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The Chhath festival has begun in the Mithila region. People's mobility has increased in and around the region ahead of the four-day grand festival where the 'Sun God' is worshiped with devotion. The devotees begin the festival from today onward with 'Nahay Khay'.

The devotees have adopted the 'Araba Arabain' method on Thursday by giving up impure food such as boiled rice, millet, lintel and flesh on the third day of Kartik Shukla. There is a tradition that the fasting starts on the third day after consuming a regular meal. Songs are being chanted signifying the Sun God and Chhathi Devi (Goddess) now in the Mithila region.

With the advent of the Chhath, the Mithila-based ponds and river premises having religious importance are decorated as bride. Though there is a traditional belief that devotees, irrespective of gender, can observe fasting in the Chhath, mostly women are seen taking fast and worshiping the Sun God.

On the day today that marks the beginning of the Chhath celebrations, devotees take their holy dip and only eat pure food items with a resolution for rigorous fasting. This method is named 'Nahay Khay'. The festival has increased the busy mobility of the people in market places and public areas.

 Devotees are seen busy in managing materials for Chhath celebrations across the Mithila region. The Chhath festival is observed as a common cultural symbol of Tarai/Madhes. The festival is dedicated to the Sun God, with offerings made to the rising and setting Sun.

It is observed for four days, from Kartik Shukala Chaturthi to Kartik Shukla Saptami as per the lunar calendar. The Sun, considered as the God of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath festival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress. This year, the festival will conclude on coming Monday with the rising sun.

The ritual of Chhath festival includes taking holy bath, fasting and worshiping the Sun for a long time and offering prasad and argha (curd) to the 'Rising and Setting Sun'. Chhath is a festival of bathing and worshiping that follows a period of abstinence and segregation of the worshiper from the main household for four days. During this period, the worshiper observes purity, and sleeps on the floor on a single blanket.

The devotees offer their prayers to the setting sun, and then the rising sun in celebrating its glory as the cycle of birth starts with death. It is seen as the most glorious form of Sun worship.

Poachers killed two rhinos in the Chitwan National Park.

Two female rhinos were found dead with their horns removed in the area, 3.5 kilometers south-east of Chaparchuli Post under the east sector of the CNP, said the CNP information officer Ganesh Tiwari.

They were killed by trapping them into ditches, he said.

"One of the deceased rhinos was six-year-old and another 18 years old. The horn of the six-year-old rhino was cut, and the horn of another one was removed."

It has appeared that the six-year-old rhino was trapped to death in a new ditch some three days ago, and another into an old ditch some 10 days ago, he said. Investigations have been launched after taking details of the incident on Thursday evening, he said.

This year, five rhinos died natural death. Last year, poachers killed two rhinos in the Amaltari area.

Seven persons died and 330 others were injured in 266 road accidents that occurred in a period between October 28 and November 16 in the Kathmandu Valley.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, 74 vehicles met with accidents on their own while 192 occurred due to collisions with other vehicles.

The number of vehicles that met with accidents on their own in Kathmandu is 39 while 94 accidents occurred due to collisions with other vehicles.

In Lalitpur, 19 vehicles met with accidents on their own while 30 vehicles collided with other vehicles.

In Bhaktapur, 16 vehicles met with accidents on their own while 68 vehicles collided with other vehicles.

Meanwhile, police have arrested 108 persons involved in these accidents, SP Dinesh Raj Mainali of the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, said.

Two persons were killed in separate road accidents in Sunsari.

A person died and three others were injured in a tempo accident at Malpot Chowk in Dharan Sub Metropolitan City-6, said the police.

The deceased has been identified as Padam Bahadur Limbu (34) of Kerabari Rural Municipality-5 in Morang district.

He died at Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Nabin Krishna Bhandari.

The tragedy occurred when the tempo (Ko 2 Ha 5565) skidded off the road.

All the injured are receiving treatment at the hospital, said Bhandari.

Police said that they have been searching for the absconding driver.

Similarly, a man died after being hit by a motorcycle (Ba 27 Pa 8701) at Inaruwa in Sunsari.

The deceased has been identified as Bal Kumar Khatiwada (60) of Inaruwa-3. He breathed his last at the Biratnagar-based Nobel Hospital, said the police.