On the occasion of Haritalika Teej, which is celebrated annually on the third day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra, devotees have been flocking to Shiva temples across the country, including Pashupatinath Temple. The temple has been bustling with visitors since early morning.
To accommodate the large number of worshippers aiming to visit the temple as early as possible, all four doors of Pashupatinath Temple were opened from 3:00 AM, according to Rewati Raman Adhikari, spokesperson for the Pashupati Area Development Trust. The doors will remain open until the evening, as long as there are devotees in line. Despite some initial rain disrupting visitors in the morning, the situation has improved, allowing for smooth darshan (viewing) and worship. With the rain subsided, thousands of devotees have gathered at the Pashupati area.
The Trust has arranged four separate entry routes for devotees. To ease the process for the large number of fasting worshippers visiting the temple, the Trust has made special arrangements and has not issued receipts for special pujas this year.
For devotees arriving from the Koteshwor, Tinkune, and Sinamangal areas, entry is facilitated through the Tilganga Tourist Ticket Counter, proceeding through the Ram Mandir and Aryaghat areas to enter the eastern gate of Pashupatinath Temple. The arrangement includes designated areas for footwear storage after crossing the two bridges over the Bagmati River near Aryaghat.
Devotees entering through this route are required to exit from the same gate. The Trust has also set up additional arrangements for the second line from the Mitrapark area, where footwear is stored in the area in front of the Shankaracharya Math.
The third line is designated for those entering through the Gaushala, Pingalsthan, and Panchdeval areas, with footwear storage available in front of the Vajra House. The fourth line allows entry through the Guhyeshwari, Umakund, and Kailash southern areas, with footwear storage in the open area in front of Guru Mandir.
Parking arrangements for vehicles have been made in the open areas near Tilganga Eye Hospital, Sifal Chowk, the vacant area across from Guhyeshwari, and the Metropolitan Police Circle Gaushala premises. Vehicles of government officials involved in the festival will be parked at the Trust office and the Amal Kot courthouse premises.
An integrated security plan involving the Nepal Police, Nepal Army, Armed Police, National Investigation Department, and Trust security personnel has been implemented to ensure tight security at the Pashupati area. Traffic is restricted in areas with heavy crowds, and health camps have been set up by the Nepal Army and other agencies.
In addition to Pashupatinath, Shiva temples across the Kathmandu Valley, including Gokarneshwar and Doleshwor, are also witnessing large crowds of devotees celebrating Haritalika Teej.
