KATHMANDU, Sept 30: Food Management and Trading Company (FMT) has fixed the price of the live goat at Rs 550 per kilogram and mountain goat at Rs 730 per kilogram.

The state-owned company has started selling the goats at Thapathali based Bagmati zonal office godown of the Food Corporation from Monday.

The price has been fixed with a discount of Rs 10 per kg, said Yogendra Gauchan, director-general of Department of Commerce, Supply & Consumer Protection.

The company is targeting to sell about 3,000 goats targeting Dashain, the biggest festival of Nepal.

According to Gauchan, they are bringing about 1,920 mountain goats and 1,000 goats from Mustang, Makwanpur and Dang districts.

“We have already procured some goats while others will arrive in the capital in one or two days,” he added.

The government has started selling goats at cheaper price in order to intervene in the dramatic price surge in the goat market.

The goats are being sold at Rs 650 per kg and mountain goats at Rs 750 in other goat markets.

“We have made the goats available to the consumers bearing the loss. It will be a relief to the consumers at the time when the goat prince has hiked in the market,” he said.

KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has mobilized 500 volunteers in different parts of the valley keeping in attention the traffic rush on the eve of the upcoming festivals Dashain, Tihar and Chhath.

The information was shared during a function organized jointly by the Traffic Police Division and the National Youth Council and UN Nepal in the capital on Sunday.

According to the Division, volunteers from 23 schools and colleges, two youth clubs and 16 transport offices have been mobilized in the valley streets under the Youth Mobilization Year-2076, while 10 popular artists and 12 air hostages are also joining the campaign.

The volunteers will help the pedestrian cross the roads through zebra crossing; help them use footpaths and sky bridge; help in the management of pick and drop as well as passengers at bus stops; and help the traffic in maintaining lane.

They will be mobilized in major parts of the valley including Durbarmarga, Keshar Mahal, Jamal, Ranodipp, Tri-Chandra College road, Votahiti, Bir Hospital, Juddha Salik, New Road, Nagasthan, Thapathali, Tripureshwor, Putalisadak, Singha Durbar, Maitighar, Kupondol, Pulchowk, Koteshwor, Baneshwor, Kalimati, Kalanki, New Buspark, Maharajgunj, Gaushala and in front of the B&B Hospital.

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and Inspector General of Nepal Police Sarbendra Khanal distributed uniform and identity cards to the volunteers.

Youth Council’s Executive Vice-president Madhav Dhungel, Kathmandu Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya, Youth and Sports Ministry Secretary Ram Prasad Thapaliya, Additional Inspector General of Police Thule Rai, Sports Ministry Vice-secretary Krishna Bahadur Basyal, Kathmandu Chief District Officer Janak Raj Dahal, Metropolitan Police Division Ranipokhari Chief Deputy Inspector General of Police Sailesh Thapa Tshetri, UNV Country Coordinator Moon Gurung, Federation of Nepal National Transport Entrepreneurs General Secretary Sajor Sitaula were also present in the program.

Photo: Mukunda Kalikote/Reporters’ Club Nepal

KATHMANDU, Sept 22: As the pre-booking of tickets for Dashain has started, thousands of people have crammed the ticket stations in New Buspark since the wee hours.

The ticket counters have also been opened in Kananki, Balkhu, Koteshwor, Old Buspark, Tilganga, Chabahil, Swyambhu, Sundhara, Naghdhunga, Gajati and Lagankhel.

Every year, millions of city dwellers leave the valley to their hometown to celebrate the biggest festival of the country. According to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, over 3 million people are estimated to leave the valley this Dashain.

The Traffic Police Division has also made it compulsory for ticket counters to wear a uniform and carry identity card in a bid to control the black marketing of bus tickets.

Meanwhile, the Division has also set up help desks in 14 different places of the valley in order to keep surveillance of the ticket counters. Desks showing the government-fixed ticket price have also been set up in front of the counters.

Photos: Mukunda Kalikote

KATHMANDU, Oct 5: Nepali Hindus are observing the Kojagrat Poornima (full moon day) today as part of the final day of the 15-day Bada Dashain festival by worshiping and paying homage to Mahalaxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

The Bada Dashain festival formally ends today with the marking of the Kojagrat Poornima–devotees offering worships to Mahalaxmi at their homes in the evening, and keeping vigil the whole night.

There is a belief that the goddess Mahalaxmi takes a trip around the world on the night of Kojagrat Poornima ‘to check as to who is observing the vigil on this particular night’.

As per this belief, the goddess of wealth blesses the people who are found observing the overnight vigil, says Nepal Calendar Determination Committee Chairperson Prof Dr Ramchandra Gautam.

Since the ritual of giving and receiving Tika and Jamara of the Dashain festival also concludes on this day, the Jamara that is sprouted and anointed at the Dashainghar and Kot on the day of Ghatasthapana is disposed of as per the religious tradition.

People also perform worship at the Swoyambhu Chaitya and observe the night vigil by lighting the Mahadeep lamp. RSS

KATHMANDU, Sept 21: “Navaratri Parba” or the nine-night festival of Bada Dashain, the great festival of the Hindu religious people of Nepal, commenced from Thursday.

The first day of Bada Dashain festival is called “Ghatasthapana” that falls on Aswin Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright half of the lunar calendar in the month of Aswin.

On the day of Ghatasthapana, all Nepalis worship Diyo (an oil-fed lamp), Kalas (auspicious jar) and lord Ganesh in accordance with Vedic rituals and sow maize and barley seeds in a jar filled with soil and cow dung for germination of the auspicious Jamara (barley shoots). The auspicious hour of observing Ghatasthapan is 9:41 am today.

Prayers are also offered to Durga Bhavani, the goddess of power today.

Germination of the auspicious “Jamara” is also initiated at Hanumandhoka Dashain Ghar in accordance with Vedic rituals, today.

There is also a tradition of sacrificing animals while initiating the germination of the “Jamara”.

Also today, prayers are offered to goddess Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati at the Dashain Ghar, marking the beginning of the Navaratri (nine nights).

The golden barley shoots and the auspicious Tika are given by parents to their children and by elders to their juniors on the tenth day of the Bada Dashain festival with blessings for peace, progress and prosperity.

During the Navaratri, thousands of devotees visit Naxal Bhagawati, Shobha Bhagawati, Maitidevi, Guheswori, Bhadrakali, Kalikasthan, Sankata, Mahankalsthan, Naradevi, Bijayeswori, Indrayani, Dakshinkali, Chamunda and other shrines of goddess Durga Bhavani in the early morning.

People also recite sacred verses and hymns dedicated to Durga Bhawani at temples and shrines as well as at their homes throughout the Dashain period. RSS 

Here are some glimpse of Basantapur area:

Photo Courtesy: Mukunda Kalikote

KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (UML) are to organise a tea reception on the occasion of the Vijaya Dashami, Deepawali, Eid, Chhath festivals and the Nepal Sambat tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, respectively.

The NC is organizing the reception at the party central office Sanepa from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Monday while the CPN (UML) has decided to host the tea party  at the same time at its central office, Balkhu on October 30, Tuesday, it is learnt.
The culture of organizing the festival tea reception had begun in the Congress in 2033 BS  since  the return of party founding leader BP Koirala  from an exile in India while the then Chairman of CPN ( UML) Manmohan Adhikari had commenced the culture of reception in the party.

Leaders of political parties, chiefs of diplomatic missions, business community, civil society leaders, artists, litterateurs and journalists have been invited to the receptions. RSS

KATHMANDU: Dashain is one of the biggest and widely celebrated festivals. And while we commoners are celebrating it, our actors and actress have also gone home or on foreign tour to celebrate this festival. So lets take a peek into what they are doing.

Super hero Rajesh Hamal is on one-month America tour where he is scheduled to  attend a number of programs organised by Nepalese in America.

Actress Rejina Upreti has flown to Europe to join her boyfriend in London and will be involved in the publicity of her upcoming film.

Actress Binita Baral has already gone home town Chitwan to celebrate her Dashain. There she has plans to participate in musical and dance shows and will show off her talent to her own district residents.

There is however a twist. Baral said that she is religious and will also participate in some Bhajans and religious gatherings. And Langarbuja will be the main entertainer for her.

And actress Sumina Ghimire is heading home, Surkhet, where is looking forward to receive tika from her aged grandparents.

KATHMANDU: Dashain celebrating has escalated across Nepal on Sunday on the seventh day of the ten day festival.  Fulpati an assortment of flowers, leaves and fruits of different plants considered auspicious, is anointed at the Dashaighar in Kathmandu and taken home by people.

The Fulpati is brought to Kathmandu as per the Vedic rites to be anointed at the Dashaighar at the Hanumandhoka Durbar. The Gurujyuko Platoon, the Nepal army, Nepal police, and high ranking officials of Armed Police and civil service, the Asha Gurja team, band music, and panchebaja bands and decorated kalsyoulis, and a procession along with cultural pageantry leave Hanuman Dhoka for Jamal with the Fulpati.

Though Dashain festival begins from Ghatasthapana, the festival sees special fervor from the day of Fulpati.

All government as well as private offices close from today encouraging people to go back to their ancestral homes and take blessings from Durga Bhawani as well as their elders. RSS