KATHMANDU, Feb 25: The ongoing 45-day Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, India, is expected to have a positive impact during the Maha Shivaratri festival. This year, the vibrant atmosphere of Maha Shivaratri, a major Hindu festival, has already started to be seen more in the Pashupatinath Temple area than in previous years. Devotees attending the Maha Kumbh in India are expected to visit the Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal during the festival, leading to a significant increase in the number of devotees and sadhus.
Rajkumar Khatri, the coordinator of the publicity and decoration subcommittee and a council member of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), said, "We were astonished to witness the entrance of Naga Babas on Monday during Ekadashi. This year, many more sadhus have come compared to last year."
Rajkumar Khatri, a member of the PADT, reported that more than 700 Naga Babas have already arrived in the Pashupatinath area. "By Monday, around 2,500 sadhus had reached the temple premises, and we expect an additional 1,500 to arrive," he said. The PADT anticipates that approximately 4,000 sadhus will attend the Maha Shivaratri festival.
"Devotes, who bathed in the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, are also lining up to bring water from there to offer at the Pashupatinath Temple. There is a belief that bathing in Prayagraj and offering its water at Pashupatinath will grant the full benefit of the pilgrimage," he explained. "Therefore, we expect the number of people attending the Pashupati area for the fair to increase significantly because of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. We estimate that around 1 million devotees will attend the fair this time."
Rewati Raman Adhikari, the spokesperson for the PADT, stated that the number of Indian devotees, who bathed in the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and are coming to offer water at the Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal, has increased. The PADT anticipates that this year's festive atmosphere will be more vibrant than in previous years. He also stated that the number of sadhus is expected to rise compared to previous years, as evidenced by the entry of sadhus into the temple premises on Monday, ahead of the festival, which falls on Wednesday.
The PADT is focusing on volunteer management this year to make the Maha Shivaratri festival more organized and dignified. Spokesperson Adhikari explained that volunteers play a key role in ensuring that devotees can visit the temple easily. As a result, the Fund aims to implement changes compared to previous years.
This year, the PADT has set the age limit for volunteers at 18 years. Spokesperson Adhikari explained, "Last year, when scouts recruited children from schools as volunteers, we experienced some disorder during the festival. We also received numerous complaints about the inappropriate behavior of child volunteers towards devotees. As a result, the Fund has issued a directive this year to allow only individuals who are 18 years old or older to serve as volunteers. We have communicated this decision to the organizations involved."
The PADT also stated that 20 Hindu devotees from Malaysia will conduct a prayer at the Pashupatinath Temple on Maha Shivaratri. Additionally, around 4,000 volunteers will manage the festival. To ensure security, the event will be safeguarded by a total of 7,000 security personnel, including officers from Nepal Police, Armed Police, and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
PADT allocates Rs 15 million for festival management
This year, the PADT allocated Rs 15 million for managing the Maha Shivaratri festival, said Treasurer Narayan Subedi. He added that the Fund would release the expenditure details from 10 subcommittees and the five major branches involved in festival management within 15 days after the festival concludes. "We will disclose the expenses for managing the Maha Shivaratri festival within 15 days, and we will also make the income public immediately," Treasurer Subedi stated.
Tourism Minister forms 251-member Main Ceremony Committee
Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Minister Badri Prasad Pandey has formed a 251-member Main Ceremony Committee. Last year, the Maha Shivaratri festival was organized with a 50-member committee. However, this year, a source from the PADT stated that the number of high-ranking officials on the committee and those seeking prestige through the committee's card exceeds expectations.
"The Main Ceremony Committee members do not actually contribute to managing the Maha Shivaratri festival, but they use the committee's card to display their prestige. Despite our efforts to stop this, higher authorities did not agree," the source said. "The people who actually work should take responsibility. Now, it has become mandatory for the concerned ministers and state ministers to be on the committee. Additionally, the committee includes unnecessary members from other government bodies, influential representatives from service-providing organizations, and other well-connected individuals. This leads to the misuse of the committee's purpose."
The traffic police have deployed plainclothes officers to control and monitor potential vehicle theft. They have also requested that people park their vehicles in secure locations.
To ensure smooth and convenient transportation for devotees during the Shivaratri festival, the Deputy Superintendent of Police has set up a command center. A total of 890 traffic police officers are actively working, according to spokesperson Adhikari. He added that, depending on the traffic situation, the traffic office has agreed to deploy additional police officers if necessary.
Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Minister Badri Prasad Pandey, who also serves as the Chairman of the PADT, has formed a Main Ceremony Committee to prepare for Maha Shivaratri. In addition to the main committee, 10 subcommittees have been established for the preparations.
Council member Khatri stated that volunteers will be mobilized through various organizations, including Nepal Scouts, Lions Club, and World Hindu Youth Council, in sufficient numbers.
Ban on glass and plastic
The PADT has banned organizations distributing food during the festival from using glass and plastic cups, plates, and other items. These organizations can only use cups and plates made from paper, leaves, or similar materials.
The PADT has organized free accommodation, sattvic food, tea, and water distribution through 25 different organizations in the Bankali, Tilganga, and northern regions. Additionally, the Fund has ensured the availability of sufficient mobile and temporary toilets for devotees throughout the festival.
Ban on meat, alcohol, marijuana, and bhaang
The PADT has urged everyone to avoid engaging in or permitting prohibited activities within the sacred Pashupati area during the festival. It has issued strict directives to prevent the storage, sale, distribution, and transportation of meat, alcohol, marijuana, bhaang, cannabis, and similar substances.