KATHMANDU, Jan 10: It has been found that the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) has sold the ‘Core Area’ of Pashupati area where Ganga Aarti (Hindu ritual employed in worship, as a ceremony of lighting lamp and offering it to the gods) takes pace on the bank of the Bagmati River at the Pashupatinath Aryaghat area, to the Budha Subba Digital Pvt Ltd, in the name of allowing live broadcast of the Aarti.

It has been revealed that a 24-point agreement was signed by Deputy Director Rewati Raman Adhikari of PADT on August 28, 2023 and Nabraj Giri, Executive Head of Budha Subba Pvt Ltd.

The agreement has been kept confidential by both parties. According to the agreement, Budha Subba has to pay Rs 160,000 to the PADT every month and it has been agreed that the rent will increase by 10 percent every year. According to the agreement, Budha Subba is trying to do business worth millions of rupees by paying Rs 160,000 to the PADT every month.

In the agreement between the PADT and Budha Subba, the PADT not only gave Budha Subba the right to shoot the video of Aarti, but also provided many facilities. In the agreement, PADT is referred to as the first party and Budha Subba as the second party. According to which, it is said that the first party will provide the materials to the second party to 'light the lamp in the core area/Rudragadeshwar area of Pashupati Temple'.

The PADT will also allocate Budha Subba with some space in the core area in the name of providing material for lighting the lamp, providing Budha Subba an opportunity to engage in commercial activities. It shows Budha Subba's commercial interests. In point 17 of the agreement, it has been agreed that Budha Subba will be allowed to use the official logo of the first party i.e. PADT for promotion on YouTube or social media.

According to the agreement, the logo of the PADT was used in the notice issued by Budha Subba a few days ago. Laxmi Pun, Executive Director of the PADT raised serious objections regarding the use of the PADT's logo.

Similarly, the agreement between the PADT and Budha Subba reads, “audio-visuals related to Lord Shree Pashupatinath and the content of this area can be sold and distributed officially by the second party at the national and international level through small screen mobile applications, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other social networks and future digital technologies.”

According to the agreement, Budha Subba will now be allowed to sell and distribute audio-visuals related to Pashupatinath and the content of the core area through small screen mobile applications, Facebook, YouTube, Tiktok, Instagram and other social networks.

Similarly, in the agreement between the PADT and Budha Subba, it is stated that  the second party will have to regularly monitor the news published and disseminated through social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, mobile applications, Instagram, about the first party i.e. PADT and Pashupatinath.

Similarly, in the agreement, it is also mentioned, “After the program of Aarti and Deep Prajwalan (lighting the lamp), the second party will provide videos to the service users using communication technology through YouTube and other social networks.”

 
• PADT
 
• Budha_Subba_Digital_Pvt_Ltd
 
• agreement