At the religious site of Galeshwor Temple in Beni Municipality-9, the collection of offerings has exceeded NPR 5.1 million in the current fiscal year. From the last Shrawan to the 14th of Falgun, devotees who visited the temple for prayers and darshan donated a total of NPR 5,122,153, as reported by the Galeshwor Shivalay Area Development Fund.
The chairman of the fund, Madhav Prasad Regmi, highlighted that donations at Galeshwor Temple have increased significantly due to a higher influx of devotees this year. He stated that the total offering collected during the fiscal year 2080/81 amounted to NPR 5,840,510, indicating strong religious participation and generosity among worshippers. The rise in donations can be attributed to the growing number of visitors who come to the temple seeking spiritual fulfillment and divine blessings.
Breaking down the total collection, regular donations made by devotees throughout the year amounted to NPR 2,515,547. These contributions were made by individuals visiting the temple for their routine prayers, rituals, and offerings. Regular donations play a crucial role in maintaining the temple’s daily operations and supporting religious activities conducted throughout the year.
Apart from routine contributions, festival-specific offerings constituted a significant portion of the total collection. Devotees made special donations during various religious celebrations, amounting to NPR 2,606,606. These offerings are generally higher during festive periods as devotees visit in larger numbers, seeking divine blessings and making generous contributions as part of their religious traditions.
One of the most significant donation days was during the Maha Shivaratri festival, observed on Wednesday, when the temple received offerings totaling NPR 433,774. This festival, dedicated to Lord Shiva, attracts thousands of devotees, resulting in a surge in donations. Similarly, during Balachaturdashi in Mangsir, the temple received NPR 661,294, reflecting the deep-rooted religious customs associated with the occasion.
Another major contribution period was during the Shrawan Monday fair, a sacred event dedicated to Lord Shiva, where devotees from across the country visit the temple. On this occasion, the highest single-day offering of NPR 1,511,538 was recorded. According to Kumari Pun, the fund’s treasurer, these donations play a vital role in supporting temple management and preserving the sanctity of Galeshwor Temple, ensuring that devotees continue to experience a well-maintained and spiritually enriching environment.
The offerings from the Shivaratri festival were counted and publicly disclosed this morning in the presence of fund officials, representatives, and security personnel. According to the fund’s office secretary, Ram Baniya, the total revenue from Shrawan to the present, including other donations, is NPR 7,264,682.
The temple’s income is used for the management of the temple office, prayer activities, the salaries of the priests and senior citizens’ homes, as well as the operation of a Sanskrit school. Baniya added that the offerings at Galeshwar are counted and made public monthly, or the day after a fair.
Over the last 12 years, offerings collected from regular prayers, major yajnas, and donations from pilgrims have funded the construction of physical infrastructure worth around NPR 11 million, according to the fund’s vice-chairman, Bam Bahadur Pun.
These developments include the construction of a Dharamshala, hall, garden, yajna hall, school, priest residence, dining hall, a road to Kaligandaki, 108 Shiva lingams, statues of Jadbharat, Nataraj, and Lakshmi Narayan, among other physical structures.
The Galeshwar Shivalay area, situated on a rocky terrain spread over nine ropanis of land along the banks of the Kaligandaki River, is considered a shared pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists and is regarded as the gateway to the Muktinath temple.
The temple’s name is said to have come from the legend of Sati Devi’s head falling here, according to Hindu religious texts. Special fairs are held during Shrawan Monday, Balachaturdashi, and Shivaratri, and daily worship and prayers are conducted. Devotees believe that visiting and praying at Galeshwar fulfills their wishes.
