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Stay order defied at Nepal temple

KATHMANDU: The newly-appointed priests performed rituals at the Pashupatinath Temple here for the second day on Friday though the Supreme Court in a stay order on Thursday directed them not to do so.

The court had issued the order to the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) but the officials say they came to know about it only through news. “We haven’t received anything in writing,”

Shyam Sekhar Jha, Director of the Trust, told The Hindu.

“We cannot implement anything unless we get the decision in hand and discuss it.”

The three Indian priests, who had been working at the temple, had submitted their resignations at different times but they were accepted by the PADT at once.

Head priest Mahabaleswar had been working at the temple for more than 15 years.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jha said the priests had cited health problems for resigning. “We even requested them to come to the temple and perform puja, but they didn’t turn up.” Some sections of society opposed the decision to replace the priests terming it “politicisation of religion”.

The Prime Minister is the patron of the temple. The new priests are alleged to be Maoists.

The government is also blamed for breaking the tradition without adhering to the procedures to hire new ones.

A delegation of the Constituent Assembly members met President Ram Baran Yadav on Friday and asked for help in resolving the chaos.

According to a member Suprabha Ghimire, Mr Yadav said he would consult the government soon on the matter.

The tradition of conducting the main rituals by Indian priests had started long before Nepal was united by King Prithvi Narayan Shah.

Nepal was the only Hindu Kingdom in the world until 2006, when the interim government turned it to a secular country.

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