Sandus sit around a bonfire at the Pashupati Temple.Shiva being an ascetic God,Mahashivaratri is very popular with ascetics.Nepal/Kathmandu/Pashupatinath Temple/Shivaratri festival 2010. The faithful bearded ascetics smoke marijuana to achieve spiritual connection to Shiva. Among holy men, cannabis is traditionally used to subdue animal instincts, reduce the libido, aid focusing or clarity of thought. They approach cannabis with respect, carefully cut with their bony hands the flower in a small cutting wood, place the contents in a cone tube made of clay [chillum]. They smoke in a ritualistic manner, devoutly raise the chillum to their forehead, invoke god aloud chanting the holy mandras "Boom Shiva", "Aum Shiva Shankara Hari Hari Ganga" "Aum Namah Shivaya" suck in with all the power of their lungs, disappear in ecstasy behind a cloud of aromatic smoke and receive Sadhana spiritual guidance. This is considered a prassad - offering - to Shiva.