Devotees have been praying and dancing to religious songs at the temple, which is one of the most important for Hindus around the world. About 81% of Nepal’s population is Hindu.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of devotees crowded a revered Hindu temple in Nepal’s capital for a festival on Tuesday as coronavirus cases decline and life returns to normal.

(AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) A holy man smokes marijuana at the Pashupatinath Hindu temple during Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) ...

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Tens of thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at a revered temple in Nepal's capital on Wednesday to celebrate one of the country's biggest religious festivals.