INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, February 20
Pashupati Area Development Trust has said it expects to host around one million Hindu devotees from Nepal and abroad
during religious festival, Mahashivaratri.
Pradeep Dhakal, PADT member-secretary said all preparations for Mahashivaratri were over
Premises of Pashupatinath temple has been decorated with electric lamps and colourful flowers and welcome gates were erected at entry points
Emergency health camps, security posts, information centres and temporary toilets have also been set up for devotees.
An 111-member main
organising committee headed by Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai, who is also the chairperson of PADT
PADT has formed 11 subcommittees for necessary preparation of Mahashivaratri, which will be celebrated tomorrow.
The sub-committees will
oversee aspects like managing queues of devotees, sanitation, security, publicity and health camps and organise the festival in decent and
More than 6,000 security personnel from Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident during the
festival.
Hundreds of sadhus from various parts of Nepal and India have already started camping on the temple premises.
The festival is
celebrated with great religious fervour in reverence of Lord Shiva.
Ardent Shiva followers fastall night long on the day of
Mahashivaratri.
&Lines of devotees will be well managed so that they can worship Shiva Linga within 15 minutes from the core area of the
Four lines Mitrapark-Gaurighat-Umakunda, Jayabage- shwori-Intapakha-Bhuwane- shwori, Battisputalu-Gaushala Chowk and Airport
Tilganga-Sumargi Bhawan will be arranged for devotees to proceed to the temple
Devotees will exit from the same direction by taking U-turn to avoid line crossing, said Dhakal
All four gates of the temple will remain open for devotees from 3:00am.
Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has declared Chabahil-Mitra
Park-Gaushala-Battisputali Ratopul-Gaushala and Gaurighat road sections no-go zones for vehicles.
PADT has warned that anyone caught trading
in cannabis or other psychoactive drugs will be brought to book under Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act-1976.
Pashupati area has already been
declared a drug-free zone
Police said they would act tough on those indulging in illegal activities, including trading in cannabis, bhang, hashish and alcoholic
beverages on the pretext of celebration.
Mahashivaratri is celebrated with religious fervour in other Shiva temples as well.
The post Lakhs
expected to celebrate Mahashivaratri appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
