Kathmandu, Feb. 28: Necessary arrangement has been completed to welcome tens of thousands of devotees in the Maha Shivaratri, the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) said on Sunday.
Devotees from different parts of the country and India and other countries will throng Pashupatinath Temple on the day of Maha Shivaratri.

Organising a press meeting today, Maha Shivaratri Festival Management Main Organising Committee informed that the committee was ready to welcome thousands of devotees and 10 different sub-committees had completed all management tasks for Maha Shivaratri day.

Narayan Prasad Subedi, treasurer of PADT, said that 10,000 security personnel from Nepal Police, Armed Police personnel and National Investigation Department would be deployed to maintain a sound security system. Around 5,000 volunteers would also be deployed on the premises of the Pashupati Temple to manage the crowd and devotees’ lines.
Dr. Ghana Shyam Khadiwada, executive director of PADT, estimated that around Rs. 12.5 million will be collected from various sources on the Shivaratri festival day.
PADT had separated a budget of Rs. 11.5 million for making preparations for the festival this year.

The committee has made arrangements for devotees to offer worship to Lord Shiva, making four separate lines from different places. All four doors of the temple will open from 3:00 AM on Tuesday.
Volunteers, security forces and medical clinics and health camps have been set up inside the temple.
Around 95 organisations will distribute free meal, water and tea to the devotees, saints and Sadhus.

Armed Police Force, Nepal Police and around 60 health orgnaisations will set up health camps with the facilities of doctors, nurses, beds and ambulances.
Likewise, traffic moving towards Gaushala and the temple area will be blocked. Vehicles will not be allowed to move towards Gaushala from Mitrapark, Maitidevi, Old Baneshwor, Battisputali, Rato Pul, Shifal and Anamnagar.

PADT has designated five places for shoe safekeeping. Likewise, Tilganga corridor area, PADT office, Traffic Police Office of Gaushala, Sifal ground, across the Guheshwori area are allotted for parking the vehicles.
The entrance gates of Pashupatinath Temple and its premises and other areas are specially decorated with electric lights and flowers.