On the occasion of Mahashivaratri, one of the most celebrated Hindu holidays in Nepal, a huge throng of worshippers waited since the early hours of the morning to pray and worship Lord Shiva at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu on Sunday.
Along with Kedarnath and Kashi Vishwanath, Pashupatinath is considered one of the most sacred Shiva pilgrimage locations. The Pashupatinath Temple is visited by devotees during the festival, especially from Nepal and India, but also from other places.
At the hallowed temple grounds, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thousands of pilgrims from all across Nepal and neighboring India waited in line to offer prayers. Chants of “Om Namah Shivaya” filled the air as sadhus, saints, and devotees carried out customary rites, evoking a lively and spiritual ambiance across the temple complex.
“Since early in the morning, devotees have been lining up to pray to Lord Shiva, and the number of people is continuously increasing,” said Shubhas Chandra Joshi, executive director of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT). “By 9:30 a.m., an estimated 100,000 devotees had already offered prayers.”
“All four doors of the temple were opened as early as 2 a.m. to ensure a smooth flow of worshippers,” Joshi said.
According to him, the Pashupati region is now home to at least 3,000 Hindu saints, mostly from Nepal and India, who are engaging in unique religious and spiritual rituals that represent renunciation, devotion, and spiritual discipline.
Joshi stated that adequate preparations for food, lodging, and other necessities for their stay had been made. “Around 150 Naga sadhus who arrived from India are also engaged in spiritual practices at the temple site,” he said.
Over 700,000 devotees are anticipated to offer prayers throughout the day, with a sizable portion traveling from India, according to the PADT. The precise number of Indian pilgrims who visit Pashupatinath has not yet been determined, Joshi stated.
In order to guarantee the celebration runs smoothly, the PADT stated it has also completed the required preparations for crowd control, safety and security, health services, and sanitation.