Muglin: Foreign tourists currently in the tourist city of Sauraha in Chitwan participated in the Bijaya Dashami festival on Tuesday following local traditions. They engaged in the festival by receiving Tika and Jamara, and the ceremony was organized by Sapana Village Hotel.

One of the participants, 26-year-old David Wright from the Netherlands, expressed his joy at being a part of the Dashain festival in Nepal. He shared, “I had only heard about Nepali traditions and culture. Now, I have experienced it, and I am thrilled to have had this special opportunity.”

Another tourist, 21-year-old Mica, also shared her delight in participating in the Tika ceremony. She has plans to celebrate Dashain in Nepal again next year, stating, “I enjoy experiencing cultures and traditions from various countries directly. That's why I chose Nepal this time to experience the Dashain festival.”

Sauraha has already welcomed the arrival of the tourist season. Dhruba Giri, the chair of Sapana Village, mentioned that in the past, they used to celebrate the Tika festival with foreign tourists in a similar manner. They believe that this practice helps preserve Dashain traditions, making them more familiar to the international community and promoting their essence beyond Nepal.

Sauraha’s tourism industry faced challenges in recent years due to various circumstances, such as the 2015 earthquake, subsequent economic blockade, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and lockdown, along with the situation of the Narayangadh-Muglin road section. However, the atmosphere in Sauraha has become more encouraging lately. Over the past three days, 40 percent of tourists in the city have come from third countries. They eagerly participate in the Dashain celebrations and the kite flying event, which is one of the festival’s attractions.