Lingam Shrines


The steps from the Pashupatinath ghats lead uphill past a convenient cafe to a sprawling complex of lingam shrines on the edge of the forest that is well worth exploring. There are more than 50 shrines, though several buildings here were destroyed by the earthquake.


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1. Gorakhnath Temple

0.04 MILES

Continuing left at the top of the hill will take you to the towering red-and-white shikhara (temple with tall corn cob–like spire) of the Gorakhnath…

2. Lingam with Shiva Face

0.1 MILES

At the northern end of the upper terrace on the east bank of the Bagmati River look for the interesting lingam with the Shiva face.

3. Vishwarup Temple

0.1 MILES

If you bear right at the top of the steps leading from the Bagmati River, you will reach the courtyard-style Vishwarup Temple, topped by a Mughal-style…

4. Viewpoint

0.12 MILES

This hilltop spot offers bird's eye views over the otherwise off-limits Pashupatinath Temple. Look for the enormous golden trident on the northern side of…

5. Yogi Caves

0.13 MILES

At the north end of the ghats, visible from across the river, are a series of yogi's caves in use since medieval times and still used today by meditators.

6. Shiva Shrines

0.13 MILES

Two footbridges cross the Bagmati in front of the Pashupatinath Temple, entering a garden of stone terraces covered in dozens of small Shiva shrines…

7. Guhyeshwari Temple

0.14 MILES

The path drops out of the forest to the large, courtyard-style Guhyeshwari Temple, built by King Pratap Malla in 1653 and dedicated to Parvati (the wife…

8. Ram Temple

0.15 MILES

This elaborately frescoed wooden temple is often thronged by visiting sadhus, especially during the Maha Shivaratri Festival.