KATHMANDU: Security in and around Pashupatinath Temple has been stepped up for the Teej festival, to be observed on Thursday, when around 300,000 women devotee are expected to visit the hallowed Hindu shrine to offer puja. The Pashupati Area Development Trust has formed a main organising committee led by its Treasurer Taranath Subedi for the festival. According to PADT, there will be three entry points — Bankali-Char Shivalaya-Panchadeval-Bajraghar-Dakshin Dhoka, Jaya Bageshwori-Bhuwaneshwori-Falame Pul-Pashim Dhoka and Mitrapark-Gaurighat-Umakunda-Dakshina Murti-Rudragadeshwor-Bashuki — through which devotees could proceed towards the temple in lines.
According to Subedi, arrangements will be made in such a way that no devotee has to wait for more than an hour to reach the temple. “All four doors of Pashupatinath Temple will be opened four in the morning for the devotees to pay homage to Lord Shiva,” he said. “The northern, southern and eastern doors, however, will remain closed from 12 noon to 3pm for the daily rituals in the temple. All doors will be closed at eight in the night.”
PADT has also made arrangements for puja for those devotees who do not want to stand in queues, for which devotees need to pay Rs 1,000.
The elderly and people with disabilities also need stand in lines, according to PADT. Around 10 health camps with doctors will also be set up. An information centre and nine temporary and mobile toilets have already been placed around the temple area.
According to Subedi, as many as 4,043 cops, both in uniform and civvies from Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force led by a SSP, will be deployed around the temple area for security. Of them, 226 are women security personnel who will be stationed closer to the temple. The entire area will be under CCTV camera surveillance. Men except security personnel, PADT officials and journalists, will be barred from entering the designated area around the temple throughout the day.
Source: The Himalayan Times
