Preparations complete for Mahashivaratri festival

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 12: Preparations for the Mahashivaratri festival have been completed, stated the Guthi Sansthan.

This year the Mahashivaratri festival falls on February 15. A large number of pilgrims, mostly sadhus of different sects and saints from Nepal and India, throng the Pashupatinath Temple to pay homage to Lord Shiva during this festival, prompting the Guthi Sansthan and the Home Ministry to make preparations to manage the crowd and accommodate the sadhus and saints during their stay.

At a press conference organised on Tuesday, the Guthi Sansthan said that all arrangements have been finalised for the festival that lasts for five days-from February 13 to 17.

Janak Pokharel, spokesperson for the Guthi Sansthan, stated that preparations for both pre-festival and post-festival activities have been completed.

According to him, the Sansthan has made all necessary arrangements for services, worship, and the accommodation of sadhus and saints in the Pashupatinath Temple area and various places in Kathmandu during the festival. Firewood, food, worship materials, and Dakshina (donation) will be provided to saints staying in different temples and places in the Pashupatinath area.

Employees from the Sansthan’s Pashupati branch office will visit the President’s Office on February 13 to finalise the materials to be offered by the President to the Pashupatinath Temple and distributed to saints according to traditional practices, said Pokharel.

The materials include 21 items such as Radhi, Chhyadar, Bakkhu, Kamandalu, bead garlands, rice, lentils, ghee, fruits, and others. Food will be served to the saints and sadhus on the temple premises through Annapurna Ashram, while firewood and food will be supplied to the places like Ram Mandir, Bhashmeshwor, Nirmal, Mrigasthali Gorakhnath, Banakali, and Thapathali.

On the main day, February 15, worship materials, including Panchamrit (elixir) will be offered at the Pashupatinath Temple by the Pashupati branch office of Guthi Sansthan. In the evening, oil-fed lamps will be lit on the temple premises, and curd, fruits, and firewood will be distributed to the saints.

Food and firewood will continuously be provided from February 13 to 16. On February 17, after serving food in the morning, coloured cards will be distributed to the Sadhus and saints according to their status. Later, they will be bid farewell with Dakshina, given at prescribed rates based on the cards.

The Guthi Sansthan organises the Mahashivaratri festival for five days, with its main responsibility being to serve the sadhus and saints who attend the festival. 

This year, the Sansthan has allocated Rs. 800,000 for firewood and Rs. 3.2 million for other expenses, totaling Rs. 4 million for festival operations, Pokharel said.

Last year, 2,389 sadhus and saints were classified and bid farewell with Dakshina. Over Rs. 2 million was spent on Dakshina alone while about 50,000 kg of firewood was distributed to the Sadhus.