7.7 million cash offerings collected in Navadurga temple

By Arjun Kafle,Syangja, Mar. 12: Over Rs. 7.7 million monetary offering has been collected from the rituals performed at Nepal’s first Navagraha temple, Gita Gyan Mahayagya and religious festival.  

The religious festival was held at the Navagraha temple constructed at Jalbarah religious forest of Arjunchaupari Rural Municipality-1. 

Chairman of Navagraha Temple Management Committee Bharat Raj Pokhrel said that Rs. 5 million was collected from the donation receipts and Rs. 905,305 from the bank QR during the religious festival held from February 18 to February 26. 

Similarly, more than Rs. 1.6 million was collected from donation boxes and Rs. 231,775 from sales of rice, paddy, potato and flour. 

More than 125,000 devotees visited to offer worship in the festival. At the religious festival, 12.5 million lamps were lit, four Vedas were recited,  religious interaction was organised, evening Aarti and bhajans were performed.  

The 27-feet tall Navagraha temple spreads over an area of 157 ropanis of land in the religious forest. 

At the top of the pillar in the temple, the symbol of the solar system universe is placed turned towards the sky. 

The symbols of Sun, Venus, Ketu, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter and Rahu are placed in the pillar. 

A hexagon Shivalaya is built nearby Navagraha temple, while in the middle, Panchamukhi Shivalinga like in Pashupatinath, including the idols of Ganesh, Laxmi, Kalbhairav and Hanuman are placed.  

Navagraha temple will be open only on Saturday, and one of the nine planets can be worshiped every day. 

The idol of the solar system Bharhmanda can be seen only on Ganesh Ghaturthi every year. 

The rural municipality will provide a holiday to perform worship.