Kathmandu, Jan. 25 (RSS): Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur K.C. has said that since Destination Nepal Year 2002 also includes the Pashupatinath Shrine, a place of touristic, cultural and religious importance. Hindus from all over the world will be invited to pay a pilgrimage to Pashupatinath during the coming Shivaratri Festival.
Minister K..C. made the remark during an on-site inspection of the works carried out by the Pashupati Area Development Trust in and around the Pashupatinath temple and surrounding areas organised by the Parliamentary Population and Social Committee today.
He praised the Pashupati Area Development Trust for ending the encroachment of old rest houses, sheds and monuments and for the renovation and cleaning of temples in an effort to maintain the religious environment as per the concept of the Pashupati Area Master Plan.
The minister also said that businesses prohibited by law would be removed from the area. The necessary budget to install an electric crematorium in the Pashupati area has already been allocated, he further said.
Stating that the shrines, monasteries, resting places, sheds and other monuments at pashupati would be used for specific purposes for which they had originally been built, Minister K.C. also said that the forests in the Sleshmantak area would be protected and deer reared at local Mrigasthali.
On the occasion, chairman of the House of Representatives Population and Social Committee Narendra Bahadur Bam praised the efforts at making the Pashupati area clean, healthy and scenic.
MP Dr. Banshidhar Mishra said that renovation and reform works have been initiated late and the Pashupati Area Development Trust needs to be more serious about resolving the remaining problems in the area.
He said while trees around the Pashupati area are being cut down on the pretext of conservation and forest maintenance, nothing has been done to protect the newly-planted saplings.
In the course of the inspection, employees of Pashupati Area Development Trust said that 250 families illegally occupying old houses, sheds and monuments in the area have been removed and a number of temples and shrines within the complex renovated or given a face-lift.
Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sabadhan Rai was also present on the occasion.