Bhaktapur : President Ramchandra Paudel on Sunday visited the Nawadurga Temple in Bhaktapur on the occasion of Kojagrat Poornima, the concluding day of Bada Dashain festival, and paid homage to the Hindu deity.
After performing special pooja dedicating to the Nawadurga goddess, the Head of the State received tika and prasad from temple main priest Indra Bahadur Banmala.
Ramesh Karmayacharya assisted the President to perform Sankalpa Pooja of the Nawadurga.
Following the rituals, the President made monetary offerings to 28 Devaganas (symbolic demigods) including the priests.
On the occasion, the President was welcomed by Bagamati Province Chief Minister Kiran Thapa Magar, province Minister for Industry, Tourism, Labour and Transport, Rajendra Prajapati, federal lawmaker Rukesh Ranjit from Bhaktapur-1, Bhaktapur’s Chief District Officer, Binod Bahadur Khadka, district chiefs of security agencies and the chief of Guthi Sansthan Office, Bhaktapur.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Thapa Magar presented Rs 100,000 to the Bhaktapur’s Nawadurga Devagana Jatra and Temple Management Committee to support the celebration of the Nawadurga Festival. The President also honoured the committee with a letter of appreciation.
According to the Chief Minister, the assistance was for supporting to conduct the Nawadurga Festival.
According to Nawadurga Temple Management Committee’s advisor Narayan Prasad Banamala, following the 2045 BS earthquake in Nepal, the then Head of the State started continuing these religious rituals and prayers, wishing for well-being of the nation and people, along with protection from natural disasters.
Navadurga (nine Hindu deities) Brhamayani, Maheshwori, Kumari, Vaishnavi, Barahi, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, Tripurasundari and Bhadrakali are worshipped on this occasion.
