India has pledged to develop and conserve Nepal's 5th-century Pashupatinath Temple and offered help for the construction of a 'dharamshala' for pilgrims.
The Indian government offered to assist Nepal in conservation and restoration of old monuments in the Pashupatinath Complex.
India also offered assistance in providing sanitation and hygiene facility in the temple complex, according to a joint statement issued at the end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Nepal.
Modi, who became the only Indian Prime Minister to visit Nepal in 17 years, prayed at the temple this morning on a Monday, considered auspicious as per Hindu calendar. He also gifted 2,500 kgs of sandalwood worth Rs two crore to the temple authorities.
The temple, listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Shiva in the world. It dates back to to 400 AD, and houses a sacred linga of Lord Shiva.
There a tradition of keeping four priests and one chief priest at the temple from among the Bramhins of south India for centuries.
The complex also has a Ram temple and a Vaishnav temple.
The statement said the construction of the 'dharamshala' "will be commenced soon through GoI grant assistance."
"The Government of India offered to assist in the conservation and restoration of old monuments in the Pashupatinath Complex as well as in providing sanitation and hygiene facility in the Pashupatinath Complex," it added.
India has also offered assistance for development of Janakpur, Baraha Chhetra and Lumbini, including linking Lumbini with the Buddhist circuit of India, based on specific proposals from Nepal.
