KATHMANDU, NEPAL, June 13, 2011: Of late, the holiest Hindu shrine in Nepal is facing an embarrassing problem–a sudden rise in the population of mice and cockroaches. The menace is so serious that it has affected daily prayers and scared the storekeepers (Bhandaris), who have lodged a formal complaint with the Shree Pashupati Adhyayan Byawasthapan Swatantra Adhikar Sampanna Samiti, a committee formed to look into problems in the temple.
This nuisance, however, is part of the larger and more serious problem the temple has long been facing. According to staffers, the centuries-old temple is on the verge of collapse and since it has not been renovated for years, it has become pestiferous, attracting insects and other creatures like rats.
The temple, which is listed in the Unesco World Heritage Sites, was built in 516 BS by Mandev and has been renovated only twice so far. The main temple was renovated once by Bhupatindra Malla (1696-1722), the Malla king of Bhaktapur and later by prime minister Chandra Shumsher Janga Bahadur Rana, according to the 20-point letter submitted by the Bhandaris.
The store-keepers and priests have also complained about cracked marbles and rusty courtyards. The Bhandaris said they were compelled to write to the Samiti after the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) “turned its blind eye” to the problems being faced by the priests. “We were compelled to write to the samiti as the PADT didn’t respond to the several letters we wrote,” the Bhandaris said in the letter.