Pashupatinath sits beside a river used for cremation on a much smaller scale than Varanasi's, and entry to the temple itself depends on a religious test the state enforces rather than merely recommends.
Cremation along the Bagmati
Ghats along the Bagmati River immediately beside the temple are used for open-air cremation, following a pattern comparable to, though considerably smaller in scale than, Varanasi's riverside cremation practice, with royal and notable cremations historically held at the ghats closest to the temple itself.
Closed to non-Hindus
Entry to the main temple precinct is restricted to Hindus, a policy enforced at the gate rather than left to informal custom, meaning non-Hindu visitors, including many tourists, can view the temple complex only from an adjacent hillside rather than entering directly, a firmer restriction than is applied at some other major Hindu temples covered elsewhere in this atlas.
A recognition beyond one country
Pashupatinath's significance is not confined to Nepal alone; it is recognised as one of the most important Shiva temples in the entire Hindu world and is inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, a status that sits alongside, rather than in place of, the temple's continuing role as an actively functioning place of worship and cremation rather than a preserved monument alone.