BHAKTAPUR, Feb 27: On Maha Shivaratri, more than 60,000 devotees thronged Doleshwor Mahadev Temple, believed to be the head of Kedarnath, to offer prayers on Wednesday.
Harisharan Basnet, General Secretary of the Doleshwor Mahadev Temple Conservation and Development Committee, said the temple opened all four doors at 4 AM, allowing devotees to directly worship the Shiva Linga inside.
Hundreds of Sadhus throng Pashupati temple for Maha Shivaratri
The temple offered a special worship package for NPR 1,100, which included Pancha Snan (five-fold sacred bath). More than 60,000 Nepali and Indian devotees participated in the rituals, Basnet stated.
Throughout the night, devotees lit sacred fires, conducted special midnight prayers, and engaged in religious ceremonies. At 4 AM on Thursday (today), priests held a special worship session for sadhus.
For this year's Maha Shivaratri, temple authorities divided three visiting sadhus and ascetics into 'A', 'B', and 'C' categories. They will receive offerings, dhotis, and blankets, and after a farewell meal at 11 AM, they will depart.
On Wednesday, over 25,000 devotees visited the famous Ashapuri Temple, while nearly 14,000 worshipers gathered at the tall Kailashnath Mahadev statue in Sanga. Other temples, including Gupteshwar Mahadev, Somlingeshwar Mahadev, Charkhandishwar Mahadev, Anantlingeshwar Mahadev, Suvarneshwar Mahadev, and Nandikeshwar Mahadev, also drew large crowds throughout the day.
