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LIFE AND SOUL

Inside the Nepalese festival of Maha Shivaratri where thousands of Hindu pilgrims gather to celebrate the birth of Lord Shiva – the god of birth and destruction

Stunning pictures show holy men in Kathmandu smoking marijuana and painted their faces

INCREDIBLE pictures show Hindu pilgrims who have travelled for hundreds of miles gather at a religious festival in Nepal.

The festival of Maha Shivaratri attracts more than 10,000 worshippers every year who travel across the mountainous country to celebrate the birthday of Lord Shiva.

A Hindu holy man smokes marijuana at the courtyard of the sacred temple in Nepal
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A Hindu holy man smokes marijuana at the courtyard of the sacred temple in NepalCredit: AP:Associated Press
A man dressed as Hindu Lord Shiva performs during a religious procession ahead of the Hindu festival
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A man dressed as Hindu Lord Shiva performs during a religious procession ahead of the Hindu festivalCredit: Reuters
A sadhu, or holy man, wraps his hair around his head at the Pashupati Temple
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A sadhu, or holy man, wraps his hair around his head at the Pashupati TempleCredit: EPA
A Sadhu poses for a photograph on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu
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A Sadhu poses for a photograph on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in KathmanduCredit: Splash News
A Nepalese Sadhu smokes a traditional clay pipe chillum as a holy offering to Lord Shiva
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A Nepalese Sadhu smokes a traditional clay pipe chillum as a holy offering to Lord ShivaCredit: Getty Images
A Hindu holy man smears his forehead with ash
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A Hindu holy man smears his forehead with ashCredit: AP:Associated Press
One worshipper offers prayers on a human skull painted red
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One worshipper offers prayers on a human skull painted redCredit: Reuters
An elderly sadhu is pictured stretching his beard out
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An elderly sadhu is pictured stretching his beard outCredit: Getty Images
Nepalese Hindu devotees sit near the temple on the eve of the Hindu festival
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Nepalese Hindu devotees sit near the temple on the eve of the Hindu festivalCredit: Getty Images

Thousands of followers from neighbouring India also make the pilgrimage to pay respects to the god who they believe is responsible for creation and destruction.

These stunning snaps shows Hindu devotees worshipping at the Pashupati temple located in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.

One of the extraordinary images shows a Hindu holy man, known as a ‘sadhu’, offers prayers to a human skull which has been painted blood red.

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Another striking pic shows a sadhu smoking marijuana with his face coloured with white chalk.

One bearded holy man is pictured painting the face of Lord Shiva onto a special stone.

Many of the images shows worshippers sporting dreadlocks in both their long beards and hair.

In 2015, some of the sacred temple’s outer buildings were damaged in a huge earthquake.

Marijuana is smoke openly at the religious festival
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Marijuana is smoke openly at the religious festivalCredit: EPA
A worshipper combs his beard at the temple
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A worshipper combs his beard at the templeCredit: Getty Images
Another sadhu offers a smoke to Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of creation and destruction
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Another sadhu offers a smoke to Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of creation and destructionCredit: Getty Images
A man paints Lord Shiva on a special stone as he sits at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple during the Shivaratri festival
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A man paints Lord Shiva on a special stone as he sits at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple during the Shivaratri festivalCredit: Reuters
Another sadhu blows a conch during the celebrations
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Another sadhu blows a conch during the celebrationsCredit: Reuters
A Hindu man smokes his clay pipe at the festival
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A Hindu man smokes his clay pipe at the festivalCredit: EPA
A sadhu arranges his dreadlocked hair at Pashupatinath Temple
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A sadhu arranges his dreadlocked hair at Pashupatinath TempleCredit: Reuters
One of the holy men paints his face during the celebrations in Nepal
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One of the holy men paints his face during the celebrations in NepalCredit: Reuters

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