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Doctors have advised the public to be careful of their food choices during this festive season.

They prescribe for limiting the intakes of meat products, beverages and sugary foods during the Dashain festival. 

BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital's medical oncologist Dr Guru Sharan Shah cautioned that festival foods are generally not suitable for good health and can increase the risk of cancer.

Liquor products, in particular, can contribute to various cancer risks including  liver, throat, stomach, breast and intestine cancers.  

Dr Shah also highlights the health risks associated with excessive intake of red meat and sugary foods, which can increase the risk of colon cancer. Grilled meat, due to the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, is linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer.

Dr Shankar Laudari, a cardiologist at Chitwan Heart Hospital, recommends a daily meat intake of just 50-70 grams per person. Consuming more than 150 grams of meat per day can lead to a 15 percent higher chance of suffering a heart attack, according to the doctor.

Moreover, regular meat consumption is associated with a higher risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. "To mitigate these risks, it is advisable to remove fat and skin from meat before cooking and prepare it with minimal oil, spices, and salt. Chicken is a better choice compared to mutton, and fish is recommended over red meat," Laudari added.

Senior physician Dr Bhojraj Adhikari advises the public to maintain a balanced diet during the festival season, urging  them to avoid red meat when possible. "Skinless meat is a good source of protein and is healthier. Excessive use of salt, oil, and spices to enhance the taste of meat is discouraged from a medical perspective."

It is worth noting that frozen meat, as well as grilled, fried, and dried meats, are not considered healthy options. 

Fresh meat should be prepared with minimal salt, oil, and spices. Combining meat consumption with beverages and smoking poses greater health risks. 

A better approach is to include fruits and vegetables along with meat products for a more balanced and health-conscious diet, doctors recommend.

Khotang: In this festive season, the Barahapokhari Rural Municipality in Khotang district has exported goats worth Rs 17.5m to Kathmandu.

A total of 875 goats were dispatched to Kathmandu by five different groups of intermediaries, solidifying the rural municipality’s reputation as a thriving hub for goat farming.

Ashish Banjara, the Chief of the Livestock Section of the rural municipality, disclosed that the total value of the goats exported from the rural municipality exceeds Rs 17.5m, with an estimated rate of Rs 20,000 for each goat.

The intermediaries made direct visits to farmers' homes to acquire the goats, enabling some farmers to earn up to Rs 600,000 each through these sales.

The transportation of these goats to Kathmandu took place on Oct 18 and 19 from Khotang district, with some farmers themselves taking their goats to Gaighat in Udayapur district for sale.

Officials and members of the business community have noted that a significant number of high-value he-goats were exported from Khotang to other districts during this festive season, further establishing goat farming as a profitable venture.

Nevertheless, there is potential for even greater profits if the local government focuses on developing a more robust supply chain for goods produced in the district.

Kathmandu: On the occasion of the Bada Dashain festival, Fulpati is being brought into homes today, following a cherished tradition observed throughout the country.

Fulpati, a medley of auspicious flowers, leaves, and fruits from various plants, is ritually anointed at the Dashain Ghar on the seventh day of the Bada Dashain festival. It is brought to Kathmandu in accordance with Vedic rites to be consecrated at the Hanumandhoka Durbar.

At Hanumandhoka Durbar, a procession that includes the Gurujyuko platoon, the Nepal Army, the Nepal Police, high-ranking officials of the Armed Police Force Nepal, civil service, the Asha Gurja team, band music, panchebaja, adorned kalsyoulis, and a cultural pageantry departs from Jamal with the Phulpati.

The Nepal Calendar Determination Committee affirms that Fulpati's entry into homes does not require an auspicious hour. However, it holds special significance for the Dashain festival, which officially commences with Ghatasthapana.

Furthermore, a palanquin containing Phulpati is sent from Dashainghar in Gorkha Durbar to be transported all the way to Hanumandhoka Durbar in Kathmandu. This tradition adheres to time-honored Vedic rites and dates back to the era when Prithvi Narayan Shah, the then King of Gorkha, initiated his rule from Hanumandhoka Durbar in Kathmandu. Since then, an annual tradition has been established where a palanquin bearing Phulpati is dispatched from Gorkha Dashainghar on the seventh day of the Bada Dashain festival, Nepal's grandest festival.

The assistants of the Gorkha Durbar carry Phulpati up to a place known as Phulpati Chautara at Satipipal, from where it is subsequently transported to Kathmandu.

Starting today, all government as well as private offices close down, encouraging people to return to their respective ancestral homes and seek blessings from Durga Bhawani and their elders.

I was just ten years’ old when I decided to become the only vegetarian in my family. Interestingly, no one opposed. I have heard many stories where parents did not permit their kids to be “deprived of animal protein” when they wanted to make that decision. Thankfully, it was not my case. I had a couple of reasons to become a vegetarian.  

In those days, it was a matter of pride for each household to buy at least one live goat for Dashain. As an animal lover, I’d be happy to see goats at our place. I’d pet them despite being frightened by the small but pointed horns. I remember how their voice would change when I'd greet them with a bunch of green leaves. Later, the floor would be all littered with tiny black droppings when they were done eating. 

But my friendship would end on the day of Astami! A large cooking pot would be placed on firewood or stove to boil water. A strong man would show up at our house readying a paste of oil and turmeric and sharpening his Khukuri. Those were enough hints for me to understand that it was the day of slaughter of the poor goat. The goat that was frolicking until the morning would now end up in different forms of meat in the fridge. I could never normalize this idea of eating your own pet. Would anyone think of slaying their puppies or kittens for a variety of meat? And who gives humans the authority to take others' lives? One might argue that it's the nature of the ecosystem but I feel it shows our atrocity over the innocent. I made the decision to stop eating meat. 

I was in grade six then and one day in class, we discussed the poem Paap Laagchha by Laxmi Prasad Devkota. Its lines were simple but very powerful—nachhopnu hai charibari, saraap aansu laagdachha; namaarnu jantu hai kunai, basera kaala jaagdachha—meaning killing birds and animals was a sin and that the sufferings of the animals would haunt you. It was an added inspiration for me to respect everyone’s lives. And then started my journey as a vegetarian. Goat slaughtering at our house was also banned.

So, how has my Dashain been over the past three decades? Well, it’s like anyone else’s except for eating meat. I avoid going to the temples where animal sacrifices are made. I make traditional bottled pickles of overripe cucumber and radish. Instead of meat, I eat cottage cheese or mushrooms for protein. The aroma of guavas are also a reminder of Dashain for me. I play cards with my family, enjoy the bamboo swing, and travel around to see the ripe paddy farms around Kathmandu. Taking a peek every day at the barley seeds sown on the day of Ghatasthapana to see if jamara sprouted or not is another routine for me. Finally, blooming bright marigolds, fragrance of gokul dhup, attempts to fly kites in the blue autumn sky, listening to Dashain music in the mornings, and receiving tika on the main day from elders and counting daskshina at night just like a child give me enough happiness to enjoy Dashain, without eating meat!