A large gathering of devotees lined up early at Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath Temple to honor Lord Shiva on Mahashivaratri, a significant Hindu festival in Nepal. The temple, revered as a top Shiva pilgrimage spot, attracted worshippers from Nepal, India, and beyond during the festivities.
Thousands of pilgrims, including Hindu saints, gathered at the UNESCO World Heritage Site to offer prayers and participate in traditional rituals, enveloping the temple in a spiritual ambiance with echoes of “Om Namah Shivaya.” By morning, around 100,000 devotees had already paid their respects, with the number steadily increasing.
To ensure a seamless flow of worshippers, all four temple doors opened as early as 2 a.m., accommodating the influx of devotees. The Pashupati Area Development Trust reported the arrival of over 3,000 Hindu saints, with an additional 150 Naga sadhus from India engaging in spiritual practices at the temple premises.
The trust anticipates more than 700,000 devotees, including a substantial contingent from India, to visit and offer prayers at Pashupatinath throughout the day. Adequate arrangements have been made for crowd control, safety, health services, and sanitation to facilitate the smooth running of the festival.
