Assets of Pashupatinath Temple include Rs over Rs 2.5 billion in cash and around 5,200 ropanis of land

Published On: March 11, 2024 06:57 PM NPT By: Bhuwan Sharma

KATHMANDU, March 11: The Pashupatinath Temple holds deposits totaling Rs 2.65 billion in various banks and owns 5,172 ropanis of land, according to its asset details.

Raju Khatri, the member secretary of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), said visitors to the Pashupatinath Temple contribute daily sums ranging from Rs 200,000 to Rs 250,000.

For special poojas performed during Shivratri at Pashupatinath Temple, a deposit of Rs 15,100 is required in SBI Bank. Member Secretary Khatri further mentioned a provision for a Rs 2,100 deposit voucher to the PADT for special pujas conducted on other days.

The funds collected for offerings and special worship are deposited in various commercial banks. PADT reports an annual revenue of Rs 90 million from leasing out Pashupatinath temple land. Taragaon Development Committee utilizes 6 ropani of temple land, paying an annual fee of Rs 49,000.

Encroachment of the land in the name of Pashupatinath temple has also increased lately. Separate committees were formed from time to time to search for and recover the encroached temple land. According to an official of the PADT, it has been found that the Pashupatinath temple currently owns 5,172 ropanis, four annas, and three paisa of land.

Increased instances of land encroachment in the name of Pashupatinath temple have prompted periodic efforts to reclaim the encroached land. According to an official, the Pashupatinath temple presently owns 5,172 ropanis, four annas, and three paisa of land, with 1,505 ropani retrieved from encroachers.

However, officials note that 231 ropani 10 annas of Pashupatinath temple land are yet to be identified. According to the PADT, 1,161 ropani four annas three paisa land of Pashupatinath temple is being used by Tribhuvan International Airport. Similarly, 17 ropani land is being utilized by Taragaon Development Committee. According to the PADT, six of the nine ponds named after the Pashupatinath temple do not exist now.

Furthermore, six of the nine ponds associated with the temple no longer exist, dating back to about a century. The PADT has initiated efforts to locate these missing ponds, documented to have been constructed within the Pashupati area, including Haramshala Pond, Rajarajeshwari Pond, Hanshamandap Pond, Bankali Pond, and Bhandarkhal Pond.