Shiva In Nepal

Shiva Ratri
by Avigya Karki

Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the world and thus the land of Lord Shiva, Lord of all Lords, for here you can feel his presence everywhere. Even in the sacred texts of the Hindus it has been stated that Mt. Kailash in the Himalayas is the abode of Lord Shiva or Mahadeva as he is also known. Shiva the Destroyer of Evil is among the most praised and worshipped of all the gods in the Hindu religion. Hindus all over the world know him through different names and forms. The country has thousands of idols and monuments, which glorify his name, the most common one being the Shiva Linga or the phallus of Shiva that represents him. For it is the Shiva linga that Hindus regard as the symbol of creation, the beginning of everything.

Shiva Ratri is the night of Lord Shiva when He himself was created by His own Divine Grace and Hindus all over the world celebrate this day with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm. Shiva Ratri literally means ' the night consecrated to Shiva'. This auspicious festival falls on the fourteenth day of the waning moon in the month of Falgun, (February - March in the Gregorian calendar ). The temple of Pashupatinath in Kathmandu which is considered as one of the holiest shrines of the Hindus, glorifying Lord Shiva, thus receives more than 100,000 worshippers during the festival of Shiva Ratri. These worshippers come from far and wide to pay their respects and homage to Mahadev on his sacred day.
Pashupatinath temple is located at the eastern part of the Kathmandu valley on the banks of the holy river Bagmati. Pashupatinath, which literally means ‘the Lord of animals’, is one of the many forms of the Lord. He is the guardian deity, protector of our Hindu Kingdom of Nepal, thus Shiva Ratri is one of the major festivals of Nepal. Pilgrims from all over Nepal as Pashupatinath Temple well as India come to Pashupatinath to worship and pray to the deity on his birthday and wash away all the sins committed by them. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple and tourists are only permitted to observe the festival from across the Bagmati river.

Shiva Ratri is a much anticipated festival by all Hindus. Pilgrims and yogis (holy men), from all over Southeast Asia come to Kathmandu weeks before the festival. On this holy day people fast through out the day. At dawn, worshippers take a holy bath or dip in the river and go to the temple to worship.
One of the interesting aspects of Shiva Ratri is that on this day devotees and non-devotees alike freely indulge in smoking intoxicating substances such as marijuana and bhang for it is the only day in the annual calendar when marijuana is legal. Many people take these intoxicants in the belief that it pleases Lord Shiva for he too is said to be fond of it. Thus marijuana is taken as prasad, holy food blessed by the Gods and one can see eager tourists and faithful Nepalese flocking around the temple complex of the Ram Janaki Mandir across the Bagmati river opposite to the main temple complex of Pashupatinath lingering around sadhus and babas in the hope for some prasad from them.

The Puran, one of the many holy texts of the Hindus, tells us that if you worship Lord Shiva on this day all your sins will be forgiven. Giving an examle the puran talks about an event that occurred ages before about a hunter from Benares. This man worshipped Lord Shiva unknowingly on Shiva Ratri and he was forgiven for all his sins.

On Shiva Ratri the temple of Pashupatinath is filled with worshippers. Devotees are not distinguished as poor or rich but treated equally for Lord Shiva treats us all equally. Even the King of Nepal and the royal family pay homage to the Pashupatunath on this day along with the thousands that gather to celebrate the festival. Thus the festival of Shiva Ratri shows the devotion and faith Nepalese have towards the Hindu religion.
Maha Shivaratri: Great night of Lord Shiva
By Arun Ranjit

Every festival in Nepal traditionally begins with something religious and proceeds with spontaneous sprit.
Our festivals are rooted in history, mythology and religion. They honour and propitiate the multitude of gods and control malicious spirits.
A festival is a social occasion. It is an affirmation of the ancient and strong bonds of religion and culture. Festivals in Nepal are reckoned not only as occasions to indulge in eating, drinking and making merry but also as occasions when one is to devote some of one’s time to the worship of and meditation upon gods and goddesses in different forms.
Among numerous festivals of Nepal, Maha Shivaratrai is worthy to note in the cultural aspect of Nepal, which is to be celebrated on Feb./March.

There are many festivals held in honor of the Hindu God Shiva every year, but the most important is Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Lord Shiva. 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 kilometres 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.
Pashupatinath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Pashupati, Lord of the Animals, who protect and care for all men. It is said that Lord Shiva once roamed as a deer in the forest behind Pashupatinath.
The large pagoda temple, open only to Hindus, stands above broad stone platforms at the river’s edge – the ghats, where the dead are burned. All around are small shrines, temples and pavilions where yogis and priests talk, relax, chant prayers and meditate.

The days before and after Shiva’s night are like a mela, or religious fair, at its best. People fill the roads around Pashupati Temple – holy men, beggars, Indian pilgrims, children and gawking tourists. Vendors of red tika powder, sacred rudraksha beads do a rousing business.
On the occasion, pilgrims and sadhus from all around the country and from India visit the Pashupatinath temple and spend the night lightning sacred fires, singing praises of the deity, and keeping a constant vigil to greet his descent to earth on the grassy hills around the temple to enjoy the warmth of good companionship and chatting around.
At midnight Shivaratri officially begins with priests making offerings inside the temple. Throughout the night, devotees take a holy dip in the sacred Bagmati River and bring holy water in their cupped palms to offer it to the stone stele, the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva, enshrined in the splendid temple and throw flowers.In the morning priests start the recitation of sacred texts, continuing until about noon, when the chanting of sacred songs begins. This is a favourite time, for some of the finest tabla and sitar musicians, of course, from India and Nepal come to make musical offerings to Lord Shiva.For visitors, Shivaratri offers a fascinating look at the Hindu sacred men – yogis or sadhus. Smeared with ash, with minds focused far from the everyday concerns of the world, they can be seen sitting quietly in small groups. These ascetics, naked with no sense of shame, have mastered cold and heat, hunger and sensual desire. These wanders, thin but powerful, with fierce intelligent eyes, live a life detached, seeking union with Lord Shiva.

Temple priests in ochre coloured robes perform elaborate ceremonies and offerings to Lord Shiva. They devote their lives to chanting the Holy Scriptures, performing wedding ceremonies, presiding over cremations, looking after temples, and caring for the spiritual needs of all Hindus.Although the priests’ vows forbid taking intoxicants, the yogis’ “Sixteen Elements of Shiva Worship” include marijuana and its derivatives. The Brahmins will often be seen performing their ceremonies alongside a host of sadhus riding away on clouds of smoke into uncharted realms of consciousness.
Ascetics, worshipping gods of a different name, have lived in sacred forests like the one above Pashupati for even longer. However, Maha Shivaratri is one of the few times and places where one can look millennia into the past.
The Himalayan Kingdom Nepal is rich in scenic nature to diverse culture. Thus, the foreigners would like to say “Every other building is a temple; every other day is a festival (in Nepal)”.Thus, every country’s cultural heritage needs to be made known to the world which would help in sharing of the cultural borrowings made possible.
Article published in The Rising Nepal on March 06, 2005