Kathmandu, February 13

Hindu devotees from across the country observed Mahashivaratri by worshipping Lord Shiva today.

Thousands of devotees from different parts of the country and India visited Pashupatinath temple to offer prayers. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Vice-president Nanda Kishor Pun also visited Pashupatinath temple. The president visited the temple at 3:15pm.

Executive Director of Pashupati Area Development Trust Ramesh Upreti said the festival was celebrated in a peaceful manner. According to Upreti, around 1.1 million devotees visited the temple by 8:00pm today, and the number was expected to go beyond 1.3 million by tomorrow morning. The number of visitors increased by 100,000 this year.

Ramesh Upreti also said unlike previous years, this time the PADT had reduced its budget for decorations and food for scout volunteers.

PADT Joint Secretary Rewati Raman Adhikari said the office was trying to adopt cost-cutting measures. “Normally we used to spend Rs 700,000 to

Rs 100,000 for Mahashivaratri, but we tried to save at least 40 per cent of expenses this year,” Adhikari said.

Officials of PADT said around 4,800 personnel of Nepal Police and Central Investigation Bureau and 1,500 Armed Police Force men were mobilised to maintain peace and security in the area.  Mahashivaratri is observed by chanting prayers, fasting, and doing yoga and meditation.

35 pickpockets held

Police arrested 35 pickpockets today for stealing mobile phones and wallets from devotees visiting Pashupatinath temple to celebrate Mahashivaratri festival.

The suspects have been kept in the custody of Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushala, for investigation. According to police, they operated in a group and mingled with the crowd before pick-pocketing.

“In the crowded place, the suspects can be easily mistaken as other devotees,” said SP Ram Dutta Joshi. He said cops were deployed in civvies to catch pickpockets after police received complaints of pick-pocketing in the morning.

Similarly, police arrested more than 50 persons, including some sadhus, for allegedly possessing, selling and consuming cannabis. Despite the ban on marijuana and other psychoactive substances, many youths, male and female alike, were found to be shaken up by the puff of cannabis.

Anyone who is found to be indulging in puffing cannabis shall be punished with an imprisonment of up to one month or a fine up to Rs 2,000 as per the Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act.