Kathmandu, September 11
When the government announced a nationwide lockdown from March 24 to control the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, Pashupati Area Development Trust closed Pashupati temple for the devotees.
After the end of the lockdown, the trust was preparing to reopen the temple, but the risk of infection in the capital did not decrease, forcing the trust to delay the reopening.
The temple has not been open yet. With this, the trust says it lost Rs 600 million in its revenues, and it has been difficult to manage regular operational costs including staff salaries for now.
The trust’s Executive Director Ghanashyam Khatiwada says all major revenue sources of the trust have been affected with the closure of the temple. Due to restrictions in human movement, the trust has been unable to collect rents of its land and other properties, according to him.
“The trust would collect Rs 60,000 a day, on average, from donations offered by the devotees at the temple,” Khatiwada says, “It is zero for the past six months.”
