Photos by: Prakash Chandra Timilsena

Different organisations and political parties on Thursday organised vairous programmes to mark the 296th birth anniversary of Prithvi Narayan Shah, also known as National Unity Day.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba garlanded the life-size statue of the builder of the nation, Prithvi Narayan Shah, at a ceremony held in front of the west gate to the Singha Durbar today.

Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeetendra Narayan Dev, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Bikram Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Supplies Jayanta Chand, Chief of the Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri, the Chancellors, Vice-chancellors and member secretaries of various academies, and Nepali Congress leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, the Chiefs of the Nepal Police and the Armed Police and government high officials also garlanded the late king's statue.

Likewise, on the occasion, representatives of various organisations and members of the general public offered bouquets and garlands at the statue of the unifier of modern Nepal.

A contingent of the Nepalese Army offered a guard of honour to the President. Prithvi Jayanti and the National Unification Day is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety from this year after the government announced a public holiday on this Day after a gap of 11 years.

Delivering a message on the occasion of National Unity Day today, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli pledged to move ahead keeping in mind the people's mandate to left alliance to keep intact the national unity and protect national integrity.

"Our ancestors built Nepal through struggle. We so not need to fight anymore. Just taking right stance would protect our dignity and integrity", Oli noted, adding that the forces opting to fragment Nepal now is in weak position.

Oli also said that Prithvi Narayan Shah had contributed to unite several principalities and made a strong Nepal.