Kathmandu: Prayers resumed at one of the world's most sacred shrine, the Pashupatinath Temple here in the presence of hundreds of people with the just-reinstated Indian priests performing the Nitya Puja .
Three Indian priests headed by Chief Priest Mahabaleshwor Bhatta and two others, Ganesh Bhatta and Ramkrishna Bhatta, whose family has been leading the prayers for over 300 years, were back in limelight, a day after the Maoist government reversed its decision to replace them.
The Maoists had to bow to intense pressure from Hindu groups and political parties both at home and abroad to bring back the Indian priests.
A number of India devotees, including cinestar and Member of Parliament Govinda were present for the resumption of puja in the temple after a break of a week, amidst protests and court battles, said Narottam Vaidya, religious activist and former member of the PADT.
The new priests appointed by Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), of which Premier Prachanda is the patron, have been sacked and the Trust has been directed to start fresh process to appoint new priests adopting formal procedures.
The sacking of Indian priests had sparked widespread protests, with local Hindu groups, supported by the Nepali Congress charging that protocol was not adhered to while making new appointments.
The Supreme Court had issued an interim order recently, asking the government to allow the Indian priests to continue prayers. It had nullified the appointment of the new priests.
"I have cancelled the appointment of the new priests immediately and urged the old (Indian) priests to continue with the religious ceremony," Prachanda said.
