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Celebrating Shivaratri In Nepal Today
By KTM Metro Reporter
March 10, 2013: devotees of Lord Shiva have been visiting the shrines of Lord Shiva elsewhere in Nepal from the early morning today. They would continue to do so until night. However, main focus has been on the temple of Lord Pashupati at Gaushala in Kathmandu. Pashupati is another name of Lord Shiva.
All the four doors of the temple of Lord Pashupati have remained opened to the devotees visiting Lord Pashupati from the early morning today. More than a million devotees are anticipated to visit today. Thousands of police were deployed to manage the crowd of devotees.
Shivaratri is the 14th night of the dark fortnight of the month called Falgun in the Vikram calendar. On this night, Lord Shiva appeared in person before the devotees for making wish fulfillment of the devotees. On this night even a hunter hiding on a branch of a tree for hunting deer unknowingly dropping leaves of the tree he was riding and incidentally the tree happened to be a ‘belpatra’, and the leaves fell on the Shiva linga below, got emancipated by Lord Shiva.
So, devotees keep vigil on this night anticipating Lord Shiva to appear before them. People make bonfires at every neighborhood on this night, and keep them awake for the whole night. Children have collected tolls from the pedestrians, and drivers since morning today to buy firewood for making bonfire tonight.
Thousands of Sadhus have been sitting around bonfires since last few days for Shivaratri to come. They smear their bodies with the ashes to keep warm as well as to keep insects and bugs away from them. They also smoke hashish.
This time also, devotees could buy a ticket for Rs 1,000 for special route to reach Lord Pashupati. They don’t need to stand in line for hours as common folks do. Thus, you can buy the access to Lord Pashupati at Rs 1,000 per person.
