Pashupatinath Temple, Mandsaur

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airports are Udaipur and Indore.

• By train

  Mandsaur Railway Station, code MDS, is the town's main station. The town is connected to Ratlam and Ujjain via Nagda, and to Kota and Bundi via Chittorgarh.

• By road

  The temple is reached by Pashupatinath Mandir Road. Auto-rickshaws and taxis serve the town and can bring visitors to the temple.

Why devotees come here

Pashupatinath Temple stands on the banks of the Shivna River in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, near the Rajasthan border. It is a Shiva temple known for its eight-faced linga, which draws devotees from far and wide.

Pashupatinath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, on the banks of the Shivna River in Mandsaur. It is known for its eight-faced Shiva linga. The eight faces stand for aspects of Shiva in regional Shaivism: Bhava, Pashupati, Mahadeva, Isana, Rudra, Sharva, Ugra and Asani. The temple also houses a rare eight-faced Pashupati idol, and devotees come in huge numbers every year.

The linga stands 4.5 metres (15 ft) tall. It was found in the riverbed of the Shivna and has since been reconsecrated into the temple. Four heads sit in a line on its upper part, and four more are carved below them in a second row. According to Goyala, the linga is likely from the early 6th century.

Evidence traces the site back to the 2nd century CE, when it was already a Hindu pilgrimage site. Ten inscriptions found in the area suggest Mandsaur was an important cultural and religious centre in the first half of the 1st millennium CE. Mandsaur lies in the historic region of Malwa, near the Rajasthan border.

Tips for your visit

• The complex also has a Hanuman temple and a shrine for Janaki Nath.
• The renowned Nalcha Mata Temple is located near Pashupatinath Temple, and you can see its idol of Nalcha Mata.
• During the monsoon, the Shivna River rises and its water reaches the base of the linga.

Questions people ask