KATHMANDU, March 5: In preparation for the Maha Shivaratri festival on March 8, the District Administration Office (DAO), Kathmandu, and the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) have banned the sale of meat and meat products and alcohol in the Pashupatinath temple area. The PADT has said that the pilgrims have already begun to arrive in the Pashupati area for Maha Shivaratri while the decoration of the Pashupati area has also started.

The DAO, Kathmandu, has issued a notice and has banned the sale of meat and alcohol in all areas from Gaushala-Mitrapark road to the east, Pashupatinath area to the west, Gaushala-Tilganga ring road to the north and Mitrapark-Umakunda-Gaurighat to Guhyeshwari to the south from tomorrow till March 10.

This measure aims to ensure the orderly conduct of the festival and uphold the security, religious, and cultural sanctity within the Pashupati area.

Furthermore, the PADT has decided to completely halt the production, sale, transportation, storage, and consumption of meat, alcohol, and narcotic substances within the designated areas around Pashupatinath.

The Pashupatinath area is being decorated on the occasion of the festival. The area around the temple has been decorated with flowers and lights. The PADT has said that the decoration work has started in the Pashupati area. Raju Kumar Khatri, member secretary of the PADT, said that the area around the temple has been cleaned and decorated with flowers and different colors.

The PADT said that it is estimated that around 2 million pilgrims will visit Pashupati on this Maha Shivaratri. 

The PADT has said that there will be no lapse in the management of the devotees who have come to worship Pashupatinath. Additionally, the PADT confirms that no special passes have been arranged for anyone this year.

 
• Maha_Shivaratri
 
• DAO
 
• PADT
 
• preparation
 
• pilgrims