By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Mar. 18: As per a call made to participate in a donation drive to make a golden Jalahari to offer to Pashupatinath temple, devotees are actively donating money through five different banks.
Issuing a notice on February 18, Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) sought donations to make the golden Jalahari.
The PADT has estimated that it will require around 141 kg 14 karat gold to prepare it.
Dr. Milan Kumar Thapa, treasure of PADT, informed that around Rs.4 to 5 million was collected from five banks by Sunday.
The PADT has selected five banks - Nepal Investment, Nepal SBIC, Kumari, Everest and Agriculture Development Bank - to collect cash from the donors.
As per the criteria fixed by the PADT, all devotees are allowed to deposit cash equal to one tola of gold or more but not exceeding the price of a kg.
The PADT has formed a 10-member Shree Pashupatinath’s Jalahari Making Management Committee to collect the required fund.
Thapa, coordinator of the committee, said that the PADT had managed secrecy of the donation amount if anyone wanted to keep that secret. The PADT has also managed two donation boxes at the Pashupatinath temple premises.
Their identity will be kept secret even if their names are registered in the PADT’s notebook, he said.
‘‘Earlier, we planned to prepare the Jalahari within six months, but the spread of COVID-19 has pushed back the deadline. But, the new Jalahari would be offered to Pashupatinath before next Shivaratri,’’ he said.
It is said that the current silver Jalaharis placed at the bottom of four faces of Shivalinga of the main temple were offered in the 18th century in Saha Regime. Now, there are seen many holes due to regular offering of milk and water.
New gold Jalahari will replace the current silver Jalahari, he said.
Dr. Govinda Tandon, former member-secretary of PADT, informed that current silver Jalahari was offered by Rana Bahadur Shah before 1779 AD.