Way to bliss

Maha Shivaratri, one of the biggest Hindu festivals, is being celebrated with all the fanfare at the Pashupatinath Temple as the Maha Shivaratri Main Celebration (MSMCC) Committee, which was assigned to make the arrangements for the festival, claims to have made all the preparations for the celebration. Every year tens of thousands of devotees come to the capital to worship at the shrine of Lord Shiva — which is considered one of the holiest temples of Lord Shiva — during Shivaratri. The Pashupati Area Development Trust says it is expecting 35 thousand devotees to visit the temple this time around.

Given the large number of devotees who come to visit the temple during Shivaratri from across the country and from various places in India and the lack of proper arrangement to cope with this huge task in the best way possible, the devotees have often had to go through the ordeal of waiting in endless queues for hours to offer their prayers outside the temple. Some in the process even pass out due to excessive exertion. Others have been the victims of theft or pickpocketing in and outside the temple premises. The MSMCC should take all these matters into consideration while making the arrangements to prevent any untoward incident. But most importantly, the festival should be celebrated for the religious significance it holds and not take it as an opportunity to overindulge in drinking and smoking, as is often the case with Nepali youths.