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Varanasi’s Samrajeshwar Pashupatinath temple, a monument of Nepal-India ties, gets more popular

The Samrajeshwar Pashupatinath temple in Varanasi, India. Photo: Binod Prasad Adhikari
The Samrajeshwar Pashupatinath temple in Varanasi, India. Photo: Binod Prasad Adhikari

Varanasi, March 28

The Samrajeshwar Pashupatinath temple in the holy city of Varanasi in India, as a symbol of Nepal-India cultural relations, has started to attract more tourists and pilgrims of late, after the development of the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Varanasi is supposedly one of the oldest living cities in the world and is among the most important pilgrimage sites for Hindus. The massive corridor around the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which opened last December, has given a boost to tourism in the holy city.

Since the inauguration of the first phase of the Kashi Vishwanath project, devotees have begun to come in large numbers. The project has benefitted several other religious spots including the famous Samrajeshwar Pashupatinath Mahadev Mandir.

Worship is being done on the daily basis and devotees visiting the temple feel joyous. The people from the Himalayan nation Nepal visit the temple regularly and they have great devotion for Kashi and its people.

 “Those who come to Varanasi to pray in the Kashi Vishwanath temple definitely pay a visit to the Nepali temple, Samrajeshwar Pashupatinath. A long queue could be seen after 3 pm every day,” says Arvind Mishra, one of the devotees.

Shiva Gautam, a devotee from Nepal, says, “The temple resembles the Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu; all those who come from Nepal surely visit the temple.”

Cultural importance

Samrajeshwar Pashupatinath, the Nepali temple, is a bond between two countries with similar cultures and religions. A major attraction among art enthusiasts, the temple stands with pride today.

It is also known as the Nepali Mandir and Mini Khajuraho in the locality. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple has great religious importance. Constructed in the 19th century by the royals of Nepal, the temple is a replica of the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple corridor has made Varanasi a delightful place of interest for pilgrims across India and Nepal. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier had noted that the temple area was only 3,000 square-feet wide, which has now enlarged to about 500,000 square feet. Now 50,000-75,000 devotees can visit the temple and temple premises.

The corridor which combines history with the future is helping in bringing both the neighbouring countries closer which share a unique relationship characterised by deep-rooted people–to–people contacts of kinship and culture.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is visiting Varanasi also during his scheduled India trip this weekend, is expected to be at this site also.

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