Smoke, Spirit, and Shiva: Inside Nepal’s Massive Cannabis (गाँजा) Festival
High in the Himalayas: Nepal Celebrates Shivaratri with Prayer and Pot.
Every year, the air in Kathmandu thickens with more than just incense. For the massive Shivaratri festival, Nepal’s strict drug laws take a backseat as thousands of devotees gather to honor the Hindu god Shiva—the deity famously associated with cannabis (गाँजा).
While marijuana has been illegal in the Himalayan nation since 1976, the "Great Night of Shiva" offers a unique, one-day cultural loophole that transforms the capital into a spiritual haze.
The Spirit of Shivaratri
From the early morning hours, tens of thousands of pilgrims line up at the historic Pashupatinath Temple. While the festival is rooted in deep prayer and fasting, the scene on the nearby Bankali hills is a bit more... relaxed.
Holy Men (Sadhus): Smeared in ash and draped in marigolds, these ascetic monks openly smoke marijuana as a form of meditation and tribute to Shiva.
The Crowd: It’s not just the holy men; young locals and travelers from India join in, dancing to religious hymns and sharing pipes.
The "Hippy Trail" Legacy: For many, the sight is a throwback to the 1960s when Nepal was a global hub for legal cannabis before international pressure led to a ban.
Is Marijuana Legalizing in Nepal?
Despite the festival's leniency, the law remains tough. Outside of this holiday, traffickers can face up to 10 years in prison. However, change might be in the mountain air.
Recently, activists and members of parliament have pushed to decriminalize marijuana for medicinal and agricultural use.
While the movement has stalled in the legislature, the massive turnout at Shivaratri proves that the plant remains deeply woven into the country's cultural fabric.
Fun Fact: Shiva is often depicted in Hindu mythology using cannabis to focus his mind and harness his divine powers.
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