Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath Temple is a prominent Hindu temple located on the banks of the Shivna River in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. It is renowned for its rare eight-faced Shiva Lingam, standing about 7.5 feet tall and weighing around 4.6 tonnes. Believed to date to the 5th-6th century Gupta period, the temple is considered a western counterpart to the Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal and attracts devotees and tourists year-round.

Visitors can expect a riverside temple complex centered around a large sanctum housing the eight-faced Shiva Lingam with four doors facing cardinal directions. The temple has a white spire, pillared mandapa, and open courtyard on the banks of the Shivna River. Visitors can observe daily prayers and aarti, view the sculpted lingam from the surrounding platform, explore the temple premises, and find small shops for flowers and prasad outside.

The temple enshrines an eight-faced Shiva Lingam discovered in the Shivna River bed. The lingam is attributed to the 5th-6th century Gupta period based on its art style and inscriptional evidence. It was later installed and enshrined on the river bank, with the present temple structure built around it. The lingam has four faces on the upper row and four on the lower row, representing different forms of Shiva.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva as Pashupatinath, Lord of all beings, the temple is a major Shaivite pilgrimage centre in central India. It is regarded as a counterpart to the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. The temple sees large gatherings during Maha Shivratri and the month of Shravan, when devotees offer water and prayers to the lingam.