PADT launches cleaning campaign for tourism promotion

The Pashupati Area Development Trust has launched a cleaning campaign in the Pashupatinath Temple area in Kathmandu. In the second week of the cleaning campaign today, the Film Artist Association of Nepal cleaned one of the holiest shrines of Hindus.

Artists Madan Das Shrestha, Shiva Shrestha, Gauri Malla, and directors-Sovit Basnet, Rabindra Khadka among others participated in the cleaning drive that is aimed at promoting religious tourism.

The Temple was closed for the public since the prohibitory order in the second wave of COVID-19 till the end of April this year. The shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva has been opened for the public under some restrictions against Coronavirus infection since September 10.

It is believed that the cleaning campaign would help clear off the garbage mounted in various areas of the Temple since the prohibitory order. Heaps of garbage have piled up at the electric crematorium in the Temple area. The crematorium was swamped with the dead bodies of COVID-19 patients since last April.

PADT's executive director Dr Ghanashyam Khatiwada shared that the Ghat areas (flights of steps leading down to a river) and Bagmati Riverbank areas were cleaned today. The team of artists and volunteers cleaned these areas for two hours.

The campaign would be organised weekly and the public could also volunteer in the drive every Saturday, informed PADT's member-secretary Dr Milan Kumar Thapa.

In the first week, the organisers at the Bagmati River Clean-Up Campaign had taken the lead for the cleaning of the Pashupatinath Temple area. The Pashupati Srijansil Youth Club, Divine Club, Pashupati Youth Club, Bijayachowk Youth Club, and Scientology Volunteers Nepal among other social organisations had joined the cleaning efforts of the artists today.

They had started cleaning the main door of the Pashupatinath Temple and went on to clean from Kiriyaputri Bhawa, a building for mourners, to the Aryaghat area.

Meanwhile, over 150 volunteers gathered to clean the holy Bagmati River under the 437th week of the Bagmati River Cleaning Mega Campaign today.

Similarly, Gothatar Bridge Area was cleaned under the Guhyeshwori Cleaning Campaign that entered 406th week today. Major rivers, Temple areas, and Ring Road area are being cleaned weekly inspired by the Bagmati River Cleaning Campaign.