In the Bankali forests near Pashupati, the temple of the Hindu god Shiva, holy men and devotees puffed on cannabis smoke, a practice that is normally illegal but is permitted during the Shivaratri festival.
"Once marijuana is legalized in the country, there will be so many opportunities that it could open up like in medical use," said Akash Rimal, a festival attendee.
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.
A key part of Shivaratri is the freedom to smoke marijuana, an act that is normally punishable by prison sentences of up to a month for users and 10 years for traffickers.
The forest area across the Bagmati river from the temple was filled with marijuana-smoking Hindu holy men, who camp there for days during the festival.
