BETRAWATI, Jan 6: On Saturday, more than 20,000 people performed death rituals of their kin at the Uttargayadham of Betrawati located on the border of Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.

According to Ganesh Shrestha, a local, more than 20,000 people visited the Hindu-Buddhist religious site on Saturday on the occasion of Paush Krishna Aunsi (Gaya Ausi). Thousands of Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims were present at Uttargayadham on Saturday morning to conduct the death rites of their kin who they believe are in the afterlife. The number of pilgrims grew as the cold weather of the religious site grew warmer during the midday on Saturday.

Claiming that the number of pilgrims at Uttargayadham has been gradually increasing in the last few years, Shrestha told Republica that problems may occur if a proposed hydropower plant is built at Uttargayadham. 

Shankar Prasad Rupakheti of Dhading who was on the pilgrimage of Uttargayadham for the fifth time, said, “Those who do not get a chance to go to Gaya (India) come to Uttargayadham for performing the death rituals of their kin.” 

The pilgrims believe that the souls of 20 previous generations of their forefathers would get liberation if they perform their death rituals at Uttargayadham. The Hindu pilgrims make the offerings of money and food in the name of their dead kin while the Buddhist pilgrims make their priests read mantra and light up candles in the name of their dead kin as a part of their death rituals.

According to the Himwat section of the Skanda Puran, Uttargayadham is a holy place since Trisuli and Devi Ganga rivers converge here, thus getting the name of Betraganga. It is believed that a dip in the river can emancipate 20 past generations.

The Uttargaya Preservation Struggle Committee has collected the signatures of the pilgrims in order to preserve the religious site. A local informed Republica that the signatures were collected to oppose the construction of the proposed Trisuli Ganga Hydropower plant which would affect the religious site. 

Member of the federal parliament, Mohan Acharya, too, claimed that the hydropower plant should not be constructed since it will obstruct the flow of Trishuli Ganga. “The locals have not obstructed any other development works,” he said, “We have found out that the hydropower plant can be constructed 200 meters away.” 

He added that the project should also realize that both the locals and the hydropower project would be benefited if the hydropower plant is constructed 200 meters away.

 
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