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The number of dengue infection cases has crossed 2,000 in Chitwan, the District Health Office Chitwan said. The Office stated that dengue has been confirmed in 2,164 persons till October 27 so far in the current fiscal year. Dengue tests were conducted on 8,853 samples during this period and 2,164 of these samples were tested dengue positive. The Health Office said that 1,451 among these cases are from Chitwan district and the remaining is from other districts. Among the 1,451 cases, 822 are male and 629 are female. It is stated that 454 dengue patients are from outside districts while the name and address of 259 of them is not ascertained. Three people have died from dengue in Chitwan district during this period, the District Health Office said. The highest number of cases has been found in Bharatpur Metropolitan City among the seven local levels in the district. Dengue has been confirmed in 978 persons, including 559 male and 419 female, in Bharatpur. Similarly, dengue has been found in 124 persons in Khairahani Municipality, in 28 persons in Madi, in 197 persons in Ratnanagar, in 79 persons in Rapti and in 37 persons in Kalika Municipalities and in eight persons in Icchakamana Rural Municipality.

Two persons died in a motorbike accident at the under construction airport in Sandhikharka, Arghakhanchi. DSP Mukunda Rijal of the District Police Office said that Roshan Sunam (26) and Kritim Rayamajhi of Media Chowk, Sandhikharka Municipality-1 died on the spot when the motorbike (Province No. 2-038-Pa-5038) met with an accident. He said that the incident occurred when they were riding the bike on the runway at Shikharbarni in Sandhikharka-10. DSP Rijal said that Bishnu Parajuli (20) and Hemraj Bhusal (57) were injured in another motorbike (Ba 25 Pa 8876) accident. They are undergoing treatment at the Marcity Hospital, police said.    

The Palpali Dhaka fabric has become the choice of both domestic and foreign visitors to Palpa with product diversification in response to the desire of the consumers. Apparels and articles made out of the Palpali Dhaka textile are sold in higher number as gifts and souvenir. The production of the Dhaka fabric was started from a single handloom in Tansen in 2015 BS. Its demand is increasing over the years following the product diversification. “Before, Palpali Dhaka was understood only the Nepali caps, made of the Dhaka fabric, which were worn only by the males. Nowadays, different kinds of clothes for male, female and children are made out of this fabric,” said Gyanu Karki, who has been trading in Palpali Dhaka fabric in Tansen. Karki added that a variety of apparels can be made for people of all ages from the head to the feet. The sale of Palpali Dhaka cloth has suddenly shot up during the Tihar festival. Its business had slumped due to the COVID-19 infection for two years. The sale of Palpali Dhaka fabric has seen a rise this year, especially during the Tihar festival period, with decline in COVID-19 infection. There is a tradition of sisters gifting various goods and clothes made from Dhaka fabric to their brothers on the day of Bhaitika, the last day of the five-day Tihar festival, the second biggest festival of Nepal. So the sale of items made of Dhaka fabric has increased during the Tihar time as compared to other times. People in large numbers can be seen at Tansen, Rampur and other main markets in the district buying the Dhaka topi (cap), waist-coat, tie and bag for brothers and the Dhaka shawl, saree, kurta-suruwal and bags for sisters to be given as present for Bhaitika. The price of a unit of Nepali Dhaka topi cap is in the range of Rs 100 to Rs 2,500. Twenty-four industries manufacturing the Dhaka fabric have been registered in Palpa district, the Cottage and Small Industries Office, Palpa said. More than 5,000 people are employed in these industries. Pramila Karki, who has been involved in the Palpali Dhaka fabric business in Tansen, said that the a single cloth store’s sales of the Dhaka fabric is between Rs. 100 thousand and Rs 500 thousand in the period between Dashain and Tihar. Dhaka fabric transaction in Palpa was worth Rs 100 million last year and it is expected to reach Rs 120 million this year.

The most important day of Tihar, the festival of lights, is being marked today with sisters offering 'tika' to their brothers. Sisters throughout the country offer 'tika' to their brothers wishing them happiness, long life and prosperity on the occasion of Bhai tika. In return, the brothers pledged to protect their sisters from all kinds of adversities. The auspicious hour for offering the 'tika' is 11: 37 am this year. It, however, can be held until sunset. On this day, brothers are seated at a specially anointed place around which a trail of mustard oil is drawn. The sisters then offer the brothers 'tika' and garlands of 'Dubo' and 'Makhamali'. After placing colourful 'tika' on the foreheads of their brothers, sisters offer them a treat consisting varieties of sweets, walnut, spices and 'Sel', a special kind of bread cooked in oil. Brothers also offer their sisters 'tika' in return, wish them happiness and good luck, and give them presents. The occasion commemorates a legendary event in which a sister has won a boon from 'Yama', the deity of death that her brother would not die until the mustard oil is dried up and the garland of 'Dubo' and 'Makhamali' faded. The Bhaitika tradition is so strong in Nepali society that even those who have no brothers or sisters of their own receive tika from others whom they regard as brothers and sisters.