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Kathmandu Wednesday September 06, 2000 Bhadra 21, 2057.
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Regulate offerings
For the first time, the Auditor General has taken the
initiative to investigate into the cash offerings made at Pashupatinath temple. This, move
has come after the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) alleged the gross misuse of
funds meant for the development of the Pashupati area. It is no doubt true that the money
devotees offer to the deity is not being used for development purposes. Neither have the
bhattas (priests) maintained a transparent account nor has the government introduced
legislation to monitor donations of devotees. It is because of this that there is strong
reason to suspect gross misuse of the fund. While this is happening the Pashupatinath area
which is listed in the world heritage site has suffered encroachment of its land and
consequent distortion of the heritage site.
The chief bhatta who always has to be a south Indian,
controls the Pashupatinath temple complex. This has been the tradition of the temple and
Hindu devotees have neither objected nor demanded change. Thus, the South Indian bhattas
have not only monopolised the fund but also misused the temple for their personal benefit.
There have been instances when bhattas have refused to perform rituals for poor devotees
who cannot afford to pay the amount the head priest demands. This is plain extortion, but
worse, the practice discriminates against poor devotees. Hindu devotees from different
parts of the world visit the temple and offer millions of rupees in cash and jewellery for
special rites. However, the area does not have any proper accommodation for devotees, nor
has PADT recognised this problem, leave aside done anything to remedy it.
Pashupatinath temple, one of the principal shrines in Hindu
religion, has registered hundreds of acres of land worth millions of rupees which
successive regimes right from the Malla dynasty onwards had donated. What is happening to
these lands ? The head priest who is responsible for maintaining transparent accounting
refused to disclose the amount generated through donations or the property that belongs to
the temple when Public Accounts Committee (PAC) attempted to investigate. In fact, the
head priest refused to open up the vaults stacked on the top floor of the temple.
According to regulations, the bhattas have to pay 25 percent of the total offerings for
the development of Pashupati area. This, however, has not been complied with.
PAC cannot keep its hands tied nor should PADT remain idle at
a time when the bhattas are misusing the temple for their personal benefit. This misuse
has occurred due to lack of effective legislation. The government has to introduce a new
legislation to monitor offerings, the bhattas and their subordinates. The government must
also see to it that the amount collected from devotees is used for the development of
Pashupatinath temple and its vicinity.
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