President Ram Chandra Paudel on Tuesday attended this year’s Ghodejatra celebrations organized at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel, Kathmandu. As part of the ceremony, different performances including the pony horse race, charger horse race and other shows were performed by the NA personnel. On the occasion, President Paudel distributed prizes to the winners of the musical ride and show jump competitions. In the show jump, NA Captain Rajesh Shrestha stood first and army man Ram Sharan Neupane got the second prize while Captain Rojina Mahat and Captain Safalata Shrestha received the first and second prizes in the musical ride.
Prior to this, President Paudel offered a floral tribute at the martyrs’ memorial and, a parade of commander presented lance to the President. Ghodejatra is a longstanding tradition being observed for centuries in the Kathmandu Valley as a social festival. According to the Nepali Army, the Nepal Cavalry was formed during the succession of the late King Surendra Shah in 1849 AD and was renamed the King’s Household Cavalry after the reorganization of the Nepali Army in 1952 AD. In the ceremony today, Vice-President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina and ministers were present.
Likewise, chiefs of the constitutional bodies, government’s high-ranking officials, chiefs of diplomatic missions in Nepal and others visited the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel to observe the ceremony. Chief of Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma welcomed the distinguished personalities visiting the ceremony.
