Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal

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When beauty transforms itself into grim reality
When all curtains of illusion fall
When the mind comes face to face with the truth of death
When the mind gives up all attachment
When joy is overcome by the futility of existence
When it feels that this is Now the end
You're at Pashupatinath temple, Nepal.

On a cold wintry morning Nepal presents an ancient quaint little town basking in the morning sunlight. It is a beautiful city with ancient temples, plenty of emblems and the echo of Lord Shiva and Buddha surround you as you explore its lanes. Narrow streets, wooden walls, strange and exquisite carvings along roof edges against the mountains behind, it cannot get more picturesque, its a treat to the eye.

But as one walks down the narrow lanes of life along the Bagmati river with the anticipation of Pashupatinath in the mind one also comes face to face with endless burning ghats, bodies perishing into flames, souls departing and all of life coming to an end. It is a smoky lane to cross, where the blinding mist is overpowered by the thick curtain of smoke rising from these ever burning funeral pyres.

And there it stands by day. A gold roofed temple at the top, with a flight of ancient steps leading up to it. A gorgeous courtyard meets us right after the gloom of death passes behind us. Its like we rose up to paradise or heaven , reaching the abode of Lord Pashupatinath. Dotted with smaller shrines and pillared halls, this is a "delicate" wooden temple with exquisite sculptures blanketing its wooden exteriors.

A small wooden structure plated with gold, leads one into the tiny sanctum approached from four cardinal directions. And there He stands in the center, in the form of a chaturamukha linga. The four faced Shiva, Lord of all the directions is seated at the center of this sacred shrine chamber. Each of his mukhas(faces) represent Isana, Tatpurusha, Vamadeva and Aghora attributed as guardians to the four directions.