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Nepal: Shiva Ratri- lost in translation
Gaurav Tiwari and Unika Shrestha Kantipur Online
Saturday 25 Feb 2006 Ash covered naked ascetics who smoke dope all day, long-haired sadhus, red-eyed devotees, the holy dips, vigil over bonfires, trance chants, thousands volunteering in cash or kind and many more who throng the Pashupatinath complex, sum up most if not all of ‘Shivaratri’- the night consecrated to lord Shiva or Shivaji. 250,000 devotees including 2000 babas are expected to visit Pashupatinath temple on this day alone but there is a lot more to anticipate. The managerial aspect to maintain the authenticity of the festival is a consideration while the prevention of unwanted developments during the occasion is another. Hindus all over the world celebrate ‘Shivaratri’ as an auspicious festival that falls on the fourteenth day of the waning moon in the month of Falgun. It is a day when people of all walks of life pay homage to Shiva shrines, preferably jyotirlinga- a distinctive phallic manifestation of Shiva at Pashupatinath. Pleasing Shivaji. The god of destruction, who is known for his large-heartedness, is believed to have strong love for the ones who are clean and purged much like the sadhus- thus holy dips, bonfires, chants and dope. “It's believed that Shivaji comes to enjoy the bonfire himself so people torch the holy fire and sing his frantic praises and hymns with great fervour,” says Prem Hari Dhungana of the Pashupatinath tahabil office. Several Hindu gods and even the eight immortals are considered to come to Pashupatinath on this holy occasion to pay their tribute to lord Shiva, so countless people volunteer, as an act of religious and social service, during ‘Shivaratri’. “For many it's an occasion where they hope to serve the visiting gods or the immortals,” says Dhungana. Pashupatinath is frequented in huge numbers by national and international Hindus alike because jyotirlinga is considered to be one of the holiest Shiva shrines and Pashupatinath is geographically and managerially more accessible. “Every individual is treated in the same way here and we don’t take undue advantage from the devotees,” says Dhungana elaborating once again on why Pashupatnath is popular. Owing to this popularity, the organizers of the 'Shivaratri' celebrations, Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) and the high committee under Tourism and Civil Aviation minister Yankila Sherpa are making elaborate arrangements to ensure a hustler free religious fiesta. Only time will tell if the 2400 security personnel including scouts mobilized for the occasion will be able to conduct the occasion successfully. Obviously there is heightened security and budget for better management though incidents of theft and irresponsible acts from individuals have marred past years despite similar arrangements. Many may find it hard to believe that the various irksome, even offensive acts of the devotees are considered to be very much a part of the holiness of ‘Shivaratri’. And some of that many may find what Mohanbaba, one of the supremes in the holy community of Annapurna Bhandar at Pashupati, says difficult to accept too, that Sadhus 'get high' to remain focused on god. According to him after devotees become fully involved in god there is neither shame nor fear; nothing bothers them. Mohanbaba further adds that Shivabhaktas high on dope and sadhus walking naked are nothing but acts of devotion to lord Shiva from people of great determination and strong will. This senior ascetic however admits that people have increasingly misunderstood and misinterpreted the occasion to end up misusing this serious act of self-denial. Another ascetic and the founder of the Annapurna Bhandar, Rotiwala Naga Baba Shiva Giri says that true sadhus never sell or make ordinary people smoke dope or take part in any holy and ascetic activity. "I have even helped many students to school and there are even some orphans in my custody but nobody here has ushered them into any sadhu antics," he says. It takes much more than forsaking worldly affairs to be a genuine sadhu. They engage in serious learning and meditation. However, today there are desperate vagrants who disguise themselves as holy ascetics and poison not only themselves but also the ordinary curious youths who come in their contact. Unlike a genuine ascetic they sell cannabis to people in the name of 'shivabuti'. Unscrupulously profiting from the naïve or uninitiated. "A considerable number of those who come to Pashupati on 'Shivaratri' come only for the 'shivabuti'," says Abadh Kishor Shing, secretary of the Bolbam Kawariya Union. Kishor has been organizing bhajan concerts and social service activities in Pashupatinath during "Shivaratri" for the past seven years. And over the years he's noticed that many young people smoke their first joint during this occasion. "So, being more vigilant becomes important more than ever," he says, but adds, "The authorities are not doing enough." Though the government has banned the use of narcotics in Pashupati (sadhus are exceptions), the abundance of 'shivabuti' for the ordinary is obvious. The Rammandir and Gorakhnathkshetra are the central hubs for the 'herb' seeking footloose. "I have been waiting for 'Shivaratri' to rejoice with a sadhu laden with unadulterated marijuana," chuckles Girish Giri, a Chabahil local. The bizarre antics of the nagababas may scare away a few innocent onlookers but the current scene of youngsters who keenly look forward to ‘Shivaratri’ is more worrying. There are many thugs looking to snap at somebody’s valuables while ranks of adolescents are out on a hunt for shivabuti- the cannabis used as Shiva’s blessing. The frantic devotion towards lord Shiva thus, appears to be only a part of a much bigger and more disquieting picture of ‘Shivaratri’. Bina Adhikari, 21, completes the current situation by saying that she is not looking forward to being in the stampede prone crowd of several thousand people in Pashupatinath, though she will fancy getting high on opium candies this Shiva's day. Ram Prasad Kandel, a policeman stationed at the Pashupatinath temple gate, says that immediate measures will be taken against any suspicious activity in and around the temple premises. “We are determined to put an end to all types of criminal activities in the temple area,” he confirms. Every year arrangements are made, budgets are sanctioned and laws are passed to see the occasion through peacefully and in high spirits, to curb any criminal activity. But every year, at the end, a lot remains left undone. It was announced at a press meet by the PADT that the total contribution from various organizations and individuals for this year's 'Shivaratri' stands at more than 10 million rupees. Yes, there is immense concern from both the public and private sectors to uphold the ideals of 'Shivaratri", but the question remains - how far are we going to be successful in upholding the true ideals of this holy day?
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