Pashupatinath Temple is a famous Hindu temple of Lord Shiva in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is located on the banks of the Bagmati River and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple opens daily from 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM. It is believed that people who visit this temple never take birth as an animal again. From Sunauli border, Kathmandu is about 265 km away and takes 9 hours by bus, costing around ₹250 to ₹1100 per person. From Birgunj, the distance is 135 km and the bus fare is about ₹700. Best time to visit is October to June.
The Pashupatinath Temple located in Kathmandu Nepal, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. In today’s article we will discuss how you can reach Pashupatinath Temple where you can stay around Pashupatinath Temple on a budget, and how to do darshan at Pashupatinath Temple. Along with this we will also tell you where else you can travel in Nepal and how you can complete this entire journey on a low budget.
DALHOUSIE TOUR GUIDE ,Tourist Places, Khajjair Tour Plan 2025
History and Significance of Pashupatinath Temple
let me tell you the stories of Pashupatinath Temple its history, and why this temple is so famous. There are two Pashupatinath Temples famous in the world one is in Kathmandu, Nepal and the other is in Mandsaur India. The Pashupatinath Temple located in Kathmandu, Nepal is situated on the banks of the Bagmati River. This temple has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This temple is a grand temple and devotees from all over the world come here.
Pashupatinath means “Lord of life,” who is Lord Shiva. It is believed that this temple was established even before languages were written. There is a belief that whoever has darshan of Lord Pashupatinath never again takes birth in the form of an animal. However, the condition remains that before having darshan of the Shivling, one should not first have darshan of Nandi.
How to Reach Pashupatinath Temple
You can reach Pashupatinath Temple by bus, train, or flight.
By Bus
If you want to reach Kathmandu (Pashupatinath Temple) by bus, there is a direct bus service from Delhi to Kathmandu which you can take. It takes 2 days to travel by bus. if you can endure such a long bus journey, then you may go by bus, otherwise it is better to travel by train or flight.
By Flight
If you want to reach Kathmandu by flight, you will easily get direct flight connectivity to Kathmandu from many major cities of India.
By Train
If you want to reach Pashupatinath Temple by train, you get 4 options:
- From Sikkim
- From Raxaul, Bihar
- From Uttarakhand
- From Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
But friends, I will tell you two easy routes through which you can reach easily.
Option 1:
You can come by train to Nautanwa in Uttar Pradesh. If your city does not have direct connectivity to Nautanwa, then you can come to Gorakhpur Railway Station by train and then take another train from there to Nautanwa. From outside Nautanwa Railway Station, you will get autos to reach Sunauli which charge around ₹80 to ₹100 for full auto booking. After reaching Sunauli border, first you need to change your currency here from Indian Rupees to Nepali Rupees. Friends, Indian ₹100 equals Nepali ₹164.
After currency exchange, as soon as you cross the Sunauli border, you will enter Siddharthnagar in Nepal. From there, you will get buses for Kathmandu or Pashupatinath Temple. The distance from Siddharthnagar to Kathmandu is 265 km. If you go by bus it takes 9 hours to reach Kathmandu. The bus fare is ₹250 per person for an ordinary bus and ₹1100 per person for a non-AC bus. If you want to go by taxi, the fare will be around ₹7000.
Option 2:
If you are coming from Bihar side, then you have to reach Raxaul Railway Station. From your city you can come to Raxaul by train. Outside Raxaul station, you will get autos or rickshaws to reach Raxaul border. After crossing the border, you will enter Birgunj in Nepal. Here too you have to change your currency at the border itself.
After that, you will get buses or taxis from Birgunj to Kathmandu. The distance from Birgunj to Kathmandu is 135 km. If you travel by bus, it will take 4 to 5 hours and the fare will be around ₹700 per person for a non-AC bus. You will also get taxis from here which cost around ₹4000.
Stay Options Near Pashupatinath Temple
After reaching Kathmandu, let’s talk about where you can stay and how much budget you need. Friends, near Pashupatinath Temple there is an area called Thamel Bazaar where you can stay. You will easily get dharamshalas and hotels here. Dharamshalas cost around ₹300 to ₹400, and hotels range between ₹700 to ₹1000. You can choose according to your budget. In Thamel Bazaar and nearby, you will easily find restaurants and hotels where you can get vegetarian meals.
Pashupatinath Temple Darshan Timings
You can now go for darshan at Pashupatinath Temple. The temple remains open from 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM. You can do darshan while chanting the name of Lord Shiva. Friends, in Pashupatinath Temple there are many other temples also, and it takes around 1 to 1.5 hours to complete darshan of all temples. Remember, cameras and mobile phones are not allowed inside Pashupatinath Temple. You need to deposit them at the counters outside.
Important Things to Know Before Visiting Nepal and Pashupatinath Temple
- You will not face any language problems here as people speak and understand both Hindi and English.
- You can use your ATM cards here but per transaction, a charge of around ₹175 is applied.
- Before coming, make a list of how many days you want to stay so that you don’t face problems in sightseeing and darshan.
Nearby Attractions Around Pashupatinath Temple
You can also visit other places around Pashupatinath Temple:
- Dakshinkali Temple (for darshan of Goddess Kali)
- Swayambhunath Temple (also known as Monkey Temple)
- Durbar Square
- Hanuman Dhoka (temple of Lord Hanuman)
- Beautiful viewpoints where you can spend time peacefully
For sightseeing, you will easily get taxis near the temple, and the sightseeing cost is around ₹1800 per person.
Pokhara Trip Extension
If you want to make your trip longer, you can also go to Pokhara after visiting Kathmandu. You can reach Pokhara by taxi, which costs around ₹2500 to ₹2600. In Pokhara, you will also easily get hotels and restaurants. In Pokhara, you can visit:
- Davis Waterfall
- Gupteshwar Mahadev Temple
- World Peace Pagoda
- Sarangkot
- Bhimsen Temple
The best time to visit Pashupatinath Temple is from October to June. Avoid coming during the rainy season.
Budget for Pashupatinath Temple Trip
If you want to do a 2-day trip covering Pashupatinath Temple and nearby attractions, it will cost around ₹8000. If you want to include Pokhara and make a 5-day trip, then the cost will be around ₹15000 to ₹16000. This includes only the expenses after reaching Nepal.