Submit your Article

The Chhath festival fervor has gripped the Mithila region including Mahottari with the festival formally commencing from today. 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 by observing the 'Nahay Khay' rituals. They observed the 'Araba Arabain' in the morning today ahead of the festival which requires giving up impure food such as boiled rice, millet, lentil and meat on the third day of Kartik Shukla, the waxing moon in the month of Kartik as per the lunar calendar. There is a tradition that the fasting starts on the third day after consuming a regular meal. But this year, the day falls today due to the merging of 'tithis' as per the astrological calculations. Songs are being chanted signifying the Sun God and Chhathi Devi (Goddess) in the Mithila region. Devotees commented that they are free to celebrate the Chhath festival this time with the declines in the cases of coronavirus. The celebrations were muted in the last two years due to the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, devotees recalled, adding now they are excited to mark the grand festival without hesitation. With the advent of the Chhath, the Mithila-based ponds and river premises having religious importance are ornately decorated. Though there is a traditional belief that devotees, irrespective of gender, can observe fasting in the Chhath, mostly women are seen observing the fast and worshiping the Sun God. Today marks the beginning of the Chhath celebrations with the devotees taking holy dip and only eating pure food items with a resolution for rigorous fasting. 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. It usually falls between October and November in the Gregorian calendar. The Sun, considered as the God of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath festival wishing for the well-being, prosperity and progress. The rituals associated with the Chhath festival include 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.

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.