Hundreds of people danced on the streets as Indian priests resumed daily worship on Thursday in Nepals Pashupatinath temple after a week, offering 10 kgs of rice, dal, curry, sweets and fruits to Lord Shiva.

The formal grand celebration for reinstatement of the Indian priests, which was supposed to be held on Thursday, has been postponed till Friday afternoon, said the activists who had been agitating for the last several days against the Maoist move to appoint local brahmins in place of Indians.

But hundreds of locals, religious activists and temple staff spontaneously came to the streets, shouting slogans and dancing with joy as the Nitya Puja started at around 12.30 pm and went on till 5 pm. The Maoist-led government reversed its decision to remove Indian priests on Wednesday after a public outcry.

"This is not the case of anybody losing or anybody winning," Narottam Vaidya, one of the activists, said. "We will take out a rally for promoting goodwill and religious harmony on Friday," he said.

"Our struggle has not ended, we want reforms in the Pashupati Area Development Trusts management. The condition of the lower-level staff serving at the temple should also be improved," Shiv Sharanraj Bhandari, the convener of the Struggle Committee that launched week-long agitation against Maoist "intrusion" into the temple, said.

Three Indian brahmins -- chief priest Mahabaleshwor Bhatta and two others, Ganesh Bhatta and Ramkrishna Bhatta, bathed the Shiva Linga of Pashupatinath with Ganga Jal, before offering Panchamrit - cow milk, ghee, curd, honey and sugar.

Halwa, sweets, fruits, 10 kgs of rice, dal and curry were offered to the Lord.

The Indian priests agreed to resume the Nitya Puja following prime minister Prachandas address in Parliament announcing the reversal of the governments earlier decision to sack Indian priests.

Of the five Indian priests, Mahabaleshwor and two others offered prayers.

However, KP Ramchandran, the priest of the adjoining Basuki temple, did not perform puja saying that he had already resigned and he does not want to rejoin duty.

Another priest Krishna Bhatta, who has fallen ill, also could not attend the prayer and is planning to return to his home in South India on Friday, informed the local Bhandaris (aides of priests).

Source : Central