The Mahashivaratri festival, one of the major Hindu festivals dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the three gods of trinity, will be observed on Wednesday, February 26 with much fanfare in the capital and other parts of the country. To ensure smooth traffic movement and security in the Pashupatinath area, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office has introduced a special traffic management plan.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Binod Ghimire, the plan aims to facilitate easy movement for devotees and visitors while maintaining an orderly traffic system. Parking for visitors’ vehicles has been arranged at Tilganga Eye Hospital as well as the road across Sifal, and Guheshwari, while emergency vehicles such as fire engines, ambulances, and drinking water tankers will be stationed at Bankali.
Additionally, vehicles with passes can park at the Pashupati Area Development Trust office and Sifal, while those of security personnel will be accommodated at Police Circle Gaushala. Vehicles entering from different checkpoints will be directed to designated parking areas to avoid congestion. If the number of devotees makes vehicle movement impossible in Gaushala, authorities may restrict traffic in the area and divert vehicles to alternative routes.
The traffic police have also prohibited cargo vehicles from traveling through major routes leading to Pashupatinath, including those from Tinkune to Sinamangal, Bouddha to Gaurighat, and Purano Baneshwor to Mitrapark via Gaushala. If congestion occurs, alternative routes will be arranged for traffic from Chabahil, Old Baneshwor, Gyaneshwor, Maitidevi, and Jaya Bageshwori.
To prevent vehicle theft, plainclothes traffic police have been deployed, and authorities have urged the public to park their vehicles in designated safe areas. A command center, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, has been set up to oversee the situation, with 890 traffic police personnel mobilized. Additional personnel will be deployed as needed.
Pashupatinath Ready for Mahashivaratri Celebrations
All preparations for the Mahashivaratri fair at Pashupatinath have been completed, according to the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT). Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Rajkumar Khatri, coordinator of the publicity and decoration sub-committee of PADT, said arrangements have been made to ensure devotees can offer prayers easily.
To manage the large crowd, ten sub-committees have been formed. The PADF has set up four entry lines outside the temple, while there will be three queues inside at the west and north gates and two at the east and south gates. Doors will open for darshan from 2:30 AM on Wednesday until 6 PM on Thursday, and authorities estimate that over 500,000 devotees will visit the temple in person.
The main event committee, led by Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey, has arranged facilities such as clean drinking water, toilets, storage for footwear, and a plastic-free environment within the Pashupati temple premises. The PADT has also organized accommodation, food, firewood, religious programs, and arrangements for visiting Naga Babas.
The main temple and surrounding areas have been decorated with flowers, colored lights, and traditional ornaments. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists, including many from India and other countries, are expected to attend the festival. -- RSS
