Monetary offerings in the main Pashupati temple by devotees have dropped by Rs 9.2 million compared to previous years, according to the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT).

The PADT said they had been collecting around Rs 37 million annually. But they have managed to collect only Rs 27.7 million since the devastating earthquake on April 25 last year. Subsequently, Nepal had to endure unofficial blockade for six months which limited the movement of public.

Saroj Paudyal, an accountant at the PADT, pointed out the decrease in the number of Indian devotees in the wake of the New Delhi’s border blockade a major factor for the decline in temple’s revenue. “We used to get around 150 Indian pilgrims on a single day. But hardly a dozen Indian devotees visit nowadays,” he said. According to Paudyal, the temple’s average daily collection stands at Rs 65,000 these days, as opposed to Rs200,000 in the previous years. Despite the worst phase they have had in the recent times, the PADT officials are hopeful of better days. “I don’t think these problems will last long. Once things get back to normal, the flow of devotees will increase again,” said PADT Member Secretary Govinda Tandon.