Hindus from the country’s mid- and far-western regions celebrated the Gaura festival with much fanfare on Tuesday.
Women in the region celebrated the festival, offering prayers to goddess Gauri—wife of Lord Shiva—for their husband’s long life and a happy married life.
The festival was also celebrated in Tundikhel, where Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba participated in the Deuda dance, a form of folk dance performed in the Farwest.
Addressing hundreds of participants in the open space, PM Deuba said the festival is the special identity of Nepalis.
Extending wishes for peace, prosperity and happiness of Nepalis both at home and abroad on the occasion of Gaura Parba, the PM said the festival would further strengthen the social harmony and brotherhood among all Nepalis. “Nepal is an ample meeting point for multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural characteristics,” Deuba said in a statement. “Language, culture, costumes and traditions are the features to exhibit the characteristics of the communities’ concerned.”
More than 15,000 people converged at Tundikhel to mark the occasion, according to Hari Mohan Bhandari, chairperson of Baitadi Samaj that has been organising the festival in the open space since 1995.
“In the past, the participation was confined to the people from the Farwest. Today, more and more people from all over the country are coming here to celebrate the festival,” Bhandari noted.
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