Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: Devotees throng the temples and shrines of Lord Shiva across the country including Pashupatinath to pay homage to Lord Shiva on the first Monday of the current year.

The temples and temples of Lord Shiva across the country including Pashupatinath were crowded with devotees since early this morning. Biset Nayak Arun Kumar Shrestha, a visitor to the main temple under the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT)’s Culture Protection Division, informed RSS that the queue of devotees increased after 9:00 am.

He said that it takes half an hour to enter the main temple and return after worshiping at 9 am. The four gates of the temple were opened since three o’clock this morning.

Four queues have been arranged to visit the temple. All necessary arrangements including first aid have been made for the devotees at the Pashupatinath area.

Devotees have reached the Pashupatinath Temple since early morning to pay homage to the Pashupatinath temple. On this occasion, arrangements have been made for easy, safe and systematic darshan and special worship of the devotees visiting the Pashupatinath temple.

The Trust has also made arrangements to visit the temple in an easy manner if one thousand tickets are purchased this year. This arrangement has made it easier for those who visit and work in a particular way.

PADT member-secretary Tirtha Shrestha pledged to rectify the shortcomings in managing some issues as the appointment of office-bearers was made only a few days ago.

PADT office-bearers, employees, temple guard battalion, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepal Army, traffic police, Kathmandu Metropolitan Police and various religious and social organizations have been extending their support to make the temple management more effective, safe and systematic.

PADT member-secretary Shrestha said that arrangements have been made in such a way that hundreds of thousands of devotees visiting the Pashupatinath Temple for worship on the Monday of the month of Saun would be provided in an easy, safe, dignified and well-managed environment.

Preparations have been made to open the temple for the devotees till 8 pm after the evening aarti. The special puja will be held from 8:30 am to 12:00 noon. According to Kedar Man Bhandari, a member of the board of directors of the trust, around 250 people have issued receipts for the special puja this year. Arrangements have been made for the special puja by cutting receipts of Rs 3,100 and Rs 7,500.

Various organisations including Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have also set up free health camps at the Pashupatinath area.

Along with Pashupatinath, thousands of devotees have queued up at Gokarneshwor, Nageshwor, Doleshwor and Makhan Mahadev (small Pashupatinath) of Basantapur Durbar Square. Meanwhile, the devotees have also reached the temples of Lord Shiva across the country for worship and worship.

There is a tradition that the worshippers should worship and pay homage to Lord Shiva at the Pashupatinath temple and Balyantra at the Gokarneshwor temple.

Special arrangements have been made for the devotees carrying water from Sundarijal, the source of the Bagmati river.

Biset Nayake Shrestha said that only a small number of Bolbam pilgrims had come with water on the first Monday. He also informed that the program has been scheduled for Monday on August 24 with a large number of devotees coming through the Bolbam Yatra ।