The Anantashree Brahmandiya Mahayagya, organized for the conservation of water resources and the universe at Panchkot, Baglung, has drawn a crowd of pilgrims. The pilgrims from all over the country are coming to visit the ongoing Mahayagya from the 9th of Falgun. It has been reported that the crowd of visitors has increased in the recent days.
According to Damodar Shastri Dahal, the chairman of the Panchkot Parishad Committee, more than 30,000 visitors have arrived on Saturday alone, exceeding the expected number of 3,000 to 10,000 visitors daily. He attributed the heavy traffic jam on Saturday to the increased crowd, especially after the presence of Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal “Prachanda” at the event.
Shastri further mentioned the lack of arrangements for counting the pilgrims involved in religious activities, as well as the congestion of transportation from Baglung Bazaar to Panchkot. He estimated that around 30,000 to 50,000 pilgrims might attend the Mahayagya daily, with vehicles such as buses, cars, vans, and motorcycles contributing to the estimate.
Due to the traffic jam, he stated that all pilgrims couldn’t reach Panchkot. The Mahayagya, held on the occasion of the 10th annual establishment of Panchkot Dham, is claimed to be organized for the first time in Nepal. The event has seen participation from notable figures including the President, Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Chief Minister of Gandaki Pradesh, and other prominent personalities.
The program will continue until the 23rd of Falgun, with the participation of top leaders of political parties such as Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress and KP Sharma Oli of the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist). The primary focus of the Brahmandiya Mahayagya, aimed at the protection of water, forests, and land, along with the promotion of Vedic traditions and spiritual consciousness, has faced challenges in managing the traffic of visiting pilgrims, as stated by Suman Neupane, the chief of Baglung District Traffic Office.
The construction of the World Peace Chalice along with the completion of religious structures is also planned to be accomplished through the Mahayagya. In addition to recitations and discussions on various topics, an art and literature symposium was also held on Sunday. Rudra Keshi, the chairman of Ward 6 of Baglung Municipality, highlighted the necessity of improving the roads based on the number of tourists visiting Panchkot.
