The festival falls on February 12. The average number of pilgrims visiting the Hindu shrine for the ´festival of Sadhus´ over a past few years had remained around 250,000. [break]
Coinciding with the ongoing Mahakumbha Mela in India and Makar Mela in Nepal, Mahashivarati could well be the concluding destination for local and Indian pilgrims. "When there are similar religious festivals at the same time, people tend to set off for them in a package," said Narottam Baidya, treasurer of PADT.
There is a belief that visiting Mahakumbha Mela and Makar Mela, both celebrated for the grace of Lord Shiva, would not be complete without alighting at the Pashupatinath temple, said Baidya.
Around 400 organizations have already approached PADT for permission to offer their services to the pilgrims. Over 5,000 volunteers will also be mobilized. According to PADT, around 10,000 pilgrims will be served with food and residence in makeshift tent houses sponsored by the non-government sector. The whole enforcing capacity of Nepal Police available in the capital -- around 5,000 personnel -- will be deployed for security during the festival.
Likewise, the number of Sadhus visiting the temple is also expected to swell as compared with the past. "Around 25 percent of the entire visitors are expected to be from India including hundreds of Sadhus," said Baidya.
Cashing in from devotees
This year, the PADT has introduced a paid visit scheme at the temple for Mahashivaratri festival. As much as 10,000 tickets worth Rs 1,000 each are expected to be sold out. The paid visitors will enter the temple from the eastern door along a special queue, as opposed to the general visitors who end up waiting along the line for hours.
"This is practised in other prominent religious places, too," said Baidya. "This will rather help ease the general line." PADT plans to cash in on the paid visit scheme for colossal revenue from significant festivals like Teej, Bala Chaturdashi and Mahashivaratri.
"We are also planning to introduce a number of schemes for worship at the temple. We can only work out on them after the Supreme Court finalizes a lawsuit lodged by Bhandaris (traditional care-takers of the temple) against the regulations declared last year by the then Maoist-led PADT management," added Baidya.
PADT wants to bring under its management different worship schemes carried out till date by the Indian priests. In the temple, special worship schemes cost in wide variance starting from Rs 501 and ending up at Maharudri worth Rs 1.2 million.
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