77 pilgrims held in Nepal during `Mahashivaratri`

Kathmandu: In the biggest crack down on pilgrims smoking cannabis on the occasion of `Mahashivaratri`, Nepalese police arrested at least 77 people in areas surrounding the famous Pashupatinath temple on Sunday.

Consuming cannabis is illegal in Nepal, but authorities allow `sadhus` to smoke it during the annual celebration in honour of Hindu god Shiva. In recent years, police have cracked down on sadhus selling cannabis during the event, but this was the biggest arrest of pilgrims for drug use to date. On the eve of `Mahashivaratri`, the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) said that they will deploy volunteers to keep an eye on the sadhus and youngsters. The authorities warned that those buying marijuana from the `sadhus` would not be spared either. PTI