February 12: Keeping in view the upcoming Mahashivaratri festival, Pashupati Area Development Trust has started a week-long sanitation programme to clean up the Pashupatinath temple premises.

In the lead up to the one of the greatest festivals of the Hindus, Mahashivarati,  Pashupati Area Development Trust has launched the campaign under the title ‘Pure Pashupatinath, Clean Pashupatinath’.

The work of painting the walls of Pashupati area and repairing the broken stairs have begun. Meanwhile, preparations for Mahashivratri festival have started in different locations of Pashupatinath area.  As the festival approaches fast, various areas of Pashupatinath are now decorated with flowers and illuminating lights. 

The Pashupatinath temple area is being decorated with flowers in collaboration with the Marwadi society of Nepal, according to Member-Secretary of the PADT, Dr Milan Kumar Thapa. The Mahashivarati festival falls on February 18 this year.

Taking part in the sanitation campaign, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Sudan Kirati instructed PADT officials to keep dustbins for storing and segregating perishable and non-perishable items in the Pashupatinath area, and arrange sufficient number of toilets for devotees thronging the area during the festival.

Minister Kirati stressed the need that Pashupatinath temple, a cultural center of Hindus around the world, should always be kept clean and beautiful to attract visitors and pilgrims. ------RSS