Maha Shivaratri is one of the biggest festivals in Nepal, and the name literally means the night of Shiva. It is celebrated throughout Nepal and India for 24 hours where people generally smoke a lot of mariujaha to honor the Hindu god. It is believed that the stars in the Northern Hemisphere are positioned optimally for raising peoples spiritual energy.
It is said that up to a million people would visit the Pashupatinath temple on this day. There were thousands of people queuing outside the temple, but foreigners were let past the queues, which is not fair considering how much more important this celebration is to devoted hindus but I didnt complain. The Pashupatinath temple is considered one of the holiest temples in hinduism and the Guardian and protector of the Kathmandu Valley and Nepal.
Sadhu babas meditate, some of them naked, and most of them smoking weed from their chillum pipes. People chant together with them mantras such as “om namah Shivay” and “mahamritunjaya” all night as a way to pray that the light will conquer the darkness.
One thing that was special with this was that children were making “toll roads” literally everywhere raising ropes across the streets and demanding small change from the bypassers. Also smoking cannabis is seen as holy on this day and people were cooking up “bang lassi” (Milk boiled with mariujana) and smoking everywhere. An ancient tradition from thousands of years back that still is practiced widely today by tourists and locals alike.
