Kathmandu, March 4

Hindu devotees across the world observed Mahashivaratri by visiting the temples of lord Shiva and worshipping the supreme Hindu deity today.

Thousands of devotees from across the country and India visited Pashupatinath temple, one of the most revered Shiva temples in the world, today to worship lord Shiva. Officials of Pashupati Area Development Trust claimed that more than 800,000 devotees visited the temple today. The number of devotees visiting the temple is expected to reach 1.1 million by tomorrow morning.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Vice-president Nanda Kishor Pun also visited the temple to worship lord Shiva. President Bhandari had reached the temple at 4:00pm while Vice-president Pun reached at 4:15pm.

Executive Director of Pashupati Area Development Trust Ramesh Upreti said the festival was celebrated in a peaceful manner.

Officials of PADT said around 7,000 security personnel, including hundreds of volunteers from Nepal Scout were mobilised for security reasons and also for management of the devotees. PADT had allocated Rs 5.4 million for the management of devotees, decoration of the area and to provide food and shelter to babas and sadhus who came from India and various parts of the country.

PADT claimed that around 4,000 babas visited the temple. Despite PADT’s claim the number of babas was significantly less this year at Pashupatinath.

Smoking marijuana, which is taken as the offering of lord Shiva in the temple area, was also very less this year in comparison to previous years. PADT had put a ban on smoking marijuana on the premises of the temple from last year. This year even babas and sadhus were not seen selling marijuana to visitors.

Shivaratri is also celebrated during night by keeping a night-long vigil as it is believed that lord Shiva saved the universe from darkness and ignorance. It is believed to be the day Shiva was born to save the universe by drinking haalaahala and smoking ganja, the poison and the drug that emerged from the churning of the ocean according to myth.

(Clockwise from top) A view of Pashupatinath temple; a sadhu smoking marijuana using a clay pipe; devotees  thronging the main gate of Pashupatinath temple to offer worship to Lord Shiva; sadhus performing rituals in Pashupati area on the occasion of Mahashivaratri, in Kathmandu, on Monday.