In Pictures: First Monday of Shrawan at Pashupatinath Temple

KATHMANDU, JULY 22

Hindu devotees across the country flocked to temples dedicated to Lord Shiva to mark the first Monday of Shrawan, the fourth month of the Nepali calendar.

In Kathmandu, a large number of Bolbam pilgrims set out early in the morning for Sundarijal, where they took a ritual bath and collected holy water. After offering prayers there, the pilgrims returned barefoot to the Pashupatinath Temple, where they poured the sacred water over the Shiva Linga as part of their devotional journey. The pilgrimage concluded with special worship at the temple.

Besides Bolbam participants, thousands of other devotees also thronged the Pashupatinath Temple, observing fasts and offering prayers. Throughout the month of Shrawan, many Hindus refrain from consuming meat and worship Lord Shiva every Monday as a form of devotion and penance.