Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 2:

The Shivratri festival organising committee is burning the midnight oil in order to ensure that this year’s festival is more systematic and well-managed than in the previous years.

“We have co-opted a sufficient number of volunteers, arranged for enough security posts and three different routes to the temple for devotees,” said Ram Prasad Dahal, convenor of the Security and Publicity sub-committee of the 377-member organising committee formed under the minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation.

Dahal, who is also a member of Pashupati Area Development Trust, said the committee is expected some 150,000 devotees this year as compared to the 117,000 last year. Around 1,600 volunteers will be deployed on the day, with 700 scouts keeping 100 of them inside the main temple premises. Some 2000 security personnel will be deployed, thus constituting 10 command checkposts of the Nepal Police and three of the Armed Police Force while the Royal Nepalese Army will patrol throughout the day.

This year, the barricades will be more bigger than before. Three different routes from Mitrapark, Jayabageswori and Gaushala Chowk have been earmarked to manage the crowd and make travel towards the temple more systematic.

Secretary of the security and publicity sub-committee, Bhola Sitaula, said 40 local telephone lines would be provided at various parts of Pashupati area for devotees, free of charge. “The committee has already requested the Nepal Electricity Authority and Nepal Drinking Water Corporation for lighting arrangements and sufficient drinking water for devotees,” he said.

The western door would be opened from 2:30 am, while all other three doors of eastern, southern and northern doors would open from 9 am to 12 noon. These three will be closed for two hours and will reopen from 2 pm. He added the committee has made special arrangements for the old and disabled devotees.

Guthi Sansthan will cater to all sadhus coming to the temple. The inner roads around the temple are under construction.

Construction work will be halted on the festival day. The historical structures in the Pashupati area are being painted and the stalls for bhajan-kirtan are under construction.

The main organising committee has managed space at Tilganga and Bankali to house 20 per cent of the total people who are expected to come from outside the valley.