Cannabis smoke fills the air as Nepal marks Shivaratri festival

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Hindu holy men and mostly young devotees openly puffed on cannabis smoke on Sunday, marking one of Nepal's biggest annual festivals.

Tens of thousands lined up to pray at the Pashupatinath, the temple of the Hindu god Shiva in the capital Kathmandu, during the Shivaratri festival.

Marijuana is usually banned in the South Asian country, but exceptions are made to celebrate Shiva, who has strong links to the practice and has often been depicted smoking pot.

Devotees prayed and danced to religious songs at the temple, a landmark for Hindus who constitute about 81% of Nepal’s population. Others from neighboring India also traveled to Kathmandu for the festival.

Across the Bagmati River from the temple, holy men with their bodies smeared in ashes could be seen smoking marijuana, as well as many Nepali men and some women, on the forested Bankali hills.

Generally, the use of marijuana in Nepal is punishable by prison sentences of up to a month for users and 10 years for traffickers.

Nepal was famous for marijuana and other narcotics in the 1960s, when hippies made their way to the Himalayan nation. Shops and tea houses used to advertise and sell it legally. However, marijuana was outlawed in 1976.

There have been efforts to decriminalize marijuana in Nepal by both campaigners and parliament members to legalize its farming and use, but progress has stalled.

A holy man smokes marijuana during Maha Shivaratri festival at the Pashupatinath temple premises in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A man displays smoking pot to sell to devotees during Maha Shivaratri festival at the Pashupatinath temple premises in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A man displays marijuana and smoking pots to sell to devotees during Maha Shivaratri festival at the Pashupatinath temple premises in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Hindu devotees queue inside a temple to offer prayers during Shivratri, the sacred night dedicated to Lord Shiva in Jammu, India, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

A holy man smokes marijuana as devotees take selfie with him during Maha Shivaratri festival at the Pashupatinath temple premises in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A holy man smokes marijuana during Maha Shivaratri festival at the Pashupatinath temple premises in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

NEW YORK (AP) — Matvei Michkov had a goal and two assists and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Islanders 3-1 on Friday night to move within one point of the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Travis Sanheim and Alex Bump had a goal and an assist each and Owen Tippett also scored for Philadelphia. Dan Vladar finished with 20 saves. The Columbus Blue Jackets are also tied with the Flyers with 88 points.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 17 saves in his 10th straight appearance, but the Islanders lost their third straight in a tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff race.

Michkov fired a shot from behind the goal line off Sorokin’s pad early in the second period to give the Flyers a 3-0 lead.

Tippett opened the scoring, completing a forehand-backhand move off a pass from Sanheim with less than seven minutes remaining in the first period.

Bump extended the Flyers’ lead to two goals when he caught Sorokin out of position and sent a wrist shot just inside the post.

Pageau scored off a feed from Mathew Barzal with less than five minutes remaining in the second period to pull New York within 3-1.

Sanheim scored midway through the third period to restore Philadelphia’s three-goal lead and put the game out of reach.

Simon Holmstrom returned to the Islanders’ lineup after missing the previous game against the Buffalo Sabres with an upper-body injury. Anthony Duclair was a healthy scratch.

Flyers: Host the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

Islanders: Visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Philadelphia Flyers' Tyson Foerster (71) deke pastNew York Islanders' Adam Pelech (3) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia Flyers' Sean Couturier (14) defends New York Islanders' Mathew Barzal (13) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Islanders' Jean-Gabriel Pageau, left, celebrates after scoring a goal as Philadelphia Flyers' Noah Juulsen (47) reacts during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) protects the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders Friday, April 3, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia Flyers' Matvei Michkov (39) skates past New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)