KATHMANDU, Sept 4: The Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) has claimed that this year festive celebration of Haritalika (Teej) at the Pashupatinath Temple is so far the most systematic and well-managed during the past 27 years.

It is noted that the Chawahil-Gaushala-Old Baneswor-Ratopul road section – which has been shut for the past 27 years during the festive celebrations– has come into operation for vehicular movement during all day today owing to the sound management of fair.

Though the vehicular movement was disrupted for some moments this afternoon, they did not need to walk much to reach their destinations as in the past years, said a reveler recounting own experience in Teej celebration.

Women visiting the Pashupatinath Temple commented that they managed to perform prayers and return home early because of systematic arrangements for celebration in the holy shrine.

The line management is far better than that of previous years which facilitates the revelers to perform their prayers without any hassles this year, said Rashmi Poudel hailing from Kaushaltar, Bhaktapur.

This year the PADT has averted the previous year's practice of charging Rs 1,000 to a reveler who wants to perform worships at the Pashupati. This year's arrangement was mechanized in a way that no one is required to pay entry fee for prayers.

PADT Member-Secretary Dr Govinda Tandon pledged to reckon with the feedbacks and recommendations pointed out by the revelers to ensure further improvements in management of fair in Pashupati next years as well.

According to the PADT sources, they had put in place arrangements to accommodate 900,000 devotees to perform prayers and celebrate the festival at Pashupati this year.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Chief Justice Sushila Karki were scheduled to offer prayers at the temple, informed member-Secretary Tandon. RSS