Pashupatinath Temple witnessed nearly 1.5 million footfalls during the two-week long Maha Shivaratri fair, organisers said.

According to the organisers, the fair has been able to do a business of around Rs200 million so far. The Maha Shivaratri Festival and Industrial Trade Fair 2016 which began at Pashupatinath on March 8, a day after the Maha Shivaratri festival, are coming to a close on Saturday. The annual fair is attended by pilgrims who come to Pashupatinath and features shops, amusement rides and food stalls. “Around 1.5 million visitors, including 100,000 foreign tourists, have attended our fair so far,” said Sandeep Mahat, chairman of Audyogik Shanti Nepal Sanstha, the organiser.

There are over 300 stalls in the fair where local traders sell handicrafts, food, clothing, utensils and shoes. The prime attraction of the fair had been a man-made model of Amarnath cave and Vaishnodevi cave, two very holy Hindu shrines in India’s Jammu and Kashmir.

“Every year a fair has been organised in Pashupatinath during Maha Shivaratri since the beginning and this year too it was a success,” Pawan Agrawal, a member of the organising committee said. “We could showcase Nepali products during the fair to thousands of people which is the biggest achievement.”

Although the fair is closing on Saturday, organisers say the amusement rides and the model of Amarnath and Vaishnodevi caves will be kept intact for one more month. Sushil Pokhrel, a student who visited the fair on Friday, said that the fair had been successful in blending pilgrimage with entertainment and trade. “After worshipping the Pashupatinath, the fair gives visitors like us the opportunity to shop at decent prices,” he said.