Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Yagya Bahadur Thapa inaugurated a nine-day Navadurga Festival in Pokhara on Thursday. 

The festival is organised by Bindhya Basini Religious Area Development Committee on the occasion of the biggest festival of the Nepalis -Bijaya Dashami. 

Minister Thapa drew the attention of all the concerned authorities towards the conservation and development of physical infrastructures in the Bindhya Basini Temple. 

He was of the confidence that the Temple would play a significant role in promotion of religious tourism in Pokhara. 

The festival aims to promote the religious tourism as well as the world peace and communal amity, said Committee's member-secretary Tirtha Shrestha. 

On the inaugural day, a religious procession named Navadurga Shova Yatra was marched which started from Mohariya Tole and ended in Bindyabasini Temple. 

Representatives from various local social organizations as well as security bodies such as Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force among others participated in the procession. 

A Bhagawat Devi Gyan Mahayagya- or grand fire offerings rites with the recital of Hindu holy scripture Devi Bhagawat - also started from today.