Over million devotees likely to visit Pashupati

More than a million devotees are expected to visit the Pashupatinath temple on the occasion of this year's Mahashivaratri , according to officials at Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), the body responsible for managing the temples affairs.

The temple is considered to be one of the holiest among Hindus across the globe.Like previous years, thousands of sadhus from various parts of India and Nepal have already descended on the temple premises. Organisations like PADT and Guthi Sansthan have taken up the responsibility for managing food for sadhus and wooden logs for bonfires. Sadhus, who add beauty to the festival, are also given Rs 101 in cash as incentives. The tradition of providing the cash incentives is two decades old, said PADT Treasurer Narorttam Vaidya.

Some 2,500 to 3,000 Indian sadhus will flock to the Pashupatinath festival to celebrate Mahashivaratri this year, he said. Religious music, devotional songs, dance and other rituals as well as functions form part of the Mahashivaratri festival.Although the PADT has not barred the sadhus from smoking marijuana, considered the preferred fruit of Lord Shiva, they have been banned from selling the natural drug to commoners. Policemen in civvies have been deployed to check the trade of drugs in the name of festival, said Vaidya.The use of plastic bags has been prohibited on the temple premises and the PADT has appealed to the public not to throw solid offerings like coconut, coins at the statue perched on the main temple.

Vaidya said three routes into the Pashupatinath temple have been opened to ease the entrance of devotees, along with a separate priority line for those who buy a ticket worth Rs 1,000.Among the planned routes, one enters from Gaushala, passing through Bankali, another passes through Chabahil via Mitrapark and the third from Sifal area. President Ram Baran Yadav is also slated to visit the temple on Sunday afternoon.Assisted by hundreds of volunteers from Nepal Scouts, Red Cross and various schools and colleges, temporary health camps have been set up at various places in the Pashupati area.

Nepal Telecom will erect a separate temporary tower in the area for smooth communications.Apart from the devotees from India, the number of Hindus from other countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are is likely to go up this year. “Over 1,000 Malaysians have already arrived in the temple,” said Vaidya. “They have also donated Rs 2.2 million to the trust.”