Kathmandu.
Keeping in view the crowd in Pashupatinath area for Mahashivratri, the route and parking place of vehicles have been decided in Pashupati area. The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has informed that as the number of visitors to the Pashupatinath temple is increasing today, vehicles have been diverted as per the requirement.
According to the department, the vehicles going towards Gaushala area have been diverted from Chabahil, Old Baneshwar, Dnyaneshwar, Maitidevi Mode, Ratopul, Setopul, Kalopul, Siphalchaur, Kutuwal, Gaurighat and Tilganga. Likewise, freight vehicles have been diverted from Tinkune, Jorpati, Chuchchepati, Sinamangal Bridge and Basundhara, while different routes have been determined for buses, microbuses, tempos and freight vehicles.
Arrangements have been made to reach Tilganga via Ratnapark, Bhadrakali, Sinhadarbar, Maitighar, Naya Baneshwar, Tinkune, Sinamangal and return to Ratnapark via the same route. Arrangements have been made to reach Buddh, Jorpati, Sankhu and through the same route to Jamal and then return to Ratnapark through Mahendra Salik Tindhara Pathshala.
SSP Rajendra Bhatt of the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division informed that vehicles going to Kapan via Kalopul will be routed to Maharajganj via Mines Department, Lajimpat. According to him, the microbuses and tempos running from Sundhara to Maitidevi, Old Baneshwar, Chabahil towards Budha will go through Mahendra Salik, Krishna Pauroti, Jayanepal, Naxal, Bhagwati Bahal, Sanagoucharan, Siphal Ukalo, Chabahil Ganeshsthan, Chabahil via Jorpati Marg.
Similarly, microbuses and tempos coming from Jorpati Buddh to Sundhara have been assigned a route to Sundhara via Chabahil, Narayangopal Chowk, Lajimpat, Kesarmahal, Jamal, Ghantaghar. On the other hand, the freight vehicles going towards Maharajganj via Jorpati, Buddh, Chabahil have been assigned a route towards Sukedhara, Maharajganj via Chuchchepati, Bhrikutichok, Gopikrishna Hall.
Cargo vehicles going to Buddh or Sukedhara via Koteshwar, Tinkune, Gaushala and cargo vehicles going to Buddh through Koteshwar, Satdobato, Kalanki, Maharajganj and Buddh have been routed through Gopikrishnahal, Kapan, Mahankal, Chuchchepati to Buddh.
Freight vehicles which have to reach around Pashupati through Koteshwar Tinkunne have been made able to go up to Tinkunne. The route for the cargo vehicles to reach around Pashupati through Maharajganj, Chabhil has been fixed to Basundhara.
From Koteshwar or Gathaghar to Buddh Jorpati, freight vehicles are routed through Jadibuti, Pepsicola, Gothatar bridge to Buddh Jorpati. Similarly, arrangements have been made for the parking of pilgrims, visitors and foreign tourists in front of the Tilganga Eye Hospital, while arrangements have been made for the parking of government and police vehicles with pass holders distributed by the development fund at the office of the fund in Dev Udyan and Bhandarkhal.
In addition, arrangements have been made for parking of vehicles with passes and local pilgrims at Sifal Chowr. Parking arrangements have been made for pilgrims coming from Gothatar, Jorpati, Mulpani, Gokarna Buddhist direction across Guhyeshwari. Arrangements have been made for the parking of vehicles, fire engines, ambulances and water tankers of the associations running camps on the occasion of Mahashivratri in Vankali area in Pashupati area.
For parking and traffic management, the available space of Tilganga Corridor, Pashupati Area Development Fund Office, Police Circle, Traffic Police Department Gaushala, Siphal Chaur available space, Guhyeshwaripari have been managed in five places. Similarly, keeping in mind the traffic of passengers on the airport, Gaushala, Chabhil ring road, arrangements have been made to allow public vehicles to ply on half of the road and diversion arrangements have also been made as per the need.
According to the fund, no sidewalk shops will be allowed to be kept on the side of the road. The fund has asked not to consume meat, alcohol and any kind of intoxicants in the temple premises. According to the fund, it is estimated that about 2 million pilgrims will visit Pashupati this time on Mahashivratri.
In view of the Mahashivratri Mela 2079, the security arrangements around the Pashupatinath temple have been tightened. Metropolitan Police Office Ranipokhari has informed that more than 3000 uniformed and the same number of policemen in plain clothes have been mobilized for security in Pashupat and surrounding areas.