the lower roof, the images of moon, sun and a Purna-Kalasha have been carved out.
In the central sanctum of the temple lies the 3 feet high Shivlinga. The major difference between this and other Shivlingas in India is the fact that the Shivlinga at Pashupatinath is four faced. The face looking east is called Tatpurusha where as the ones in west, north and south are called Sadhyojata, Vamadeva and Aghora. The upper portion of this lingam is known as Ishan.
Pashupatinath area is regarded as one of the most important places of pilgrimages for the followers of Hinduism in the entire world. Thousands of devotees come to pay homage to Pashupatinath every day. On special occasions like Ekadasi, Sankranti, Maha Shivaratri, Teej Akshaya, Rakhi, Grahana (eclipse), Poornima (Full moon day) people congregate here in far greater number.

Swayambhunath temple

A golden spire crowning a conical wooded hill, Swayambhunath Stupa is the most ancient and enigmatic of all the holy shrines in Kathmandu valley. Its lofty white dome and glittering golden spire are visible for many miles and from all sides of the valley. Historical records found on a stone inscription give evidence that the stupa was already an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination by the 5th century AD. Its origins however, date to a much earlier time, long before the arrival of Buddhism into the valley. A collection of legends about the site, the 15th century Swayambhu Purana, tells of a miraculous lotus, planted by a past Buddha, which blossomed from the lake that once covered Kathmandu valley. The lotus mysteriously radiated a brilliant light, and the name of the place came to be Swayambhu, meaning 'Self-Created or Self-Existent'. Saints, sages and divinities traveled to the lake to venerate this miraculous light for its power in granting enlightenment. During this time, the Bodhisatva Manjushri was meditating at the sacred mountain of Wu Tai Shan and had a vision of the dazzling Swayambhu light. Manjushri flew across the mountains of China and Tibet upon his blue lion to worship the lotus. Deeply impressed by the power of the radiant light, Manjushri felt that if the water were drained out of the lake Swayambhu would become more easily accessible to human pilgrims. With a great sword Manjushri cut a gorge in the mountains surrounding the lake. The water, draining away, left the valley of present day Kathmandu. The lotus was then transformed into a hill and the light became the Swayabhunath Stupa.
Swayambhunath's worshippers include Hindus, Vajrayana Buddhists of northern Nepal and Tibet, and the Newari Buddhists of central and southern Nepal. Each morning before dawn, hundreds of pilgrims will ascend the 365 steps that lead up the hill, file past the gilded Vajra (Tibetan: Dorje) and two lions guarding the entrance, and begin a series of clockwise circumambulations of the stupa (Newari Buddhists circle in the opposite, counterclockwise direction). On each of the four sides of the main stupa there are a pair of big eyes. These eyes are symbolic of God's all-seeing perspective. There is no nose between the eyes but rather a representation of the number one in the Nepali alphabet, signifying that the single way to enlightenment is through the Buddhist path. Above each pair of eyes is another eye, the third eye, signifying the wisdom of looking within. No ears are shown because it is said the Buddha is not interested in hearing prayers in praise of him.
The area surrounding the stupa is filled with chaityas, temples, painted images of deities and numerous other religious objects. There are many small shrines with statues of Tantric and shamanistic deities, prayer wheels for the Tibetan Buddhists, Shiva lingams (now disguised as Buddhist chaityas and decorated with the faces of the the Dhyani Buddhas), and a popular Hindu temple dedicated to Harati, the Goddess of smallpox and other epidemics.The presence of the Harati Devi temple signifies the intermingling of the pantheons of Hinduism and Buddhism in the development of the religious trends of Nepal. As Buddhists had no deity in their own pantheon to protect against the dreaded smallpox, they adopted the Hindu deity for assistance.
Atop Swayambhunath hill is another fascinating, though smaller and less visited temple. This is Shantipur, the 'Place of Peace', inside of which, in a secret, always locked, underground chamber lives the 8th century Tantric master Shantikar Acharya. Practising meditation techniques which have preserved his life for uncounted centuries, he is a great esoteric magician who has complete power over the weather. When the valley of Kathmandu is threatened by drought, the King of Nepal must enter the underground chamber to get a secret mandala from Shantikar. Soon after the mandala is brought outside and shown to the sky, rain begins to fall. Frescoes painted on the inside temple walls depict when last this occurred in 1658. The small temple has a powerful atmosphere; it is mysterious, stern and slightly ominous.
The complex of temples atop Swayambhunath hill is one of my most favorite sacred places in the world. It was here, in 1967, when I was thirteen years old that I first became enchanted with visiting and photographing ancient pilgrimage shrines. Swayambhunath stupa is also called the `Monkey Temple' because of the many hundreds of monkeys who scamper about the temple at night after the pilgrims and priests have departed. These monkeys and a hashish inspired yogi first introduced me to the magic of sacred places. Nearby the Swayambhunath hill are other important temples such as the Shiva Jyotir Linga temple of Pashupatinath, Boudhanath stupa, Changu Narayan, Dakshinkali, and Budhanilkantha. Readers interested in studying the sacred sites of the Kathmandu valley in detail are referred to the works of Bubriski, Majupuria and Moran listed in the bibliography.

Pokhara

Pokhara is a place of magnificent and incomparable natural beauty. The most serene locale in the city is Fewa Lake. The image of the snow-clad mountain peaks that fall in the tranquil water creates an ambience of peace and magic. At an elevation lower than Kathmandu, Pokhara has a much more tropical feel to it; a fact much appreciated by the beautiful diversity of flowers which prosper in its environs. Pokhara has lot more to offer, here we list a few: -
Mountain Views
The most stunning and magnificent site of Pokhra is the spectacular panorama of the Annapurna range that forms its backdrop. The Annapurna stretches from west to east and includes Annapurna I to Annapurna IV in its massif. Apart from that it also includes the Annapurna South peak. Although the highest among them is Annapurna I that stands 8,091 meters above the sea, it is Machhapuchhre Peak, which dominates all others in its vicinity. Boastfully levitating in the skyline, the fishtailed pinnacle is the archetypal snow-capped, needlepointed mountain. Nevertheless, none can get you same experience as a clear weather Mountain flight. The one by the Everest Air is the best among the available option.
Fewa Lake
Fewa Lake, also written as Phewa Lake, is the second largest lake in the Kingdom of Nepal. Nevertheless this lake is second to no one in terms of beauty. In fact, the Fewa Lake is the Manhattan of Pokhara. It is the largest and most enchanting of the three lakes that add to the resplendence of Pokhara. The real charm of this place is to hire a sailboat or a rowboat and enjoy the tranquility. Another interesting site is the island temple in its middle. The eastern shore, popularly known as Lakeside is the most preferred hangout for the foreign backpackers. This is the place where most of the hotels, restaurants and handicraft shops are located.
Barahi Temple
Among the monuments, the Barahi temple is the most important in Pokhara region. This temple is built on an island right in the Center of Phewa Lake. This double-storied pagoda like temple is dedicated to the boar manifestation of Ajima, the protesters deity representing the female force Shakti. Saturday is the day dedicated to this goddess and you can notice people carrying animals for the sacrifice. The design of this temple is heavily influenced from Bhutanese architecture school and the monument hardly looks like a Hindu Temple.
Seti Gandaki
Pokhara is the city of Natural wonders. Another feather in its cap is Seti Gandaki River that never fails to interest the visitors. The boisterous river runs right through the city and at places, it remains completely underground. Amazingly, at certain points the river appears hardly two meters wide. Nevertheless its depth reaches to over 20 meters at places. Mahendra Pul, a British style span bridge, provides the perfect view of the river's dreadful rush and the deep gorge made by its powerful flow. The gorge is the only one of its kind in the valley.
Mahendra Cave
In the long queue of natural wonders in Pokhara, Mahendra Gupha or Mahendra Cave is another addition. This large limestone cave is locally known as the House of Bats. This name has been given because of the nests of bats that hang form the series of Stalagmites that run through the cave. The place is a 2-hours walk from the downtown Pokhra. Don't forget to bring a torch in order to see stalactites, stalagmites as well as the dreadful looking bats.
The Old Bazaar
Pokhara's traditional bazaar is colorful and so are its ethnically diverse traders. The place remains bustling with traders from not only Nepal but also from places as far as Kashmir, Tibet, Ladakh and China. The market is full of monuments that give a sneak peak into the Newar architecture and culture. Located about four km from Lakeside, the market's original charm is alive and flourishing. Though the market has nothing to offer to tourists; to walk down the lanes has a charm in itself.
The Pokhara Museum
Located between the bus stop and Mahendra Pul, Pokhara museum reflects the ethnic mosaic of western Nepal. The lifestyles and history of ethnic groups such as Gurungs, Thakalis and Tharus are attractively displayed through models, photographs and artifacts. One major attraction is a display highlighting the newly discovered remains of an 8000-year-old settlement in Mustang. The museum is opened weeklong except Tuesdays and is must for both researchers as well as tourists.

Lumbini

Lumbini that means 'The Lovely One' in Sanskrit is a famous Buddhist site in the Lumbini District Zone of Nepal. Lumbini is considered the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. Many a times referred as 'The Light of Asia', Buddha was the founder of Buddhism faith. His period is estimated to be approximately between 563 and 483 BC.
Lumbini is located 25kms east of the municipality of Kapilvastu. Kapilvastu was the seat of governance of the then kingdom of Nepal. In the year 1896, the Indo-British archaeology team discovered a great stone pillar at the site. Later that pillar was attributed to Ashoka, the Mauryan ruler and propagator of Buddhism. The records maintained by Fa Hein were also taken in to consideration in the process. For Buddhists, this is one of four pilgrimage sites based around the life of Gautam Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath. Going by its cultural, religious and historical importance, UNESCO declared Lumbini, a world heritage site in the year 1997.

The place is famous for Maya Devi temple. It is believed that the present temple has been built at the place where Queen Maya gave birth to lord Buddha. Another important structure is the Ashoka pillar. Apart from that Lumbini has ruins of various Stupas and monasteries. Then there is Pushkarni pond where Queen Maya took bath before giving birth to Buddha.
The Lumbini region comes under Lumbini Trust, an NGO. Foreign pilgrims here have constructed new temples and monasteries. The Buddhist associations of China, Myanmar and Gautami Nuns have their separate pagodas. The ones by Japan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are under construction.

Patan Museum

The Patan museum is a one-stop destination for knowing about traditional artifacts and crafts in Nepal. This museum is located at the famous Durbar Square in Patan. The palace at the square has gold works on doors and windows and looks magnificent in the evening. The palace itself dates back to 1735 A.D and acts as monastery at times. The old palace has been restored and opened as a museum in the year 1997. Since then, this place has never looked back.
The museum's exhibits cover a long span of Nepal's cultural history and some rare objects are among its treasures. They belong both to Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Most of the exhibits have been cast in bronzes and have Gilt Copper repose work, for which Patan is famous.
The museum has more than 900 different exhibits on display. The majority of exhibits are sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist deities that were crafted in the Patan area itself. Most of these sculptures belong to the Mallas era. Others originated in India, Tibet and the western Himalayas. The ones originated from India have Licchhavis connection. They are accompanied by written commentary by Mary Slusser that attempts to explain their spiritual and artistic significance. It will take more than a day to even give a quick glance to these items. Prior permission is required for research activities

Namo Buddha Stupa

Namo Buddha or Takmo Lujin is a very sacred place for the Buddhists. The Stupa situated just off to the downtown Kathmandu is visited by scores of pilgrims every year. There is a legend behind the reverence of this place. According to the Buddhist legend, the King Mahasattva gave his body to a hungry tigress at this place. His reliquary Stupa remained underground for centuries. One day a hermit called Bhagavan (Sakyamuni) came to this site and got attracted to the bulge. It is said that he clapped his hands, and miraculously the Stupa appeared.
Efforts have been made to examine more deeply, the validity of Tag-molussbyin's claim, which was a hermit in medieval time; that this is the same place that has been mentioned in the Jataka Stories. Going by this legend, this Stupa enshrines the bones and hair of the Buddhist hermit who died practicing the deeds of a Bodhisattva. He was moved to such pity at seeing a tigress, ravaged by hunger and about to devour a small boy, that he sacrificed his body to her.
Even now, in this place there is such fear of the tiger that the people do not utter the real name of the Stupa. Since in Buddhism it is believed, that to speak the name of the Buddha is to be free from fear the Nepalese call this place Namo Buddha! If you ask for directions to the Stupa, never ever utter the real name or no one will answer you. The local people will not understand you if you ask for Takmo Lujin; you must ask for Namo Buddha." Namo Buddha is one of the principal places of pilgrimage for the Lama Tibetans.