Chhath Pooja observed

KATHMANDU, Nov 4 - Devotees, mainly from Terai origin, Tuesday evening thronged the riverbanks and ponds in the Terai and some other regions including the Kathmandu Valley to perform Chaath Pooja by worshiping the setting sun. They, principally women, will break 36-hour-long fast after worshipping the rising sun Wednesday morning.The ...

The number of Chhath celebrants, over 70,000, has increased in the Valley this year because of obstruction of the East-West Highway by the devastating Koshi deluge and adoption of the festival by people other than that of the Mithila descent. Many people from the eastern Terai across the Koshi River could not return home to celebrate this festival this year.

To perform the rituals of the festival last year about 25,000 people had thronged Ranipokhari.

A study shows that 15 per cent of total celebrants who take part in the religious carnival are are non-Terai people. Taking into the increasing number of devotees into consideration, the area for performing rituals have been increased up to one kilometre at Thapathali along the Bagmati River.

Besides Thapathali and Ranipokhari, the Chhath Pooja was performed at Guheshwori, Manahara, Kuleshwor Mahadev, Naxal Nagpokhari, Chiplekhola at Nagdhunga, and Balaju in the Valley.

Meanwhile, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav issued a special message on the occasion of Chhath festival today and called on all to maintain national unity, religious harmony, and brotherhood and to respect socio-cultural sentiment.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal also congratulated the people and expressed his belief that the religious tolerance existing among the people of different religions and communities will continue and prosper further.

Likewise, Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal, Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana have also expressed their regards on the occasion of Chhath festival.