Excluding festivals and special occasions, if the same rate is maintained, the yearly income of Pashupatinath could be at least Rs 50 million.
According to Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) Director Ramesh Upreti, money offered in the temple is counted twice a day, based on the two-time major prayer schedules.
It is mainly during the prayers in the morning (8 am to 2 pm) and evening (5 pm to 8 pm) that the devotees offer money to the deity stationed on the main temple premises of Pashupatinath.
After counting the amount collected during the morning session of prayers, the sum is deposited in a Nepal Investment Bank (NIB) account. The money collected during evening is counted on the same day after 8 pm and deposited the other day in the same account.
According to officials, almost one third of the money is collected during the morning prayers.
Gates to the premises of the main temple are opened at 4 am everyday. However, after priests have conducted regular prayers in secrecy, four doors of the temple are opened at 8 am, marking the beginning of morning prayers for the public.
After the gates are closed at 2 pm, the collected money is counted and subsequently deposited in bank.
Before the transparency of monetary offerings was established, the temple priests—Bhatta and Bhandari—used to divide the money among themselves without anyone else’s consent.
Now that the priests’ hold over the monetary offerings has been lifted, Bhatta, Bhandari, and all other sects of holy men (Bishet and Rairakami) working at the main temple of Pashupatinath will be provided fixed salaries like government officials under PADT.
According to PADT officials, though it has not yet been decided what is to be done with the collected money, the sum will be utilised for the development of the holy shrine.
“With the collected money to be invested for Pashupatinath’s further development, the abode of lord Shiva is likely to go purer in the days to come,” said PADT Treasurer Narottam Vaidya.
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