Hundreds of thousands Hindu devotees celebrate festival

Hundreds of thousands of devotees crowd to worship at a revered Hindu temple in Nepal's capital as coronavirus cases drop and life returns to normal

KATHMANDU, Nepal -- Hundreds of thousands of devotees crowd to worship at a revered Hindu temple in Nepal’s capital on Tuesday as coronavirus cases drop and life returns to normal.

Around 1 million devotees were expected to visit the temple of Hindu god Shiva on Shivaratri, one of Nepal's most cherished festivals, as temples, schools and markets have all begun to open up in recent weeks after the number of COVID-19 cases dropped in Nepal. On Monday, 180 new infections were reported, down from a peak of over 9,000 in January.

The Pashupatinath Temple located in Kathmandu is among the most important Hindu temples and is popular among pilgrims. During the festival, devotees fast all day and visit the temple and take dip in the Bagmati River.

The festival is also famed for freely smoking marijuana, which is classified as a narcotic and punishable by jail term. In the forested area and riverside next to the temple, Hindu holy men were joined by devotees smoking marijuana.