KATHMANDU, Feb 24: As Maha Shivaratri approaches, Naga Babas from various parts of Nepal and neighboring India have started flocking to Kathmandu. On Monday, they entered the Pashupatinath Temple through Gate No. 1 after leading a procession from Annapurna Bhandar.
The four sects of ascetics—Sannyasi, Vaishnav, Nanak and Udasi—gather at Pashupatinath Temple during Maha Shivaratri, with Naga Babas representing the Sannyasi tradition. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temple welcomes ascetics from all these sects for the festival.
As the festival nears, more devotees are visiting the Pashupatinath Temple. Meanwhile, the Pashupatinath Area Development Trust has ramped up preparations for the grand celebration of Maha Shivaratri.
Here are some photos of the ascetics taken by Republica’s photojournalist Dipesh Darshandhari: