Kathmandu/Puri: Shankaracharya of Govardhan Math Puri, Nischalananda Saraswati will give a leacture on vedic knowledge and culture at the holy Hindu temple Pashupatinath located on the bank of Bagmati river in Kathmandu on Saturday to observe the Maha Shivaratri festival.
At least 1.5 million devotees, including thousands from India, are expected to gather for prayer at the famous shrine, PTI reported quoting temple trust official.
Saraswati has arrived in Kathmandu to take part in the festivities and will deliver lectures on various aspects of Vedic knowledge at Shankaracharya Muth here, according to Pashupati Area Development Trust sources.
“On Saturday, during a special function, he will unveil the statue of Aadi Shankaracharya at the Math, which was rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake damaged it,” said Rewati Raman Adhikari, spokesperson of the trust that manages the temple’s affairs.
The Shankaracharya delivered lectures on Vedic philosophy on Friday during a two-and-a-half-hour prayer meeting at the Pashupatinath temple premises.
He will participate in a three-day programme at the temple starting Friday and deliver lectures and hold discussions with Nepalese vedic scholars and mathematicians from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University and Mahendra Sanskrit University at Pashupati on the occasion.
Nischalananda Saraswati is the special guest at the function and he will be the main attraction during this festival, Adhikari said.
The Trust is expecting 1.5 million devotees in the Pashupatinath temple premises on Saturday including about 3,500 sadhus from India, he said. Around 1,000 Naga Baba also known as Digambar Sadhus have already arrived here for the occasion.
The Trust will arrange complementary food for the sadhus and at least 10,000 volunteers are being mobilised for the occasion. Over 7,000 security personnel will be deployed to provide security, Adhikari said.
The entire Pashupati area has been decorated with colourful lights, paper flags and garlands and dozens of welcome gates have been installed to welcome the devotees.
The temple will open at 3 am on Saturday and arrangements have been made so that the devotees will pay their obeisances to the Shiva Linga within 1 hour or 90 minutes from four of the temple’s gates.
