Devotees throng Shiva temples across Nepal on first Monday of Shrawan

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 22: Shiva temples across the country were crowded with devotees on Monday. 

A large number of devotees thronged Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Pindeshwar in Dharan, Arjundhara in Jhapa, Devghat in Tanahun and Halesi in Khotang on the first Monday of Shrawan.  

Women fast on Mondays of this month and visit nearby Shiva temples. 

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey inspected the Pashupatinath Temple on first Monday.  

During the monitoring, Minister Pandey observed the arrangements made for the devotees by the Pashupatinath Area Development Trust, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Traffic Police and other concerned bodies.   

The Minister also interacted with the devotees. The devotees also praised Minister Pandey for creating a suitable environment for them to visit the temple and offer worship in a comfortable and peaceful manner.

"This time, we have felt better arrangements than before," said one visitor, Saru Kharel. "All aspects including shuttle buses, line management, and security of devotees have been organised.” 

More than 100,000 devotees visited Pashupatinath by 2 pm.  During the monitoring, Minister Pandey expressed gratitude to the devotees who were standing in queues in a peaceful and disciplined manner. He also directed the relevant bodies to remain active for more effective management in the coming days.

According to our Dharan correspondent Nisha Rai, on the first Monday of Shrawan, a large crowd of devotees thronged the Pindeshwar Babadhama temple, located in Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-14, to offer worship.

Throughout the month of Shrawan, Shiva temples across the country see devotees clad in saffron attire. It is widely believed that fetching water from the Saptakoshi River and offering it with bael leaves at Pindeshwar Babadhama temple on Bijayapur Hill fulfills one’s wishes.

From Tanahun, Amar Raj Naharki reported that the Bolbam fair has commenced at Devghat Dham in Devghat Rural Municipality-5. The event is organised by the Devghat Area Development Committee.

Since early morning, the area has been crowded with devotees attending the fair. Pilgrims bathe in the Narayani River and then offer cow’s milk and holy water at the Shiva temple as part of their worship.

Sadan Baral, Executive Director of the committee, informed that approximately 500,000 devotees are expected to attend the fair throughout the month, with the largest gatherings occurring on Mondays. He added that security measures have been arranged in coordination with the local administration, given the anticipated crowds.

To accommodate the large number of devotees who remain awake throughout the night on Mondays, the committee has installed electric lights along the riverbank and deployed two boats equipped with safety ropes to ensure the security of those bathing at night.

Located at the confluence of Tanahun, Chitwan, and Nawalpur districts, Devghat attracts thousands of devotees from across Nepal and abroad for the Bolbam fair every Monday in Shrawan.

Our Khotang-based correspondent Raj Kumar Bhattarai reported that Bolbam festival began at the world-renowned tri-religious site of Halesi.

The Bolbam festival is observed every Monday throughout Shrawan in Halesi. This year’s festival has officially begun today. Halesi is a globally significant religious destination, revered by followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Kirat tradition. Devotees from across Nepal and beyond visit Halesi to offer their prayers and seek blessings.