During the month of Shrawan, devotees offered more than NPR 1.5 million in donations at the renowned Galeshwor Shivalaya, a sacred religious site located in Beni Municipality-9, Myagdi. Situated on a nine-ropani area of land, this extraordinary pilgrimage site sits atop a single large rock at the entrance to the famous Muktinath Temple.
According to the office chief, Ram Bahadur Baniya, the donations collected from devotees over the four Mondays of Shrawan amounted to NPR 1,510,724. Specifically, NPR 372,372 was collected on the first Monday, NPR 336,185 on the second, NPR 366,200 on the third, and NPR 435,967 on the fourth Monday, as reported by the Galeshwor Shivalaya Area Development Fund.
The Fund’s chairman, Madhav Prasad Regmi, stated that the offerings at Galeshwor Shivalaya are traditionally counted on the Mondays of Shrawan, during Bala Chaturdashi, the day after Shivaratri, and on a fortnightly and monthly basis. After the collection, the offerings are publicly counted the following morning by the Fund’s officials, local residents, police, armed police, and interested devotees.
The collected funds are used to support various projects, including an elderly care home, schools, and other infrastructure developments, according to the Fund’s Secretary, Bal Bahadur Khatri.
Galeshwor Shivalaya is revered for its spiritual significance, with devotees believing that offering water from the Kaligandaki River to the 108 Shiva Lingams in the temple brings peace, prosperity, and happiness to their families. Hindu scriptures mention that the site is named after Sati Devi, whose throat is believed to have fallen here, giving rise to the name “Galeshwor.” The temple’s location, atop a single chakrashila (circular rock) rising from the sacred Kaligandaki River, is believed to have historical and religious importance dating back to the Satya Yuga.
