Pashupatinath temple of Nepal (file)
Kathmandu: A huge crowd of devotees gathered in Nepal on Friday on the occasion of Mahashivratri. There was a continuous flow of devotees from Nepal and India to worship Lord Shiva in Pashupatinath temple. The chants of Har-Har Mahadev and Bam Bole kept echoing since early morning. According to an estimate, on the festival of Mahashivratri, about 10 lakh devotees visited Lord Mahadev in Pashupatinath temple of Nepal. The officers provided this information. Thousands of devotees stood in queue for hours since morning carrying flowers, incense, rice and other offerings to have darshan of the historical Shivling located in Pashupatinath temple.
Lord Shiva or Mahadev is considered one of the trinity responsible for the disintegration of the world during Pralaya. Mahashivratri is known as the day when Shiva was born. Officials of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), responsible for managing the temple affairs, estimate that around 10 lakh devotees will visit the temple from morning till night on Mahashivratri. About 10 percent of the devotees are expected to come from different parts of India. Around 3,000 saints, including Naga Babas, reached the temple premises to worship Lord Pashupati during the festival.
Pashupatinath temple decorated with colorful lights and flower garlands
The Himalayas are known as the abode of Lord Shiva and Nepal has a large number of Shaivaites, whose main deity is Lord Shiva. To celebrate Shivratri, people light bonfires at night in homes, around temples and at road intersections and prepare sweets and other food items. Pashupatinath temple is decorated with colorful lights and flower garlands during the festival. PADT arranged for free food, tea and water for thousands of sadhus coming from Nepal and India. (Language)
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