Pashupatinath is the holiest Hindu pilgrimage destination in Nepal.The richly ornamented pagoda houses the sacred phallic symbol. Devotees can be seen taking ritual dips in the holy Bagmati River beside the temple. This is one of the most sacred Hindu cremation sites. UNESCO publishes it as a world heritage There are linga images of Shiva along with statues, shrines, and temples dedicated to other deities in the complex. A temple dedicated to Shiva existed at this site in AD 879. However, the present temple was built by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1697. A gold-plated roof, silver doors, and woodcarvings of the finest quality decorate the pagoda construction. Guheswari Temple, restored in AD 1653, represents the female "force". It is dedicated to Satidevi, Shiva's first wife, who gave site up her life in the flames of her father's fire ritual.
