Kathmandu, February 15: Today is the festival of Maha Shivaratri, which is considered the birth of Lord Shiva in the evening. Since early morning, the movement of devotees and sadhus has increased at the Pashupatinath Temple. Babas have begun sitting by lighting sacred fires (dhuni) within the temple premises, while the large turnout of devotees who have come for darshan has added to the vibrancy of the area.
On the eve of Mahashivaratri, Saturday, the areas around the Pashupatinath Temple were extremely busy with the arrival of sadhus and devotees from within the country and abroad. According to Subash Joshi, Executive Director and Spokesperson of the Pashupati Area Development Trust, it is estimated that at least 800,000 devotees will visit Pashupatinath on the day of Mahashivaratri this year, and the presence of around 4,000 sadhus is expected.
He said, “To manage the excessive crowd of devotees, we have arranged darshan through four separate queues. Special attention has been given to security, health services, sanitation, and traffic management.” For the convenience of devotees, all four gates of the Pashupatinath Temple were opened from 4:00 a.m. today, the Trust stated. Special arrangements will also be made for vehicle movement in and around the Pashupati area on Mahashivaratri.
According to the Trust, a joint team of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Traffic Police has been deployed. CCTV cameras and mobile patrols have been increased for crowd control, searching for missing persons, emergency rescue, and monitoring suspicious activities.
The Trust stated that pedestrian routes have been arranged at the main entry points to the Pashupati area and around the temple premises, and separate routes have been designated for emergency vehicles. To facilitate smooth darshan, in addition to the four queue systems, separate arrangements have been made for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and distinguished guests, spokesperson Joshi said. He added that the number of drinking water points, toilets, rest areas, and first-aid centers has been increased. Coordination has been carried out with various hospitals and health institutions to provide health services.
The Trust has also deployed volunteers to provide necessary information, assistance, and guidance to devotees. Information regarding crowd conditions and security is being continuously broadcast through a public announcement system.
Meanwhile, the Kathmandu District Police Range has stated that security arrangements have been further strengthened in view of the Mahashivaratri festival. Police spokesperson and Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar Bhattarai informed that a 13-point advisory has been issued to ensure the safety of devotees and the belongings they carry.
The Pashupati Area Development Trust has said that it has implemented a multi-dimensional plan this year to make the festival organized, safe, and devotee-friendly. On the occasion of Mahashivaratri, temporary accommodation, food, and security arrangements have been made for sadhus arriving from Nepal, India, and other countries. They have been accommodated at designated locations to maintain discipline within the temple premises.
The Trust has urged devotees to patiently stand in queues for darshan, cooperate in maintaining cleanliness, and follow the instructions of security agencies. It has been stated that coordination with all stakeholders has been carried out to conclude the Mahashivaratri festival in a peaceful, civilized, and well-organized manner.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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