Coordination meeting for Shivratri for the first time in Kathmandu Metropolitan City

Kathmandu, Magh 29. Kathmandu Metropolitan City has organized a coordination meeting by calling the heads and officials of partner offices to make the Shivaratri festival safe and organized. The metropolis has stated that this is the first time that such a coordination meeting has been called by the metropolis for the Shivaratri festival.

Presiding over the meeting organized at the metropolis today, Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol said, "In the review after every festival, it is said that it would have been better if this had been done." This time, the coordination meeting was held so that such complaints would not have to be made.’

The meeting was attended by Chief Administrative Officer Saroj Guragain, Coordinator of the Heritage and Tourism Committee Ashaman Sangat, Coordinator of the Environment Committee Bal Krishna Maharjan, Assistant Chief District Officer of Kathmandu District Om Bhattarai, Chief Superintendent of Police of the Valley Police Office Bal Narsingh Rana, Member Secretary of the Pashupati Area Development Fund Prakash Mani Sharma, Treasurer Shreedhar Sapkota, Superintendent of Police of the District Police Range Kaushal Kumar Budhathoki, Administrator of the Guthi Sansthan Shailesh Raj Kunwar, Ward President Bimal Kumar Hoda, department heads of the Metropolitan City, officials of the Department of Archaeology, Nepal Scouts, Nepal Red Cross Society and others from the region.

The meeting was attended by the Chief of the Health Department of the Metropolitan City Deepak Kumar K. C. The Chief of the Environment Department, Sarita Rai, informed about the sanitation and hygiene plan, the Chief of the Information Technology Department, Anirudra Nepal, informed about the work being done by the Metropolitan Municipality, including the installation of CCTV cameras in sensitive places in the Pashupati area, and the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Force, Bishnu Prasad Joshi, informed about the parking management and management of pedestrian paths.

We have mobilized manpower, resources, means and equipment for the management of Shiva temples, including the Pashupati area, where devotees flock during the Mahashivratri festival. The work of operating brooms and sprinkling water for sanitation and hygiene has been started. Acting Chief Dangol said, "We will regularize the programs including health camps that have been operating since the past. This year, we will deploy fire engines and ambulances in the Pashupati area. We will keep the disaster management team on standby for emergency health services and other disaster response work. The work that started with the festival preparations will continue as usual during and after the festival.

The Metropolitan City will have the same vision for all the Shiva temples within the metropolis. Acting Chief Dangol said, "On behalf of the Metropolitan City, the coordinator of the Heritage and Tourism Committee and the chairman of Ward No. 8, which has Pashupati, Ashaman Sangat will coordinate. He (Sangat), along with the chairman of neighboring Ward No. 7, Bimal Kumar Hoda, and the people's representatives of the concerned wards, which have Shiva temples, will coordinate on behalf of the Metropolitan City." She said that the role of the locals should be elevated while conducting the festival and a sense of belonging should be created.

In the meeting, the coordinator of the Heritage and Tourism Committee, Sangat, said that the role that locals used to play in festival management in the past is being taken away and that the festival cannot be lively without local participation. He added, "We have started this new practice for coordination."

In the meeting, Assistant District Officer Bhattarai said that there is a security sensitivity due to the elections and that he is committed to making the festival completely safe. Similarly, Chief of the U Patya Police Office, Rana, informed that a plan has been made to make the devotees comfortable through an integrated security mechanism. Armed Police Superintendent Jeevan K. C. mentioned that more work needs to be done in manpower management this year as the election security program has already started.
The Guthi Sansthan had informed about the arrangements for firewood, the welcome, accommodation and farewell of the saints, and the rituals of worship.

According to Sapkota, member secretary of the fund, it is estimated that about 8 lakh devotees will visit the temple in Pashupati this year. We have estimated that about 2 million devotees will come to the temple premises.

Mahendreshwor Mahadev in the Basantapur area of ​​​​Kathmandu, including the Pashupati area of ​​​​Kathmandu, and Koteshwor Mahadev in Ward No. 32, are crowded with devotees in various Shiva temples.