Shivaratri festival and Marijuana myth in Nepal

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 Kailash Baba from India came to Kathmandu to the Shivaratri festival. He says " I feel really excited to come this most sacred site of the Hindus. I am lucky that I have come to the Pashupatinath every year for 8 years. You know, it's very special with open marijuana celebration".

"Well. Taking marijuana is almost open like people are taking cigarettes. I sell a good amount of it and make a good income on this day. Nobody cares our business", one of the Sadhus who calls himself as Aghori Baba talks frankly about selling and taking marijuana.

Now, the question arises. Is it legal to take cannabis during the Shivaratri festival in Nepal?  Till the 1970s, there was no rule for the hashish ban. It was declared illegal in 1973. So, taking marijuana in any names, like spiritual myth, is illegal in Nepal. If found guilty, s/he will be punished and may send to jail. However, in some cases like Sadhus, generally, dread locked Sadhus are not in the high watched people who generally take cannabis.  One of my friends from Europe asked if he can take marijuana in Shivaratri. I said, people may be taking, but it's illegal.

If we link to the Hindu myth, it is written that, when Lord Mahadev lost His wife, He was highly disturbed and started to take cannabis in order to be free from that situation. Now a day, people who take marijuana claims that they are simply following their lord, not wasting their life for drug use. Even for police, it’s a challenge to control marijuana use that is connected in the mythology of the religion.

A Sadhu with marijuana mixed cigarette 

Sadhus at the Pashupatinath temple premises


Marijuana dealing 


During the Shivaratri festival, I saw the real picture that Sadhus were selling the cigarettes mixed with marijuana at the premises of the Pashupatinath temple. I was shocked. The situation was open. One stick-50 rupees. The Bankali area was full of marijuana dealer. Sadhus were saying, take the blessing of Lord Shiva.

If somebody says, marijuana is legal in the Shivaratri festival, it's wrong. It is illegal and a subject of punishment in Nepal.




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