15 Smokin’ Photos From “Marijuana Day” At Pashupatinath Temple
Spirituality at Pashupatinath Temple
During Shivaratri Festival, devotees chant "Om Namah Shivaya", the sacred mantra of Shiva.
Source: Wendy Hung
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15 Smokin’ Photos From “Marijuana Day” At Pashupatinath Temple
Spiritual cleansing, Pashupatinath Temple
Devotees bathe at the Bagmati River, which is a rite of purification. It's an important part of all Hindu festivals. Wearing clean clothing after the holy bath, worshippers carry pots of water to the temple to bathe the Shivalinga.
Source: Wendy Hung 15 Smokin’ Photos From “Marijuana Day” At Pashupatinath Temple
Taking a stand, Pashupatinath Temple
Living as a sadhu is a difficult lifestyle. Sadhus are considered to be dead unto themselves, and legally dead to the country of India. As a ritual, they may be required to attend their own funeral before following a guru for many years, serving him by doing menial tasks until acquiring the necessary experience to leave his leadership.
Source: Wendy Hung Visiting the Pashupatinath Temple during Hindism’s Maha Shivaratri festival is one for the books.
First sight upon entering the fascinating Pashupatinath Temple – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – may leave your jaws drop as thousands of religious devotees and sadhus (holy men) sprawl across multiple sections of the Hindu holy epicenter. Located in the east of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, Pashupatinath Temple is on the banks of the Bagmati River where worshippers bathe as a rite of purification. Ashrams, images, inscriptions, sadhus in long dreadlocks are vibrant characteristics making the celebrated temple a must-see.
But what about all that cannabis? Particularly during Maha Shivaratri festival, which local Nepalese call it “Marijuana Day” indicating a day when smoking pot is legal in Nepal, the smell of marijuana – widely used during the celebration of Shivaratri – overcasts the temple grounds. In fact, it’s a popular characteristic of sadhu ritualism which is their utilization of marijuana (known as charas) as a form of a eucharist in line with their worship of Shiva who was believed to have an adoration or affinity for the leaves of the plant.
A large population of sadhus gather at the temple during this time of the year, they’re known to stand on one leg for years on end or remaining silent for a dozen years. Most sadhus engage in some form of religious practice, including: devotional worship, hatha yoga, fasting, and consumption of certain forms of cannabis all carry religious significance.
Here are 15 incredible images taken from this year’s Maha Shivaratri festival (Feb. 17, 2015) at Pashupatinath Temple. Feast your eyes…
