English: The Pashupatinath temple of Mandsor is the city's most important Hindu pilgrimage site. It is located on the banks of Shivna river – a tributary of Chambal river (it should not confused with Shivna river of Maharashtra that is a tributary of Godavari river). India and Nepal have many Shiva temples named Pashupatinath, the one in Mandsaur is one of the most revered along with the ones in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.
The Pashupatinath mandir is a historic temple site much older than the current main temple rebuilt during the Maratha-era after the collapse of the post-Aurangzeb Mughal empire. The complex consists of the main temple, a Maratha era deepa-stambha, several subsidiary shrines for various Hindu deities, a bathing ghat and several mandapas for pilgrims. The spire of the Maratha-era temple shows the synthesis of chhatri-style domes with a phamsana-style pyramidal profile.
The Mandsaur Pashupatinath temple is notable for its rare eight face Shiva linga, sometimes referred to as Ashtamukha or Ashtamurti. It is 4.5 metres (15 ft) tall and was discovered with Hindu temple ruins in the river bed of the Shivana. It was recovered and has been reconsecrated into its sanctum. Four faces form the upper part of the linga, four more are below closer to the ground. The upper ones are finely sculpted with iconography style, jewelry and hairdo that is similar to artwork that has been firmly dated to 5th to 6th century. The Shiva faces have open eyes, with a third eye on the forehead. Each face has elaborate hair probably reflecting the culture of its time for men. The eight faces represent the various aspects of Shiva: Bhava, Pashupati, Mahadeva, Isana, Rudra, Sharva, Ugra and Asani. Thus this Pashupatinath temple hosts an early 6th century Shiva linga in a 18th to 20th-century temples complex.
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Captions
River Shivna with Pashupatinath mandir and bridge connecting the city to the temple