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The Bibaha Panchami festival is being celebrated across the country today by worshiping and paying homage to Shree Ramchandra and Sita. The festival bearing religious and cultural significance is observed on the fifth day of Shukla paksha (the waxing phase of the moon) in Marga month according to the lunar calendar. It commemorates the wedding of Hindu God Ram and Goddess Sita that took place in the Tretayug. The Bibaha Panchami is celebrated with gaiety and religious fervor especially in the historic city of Janakpur today, with thousands of devotees offering prayers at the famous Janaki temple since early morning. As per the Hindu mythology, King Janak of Mithila, Sita’s father, proposed a test of strength for the suitors of his daughter: to lift the great bow of Lord Shiva. Warriors, kin and chieftains came from afar, but no man could lift the bow. Ram, a prince from ancient Ayodhya, lifted the bow with ease and when he tried to string it, the bow shattered into pieces. Ram and Sita were married in Janakpur, the capital city of the ancient Mithila kingdom, and their marriage is celebrated to this day. Each year, idols of Ram and Sita are brought out in procession and their Hindu wedding ceremony is reenacted during a weeklong religious festival. As per Mithila culture, various events such as matkor, tilakostsab and swayambar are held in addition to the marriage ceremony.

Mahesh Basnet of CPN-UML has won the election to the House of Representatives from Ilam Constituency-1. He defeated CPN (Unified Socialist) leader and former prime minister Jhalanath Khanal by a margin of 2, 957 votes to book a seat in the Parliament.  

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava has called on CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on November 26. According to sources, the duo discussed Nepal’s election result and possible power-sharing. 

India has said that November 20 Parliamentary election is an internal exercise of Nepal. Speaking at a regular weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi further said that India looks forward to working with the new government which would be formed after the election. India and Nepal have a very special relationship and we will continue to have this very close relationship with whichever government the people of Nepal choose, he said.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava has called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. In the meeting, Deuba and Srivastava discussed the contemporary political situation including the election results.  

‘Naya Banpale’, a children’s story, written by journalist Indra Chaudhary, has been released. Room to Read, a non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, published the story. This book, according to Chaudhary, was written with the intention of fostering early understanding of environmental conservation. The focus of the book is on how one can protect the environment, he says. “The book aims to motivate kids to understand the problem of climate change from a young age and to help protect the environment.” The characters of this book were taken from a well-known folktale of the Rana Tharu culture. There are many glimpses of the ethnic group’s fascinating norms and traditions. The book was edited by Ananta Wagle and features artwork by Anushri Lama. Vipin Sodari worked on the cover design. 

Query

I’m a 29-year-old bartender and recently my pet dog of 12 years passed away. Dealing with the death of a loved one is generally difficult. But I feel like I’m falling deep into this sorrow, so much so that I don’t see myself feeling better, ever. I don’t know what to do to deal with this loss. Should I be seeking professional help? I can’t seem to think straight. I’m writing to let my emotions out and, in the process, maybe I can find some answers.—A pet lover Answered by Dristy Moktan, psychosocial counselor, Happy Minds I’m really very sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a pet can be a harrowing experience. It must be even more difficult since you both were together for 12 years. But I want to tell you that how you feel is a normal reaction, given the situation. The fact that you realize how you feel is the first step towards acceptance. What I understand when you say you are diving deep into your sorrow is that you are in the depression phase of your grief. It’s a very difficult phase and your concerns are valid. One thing I really appreciate is that you are aware of your emotional state. To some extent, it’s okay to feel this immense grief. But, on the other hand, you do need to work on getting out of it so that it will not last a long time. You can do that by finding closure. Everyone has a different way of doing that but there are a few things I would like you to try.  When there is a death in the family, our culture always gives us one last time to say goodbye to our loved ones through a funeral. It can be the same with your pet. It does not have to be exactly like that or even a big event. You can arrange a small memorial for your pet, and say a few words in memory of your dog. It can be extremely comforting and can give you a sense of peace.  If you aren’t up for that, then create an album, or try journaling, remembering the good times you have had with your pet. Sometimes recalling happy memories can help you heal or at least get started on that journey. Know that you gave your dog a loving home, you cherished it, and that it lived a happy life with you by its side. It can be difficult but you always knew this was inevitable, didn’t you? So try cherishing the memories you had.  Another thing you can do is talk to someone with whom you feel the most comfortable. Share your feelings, and cry if you feel like it, but don’t compartmentalize your emotions. Shutting off your emotions will push you deeper into the grieving state. It’s even better if you know someone who has lost a pet too. That way you can feel like you are not alone. Having a support group always helps as you will be going through the grieving process along with others by your side.  If you find my suggestions aren’t helpful, I would advise you to go for counseling. A trained professional will be a better option to guide you through your grieving process. 

The Netherlands survived Ecuador onslaught to eke out a 1-1 draw in their second Group A match at the Khalifa International stadium to remain in contention for the Round of 16 spot. Ecuador too remained in the race but the result eliminated hosts Qatar from the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 on Friday, The Times of  India reported.

Qatar became the first team to crash out of the tournament. The Dutch and Ecuador each have four points, Senegal have three. Qatar are without a point after they lost their opening game 0-2 to Ecuador and then went down 1-3 to Senegal earlier on Friday. They cannot qualify whatever happens in their final match against the Dutch on Tuesday.

The Netherlands took an early lead in the game with Cody Gakpo scoring the fastest goal of the tournament in the sixth minute, but their dominance did not last long. The goal spurred Ecuador to up their game and dictated the terms especially in the second half. The equalising goal for the South American side came early in the second half when their talismanic skipper Enner Valencia scored his third goal of the tournament in the 49th minute.

Ecuador kept pressing for the winner and registered as many as 15 shots on goal in the game with four on target, while the Dutch managed just two attempts including the early goal.

Valencia, 33, tapped in his third goal of the tournament from a rebound in the second half after Cody Gakpo had put the Dutch ahead in the sixth minute with a sizzling shot.

Ecuador had a subdued first half as Louis van Gaal's side looked comfortable but unhurried. But the South Americans, roared on by a large yellow-clad contingent at the Khalifa International Stadium, stepped up a gear in the second half and could have won it when Gonzalo Plata's strike hit the crossbar.

Plato thrashed a powerful shot onto the woodwork in the 59th minute as the South Americans went from strength to strength, consistently hustling the Dutch off the ball by applying a physically-demanding press that did not allow their opponents to play their usual flowing game.

It had started out most promising for the Dutch, looking for their second win of the tournament that would have ensured they were the first team to qualify for the knockout stages, when Gakpo scored.

A stray ball back to his defence by Moises Caicedo was stolen by Davy Klaassen, who then left Gakpo take over possession and slam a left-footed rocket into the net.

But that was as good as it got for Louis van Gaal's side. Valencia's clever pass in the 24th minute sent Caicedo away down the left and, although his touch was heavy and allowed the Dutch to intercept, it provoked a burst of noise from the large number of their fans that injected energy into the Ecuador players, according to The Times of India. Valencia cut inside to fire a shot that forced a full stretch save out of Dutch goalkeeper Andries Noppert soon after the half hour mark and, as they kept up the pressure, Ecuador had the ball in the back of the net in first half stoppage time as Pervis Estupinan deflected the ball home. However, it was ruled out because Jackson Porozo was both offside and standing in front of the goalkeeper and blocking his line of sight. The equaliser four minutes into the second half was always on the cards, as Ecuador stole possession in midfield and fed Estupinan for a stinging shot on the left that Noppert did well to parry but with Valencia pouncing on the rebound. The 33-year-old, who went off near the end of the game, has now netted Ecuador's last six World Cup finals goals – three at the 2014 tournament in Brazil and three in Qatar.