The main temple at Pashupatinath is Nepal's most sacred Hindu site — a four-roofed golden pagoda housing a revered Shiva lingam that has been worshipped continuously for well over a millennium. Non-Hindus are not permitted inside the main sanctuary, but you can see the gilded spires and the detailed wood carvings of the outer structure from the bridge on the eastern bank of the Bagmati.
The complex surrounding the main temple is vast and freely accessible to all visitors. It includes dozens of smaller shrines, Shiva lingams carved into the riverbank terraces, and ancient stone sculptures scattered among the trees. The atmosphere ranges from intensely ceremonial — priests performing rituals, devotees making offerings — to quietly meditative as you climb the forested hillside above the ghats.