Shivaratri at Pashputinath

Hindus across the country are observing Maha Shivaratri on Monday. Devotees have thronged the temples of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction and salvation, and are performing pooja to appease him today. Some of them observe fasting also. The government has declared a public holiday to mark this day today.

Falgun Krishna Chaturdashi—the 14 day of the waning moon in the month of Falgun on which this festival is celebrated— is one of the most sacred days mentioned in the Hindu scriptures.

According to legends, Shiva was born this night, and the day is marked reverently as the 'great night of Shiva'.

It is also believed that the almighty comes down to the earth to grant blessings to his devotees tonight. In the Pashputinath Temple, one of the holiest Hindu shrines in the world, in Kathmandu, thousands of devotees from different parts of Nepal, India and other South Asian countries have gathered. Hundreds of devotees are queuing up in the temple premises to perform pooja (religious ceremony) from the early morning.

Every year, hundreds of sadhus, who practise nudism, come to Pashupatinath from different parts of India on the occasion of the Maha Shivaratri festival.