Preparations intensify at Chhinnamasta Temple ahead of Dashain

By Binay Karna,Kalyanpur, Sept. 21: As Dashain approaches, preparations at Chhinnamasta Bhagawati Temple in Chhinnamasta Rural Municipality, Saptari, have intensified. 

The temple, one of the country’s most renowned Shakti Peeths (shrines), is expecting between 1.5 to 2 million devotees this year, prompting authorities to accelerate arrangements.

Mahakanta Thakur, acting Chairman of the Chhinnamasta Temple Conservation and Promotion Committee and head priest, informed that the committee has invested millions of rupees in decorating and renovating the temple. The work to decorate the temple has now entered its final phase. 

Last year, the temple received 1.1 million pilgrims and visitor numbers have been steadily rising since Bhadra, making the preparations this year particularly crucial.

To ensure smooth worship and visitor management, the temple committee has invested approximately Rs. 20 million in installing steel railings, improving security, setting up pandals, providing clean drinking water, lodging facilities and electrification, as well as managing crowd flow.

“This year, a total of 32 CCTV cameras have been installed both inside and outside the temple to ensure the safety of pilgrims and prevent criminal activity,” Thakur added.

While preparations, including decorations, coordination with various authorities and other arrangements, are nearing completion, some stretches of the access road to the temple remain damaged and full of potholes. 

Thakur emphasised the urgent need for government intervention to upgrade these roads to ease the pilgrims’ journey.

Famous among the Hindu devotees from both Nepal and India, the Chhinnamasta Temple traditionally attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims during Dashain. 

To ensure transparency, the temple management committee recently held a programme to make its income and expenditure for the financial year 2024/25 public.

According to the report, the committee earned Rs. 145,993,000 from offerings, vehicle worship, parking fees, donations, accommodation, stall rentals and donation boxes.

After expenses for staff salaries, Ganga Aarati, procurement of items, stationery, decorations, cleaning, and other activities, the committee reported savings of Rs. 55,348,871 for the year.