PM Koirala, CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli, Deputy Prime Minister Bam Dev Gautam, UCPN (Maoist) leader Dinanath Sharma, ministers, former ministers, lawmakers, former secretaries and businesspersons shared a stage for about four hours.

Six helicopters were chartered to ferry the bigwigs to the Biswashanti Dhandha-nynchal Dhawalgiri Birat Mahayangya and Dharmik Paryatan Mahotsav. The programme was organised by an organisation headed by Kamal Nayanacharya.

Observers see the helicopter tour as a misplaced priority. “Although it is not yet clear, the top leaders should not have gone there with businesspeople. If the cost was borne by the government, it’s a misuse of the state coffers,” said former secretary Shreekant Regmi. “More seriously, the leaders should have concentrated their efforts on the urgent task of constitution writing.”

“The organisers said they would bring big personalities. We thought it was a rumour spread to gather a huge mass. But they are here indeed,” said a local woman.

“A number of top leaders are here even as we want them to sit together to write the new constitution,” she added. The bigwigs met Nayanacharya who was seated in a raised seat. He welcomed them with garlands.

The leaders and officials remained there for hours while security personnel struggled to guard them in the midst of thousands of devotees and onlookers.

Speaking on the occasion, the bigwigs spent their time in extolling Nayanacharya. Prime Minister Koirala said he felt as if he were in heaven. He said tourism should also be promoted the religious way.

Oli said one should be aware of the “attacks being made on the Nepali civilisation and culture”. He announced the donation of Rs 25,000 to the Mahayagya.

“The government in present here,” said Gautam proudly. Stating that 81 percent Nepalis are Hindus, he said Hinduism was not only a religion but an inseparable culture of the Nepalis.

Addressing the function, Nayanacharya said Nepal could not be a secular state. “A decision should be taken as per the wish of the people,” he said. Entrepreneur Ajaya Sumargi announced to donate Rs10.55 million to the Mahayagya. He seemed busy welcoming and serving the guests with Prasad.

Vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission Govinda Pokharel, Founder Chairman of the Non-Resident Nepali Association Upendra Mahato and banker Chandra Dhakal also attended the ceremony.

This is not the first time that top politicians and officials have gathered for Kamal Nayanacharya’s yagya. Past April, when his Akhandajyoti Swamishreeji Charitable Trust organised Nepal Mata Mahima Rastriya Mahayagya in Pashupatinath, PM Koirala and UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal were present at the inauguration ceremony.

In the pamphlet prepared by the Trust for the religious event, PM Koirala, then chief justice Damodar Prasad Sharma, former prime ministers including Sher Bahadur Deuba, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal, Surya Bahadur Thapa and Dahal were named as senior advisors to the Trust. It had also written to government offices seeking financial support. Later, the PM’s Office, Nepal and the Supreme Court clarified that their names were included without their consent.