Greater Pashupat Area Walk to spread message of keeping Bagmati River pure and clean

Kathmandu, March 14: Preparations are afoot for the Greater Pashupat Area Walk to be organized to spread the message of keeping the Bagmati River, which has been getting polluted for over four and a half decades, clean and pure so that the waters of the holy river can be used for the ritual of bathing the Pashupatinath deity.     

This information was shared at a press conference and academic discourse organized here today. It was informed that the 'Brihat Pashupat Kshetra Padayatra (Greater Pashupat Area Walk)' as well as the Sixty-four Siddha Linga Pilgrimage, is being organised with the aim of highlighting the greatness of Lord Pashupatinath and the Pashupati area as well as the significance of the sacred Bagmati River.     

Swami Ramanananda Giri, the head of Mahesh Sannyas Ashram and chairman of Mahesh Sanskrit Gurukulam, said on the occasion that the main objective of the Greater Pashupat Area Walk cum Pilgrimage is to awaken all Sanatanis and Nepalis to the uniqueness of Pashupatinath, Pashupatakshetra and the Bagmati River.     

According to him, the pilgrimage is being organised with the purpose of seeking forgiveness and atonement from Lord Pashupatinath and the Bagmati for the pollution of the Bagmati River.     

It is said that the grand Pashupat Padayatra will be inaugurated at Pashupati Shankaracharya Matha on March 29.     

A special worship of Pashupatinath and aarti of the Bagmati river will be solemnized on the same day. On the 30th of March, the Padayatra pilgrimage will be commenced from the Pashupati area towards Adilinga Kuseshwar. Swami Giri mentioned that the sacred Pashupati pilgrimage will begin with the darshan of Adilinga Kuseshwar Mahadev.     

He informed that after returning from visiting and a worshipping Bhimeshwar in Dolakha from Kusheshwar, there are plans to also undertake a trek to visit the Shivalingas in areas such as Sindhuli, Nuwakot, Dhading, Makwanpur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kavrepalanchok, and Janakpur.     

According to him, it is estimated that the pilgrimage to the sacred sites in 10 districts of Bagmati Province will be completed in at least 35–40 days.     

Pandit Kapildev Subedi, the coordinator of the Padayatra, said that this type of pilgrimage to the 64 Shivalingas is being undertaken now since the reign of King Pratap Malla, who reigned from 1641 to 1674, as the eighth Malla king of Kantipur (Kathmandu). He is known as a "culturally and economically" pivotal figure who fostered arts, literature, and trade with Tibet.     

Shyam Krishna Subedi, secretary of the Padayatra Organizing Committee, stated that out of 64 Shivalingas, 24 are located in Kathmandu.(RSS)