KATHMANDU, Nov 3: Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who offered a special puja at Pashupatinath Temple on Thursday morning, expressed delight on seeing the Bagmati river cleaner, thanks to the clean-up campaign. 

“He was really happy to see the river clean. He said that the river has become cleaner than what it was when he visited the place seven years back,” Member Secretary of Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) Govinda Tandon said, quoting the visiting Indian president. Tandon was with Mukherjee throughout the latter’s Pashupati visit on the second day of his three-day state visit to Nepal. Mukherjee visited the temple seven years ago also when he was Minister for External Affairs.

“First, he was happy to revisit the temple and seeing the Bagmati so clean only made him happier,” Tandon said. 

Tandon also informed that Mukhejee inquired if last year’s devastating earthquake caused damage to the temple and other monuments within the temple complex.  

Mukherjee reached the temple at around 10 a.m. and performed the nearly hour-long special puja. Brahmin students from Nepal Ved Vidyashram chanted Vedic hymns in honor of the visiting Indian president as he entered the temple through the eastern gate for the special puja. 

“As he experienced some difficulty sitting in a lotus position for the special puja, we brought a small stool immediately for his comfort,” Tandon also said. 

According to PADT, a special puja at Pashupatinath costs Rs 27,000.  

After the special puja, the Indian president visited other temples situated around the temple premises and offered puja to all the deities, including Ganesh, Surya, Narayan, Bhairan and Basuki.

After worshipping the different gods and goddesses, he wrote in the visitors book, announcing that the Indian government would extend its support in the reconstruction and renovation of the ghats at Pashupati.  

“It is a great pleasure to announce the reconstruction and renovation of the ghats of Pashupatinath Temple during my state visit to Nepal,” he wrote in his message in the visitors book.

In the message, he also said that India was happy to know that the Nepal-India Maitri Dharmashala project is being carried out.

“I would like to wish success for the endeavor that the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) is making toward the maintenance and conservation of the temple,” he further wrote in the book.

“I am glad to be here at holy Pashupatinath Temple once again,” he wrote.

 
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