Crowd gathers to scatter satbeej at Pashupatinath Temple (photos)
Early this morning, Shatbeej was scattered at the Mrigasthali area near Pashupatinath.
KATHMANDU: Today marks the 14th day of the Marga Krishna Paksha.
Devotees across the country, including at the Pashupatinath Temple, are celebrating by scattering Satbeej (seeds) as part of the rituals.
Early this morning, Shatbeej was scattered at the Mrigasthali area near Pashupatinath.
The Pashupatinath Temple and other Shiva temples across the country have witnessed large crowds of devotees participating in this sacred tradition.
On the previous day, during the 13th day of Krishna Paksha, people gathered at Shiva temples for a night of lamp lighting (Deepdan) with prayers for the peace of deceased family members.
It is believed that lighting lamps during Deepdan helps the departed souls attain salvation. Devotees light lamps and keep vigil throughout the night in memory of their ancestors.
The ritual involves offering lamps and prayers on the night of the 13th day, followed by a tradition of floating the lamps in a river the next morning.
On the 14th day, devotees wake up early, bathe, and scatter Shatbeej at the Pashupatinath area. The Shatbeej typically includes a variety of grains such as rice, barley, wheat, chickpeas, sesame, and mustard seeds, along with fruits like bananas, sugarcane, oranges, pomegranates, jackfruits, lemons, and other seasonal fruits, as well as various flowers.
The Pashupati Area Development Trust has organized arrangements for devotees to light lamps and scatter the Shatbeej.
According to priest Vasudev Subedi, this ritual is performed for the welfare of the ancestors.
The significance of scattering Shatbeej and lighting lamps is explained in the “Chaturvarga Chintamani,” written by Hemadri, as a means to free individuals from the cycle of birth and death.
