Maha Shivratri today

Hindu devotees all over the kingdom are celebrating the great festival of Maha Shivratri, the birthday of Lord Shiva today on Wednesday.

Devotees celebrate the day worshipping Lord Shiva at various rivers, ponds and temples from early in the morning.

Shivratri is one of the four holy nights, known as Kalaratri, Moharatri, Sukharatri and Shivratri, and is regarded as one of the greatest festivals in the holy sculptures or Puranas.

This day is celebrated on the 14th day of the lunar month of Falgun and is believed to instil faith in those destined to live in trouble.

Lord Shiva likes to be offered "belpatra" and "dhaturo." In Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is one of three great Gods, the two being Lord Brhama and Lord Bishnu.

Thousands of people have started thronging Pashupatinath temple from early in the morning today. Over 200,000 devotees are expected to visit the holy temple of Lord Shiva today. Of them, 50,000 are expected to be the Indian pilgrims.

As usual, Babas (Hindu monks), who have come from different parts of India, have become a major attraction in the Pashupatinath area today. 

All arrangements for the "darshan" of Pashupatinath have been completed, according to the managers of Shivratri mela. Many television and radio stations are broadcasting activities around Pashupatinath temple live.

Reports from various districts said many more Shivalayas (temples of Lord Shiva) across the country have been crowded with the devotees.

Some of the widely visited holy sites of Lord Shiva in the country include Pindeshor Dham (Dharan), Mukti Kshetra (Mustang), Gosaikunda (Rasuwa), Halesi Mahadev (Khotang) and Swarga Dwari, among others. nepalnews.com mr Feb 18 04 (with some inputs from RSS)

Kalikot toll rises to 60 

Security forces Tuesday claimed to have gunned down at least 60 Maoists in an offensive carried out on Monday and Tuesday at Kotbada and Malkot areas of Kalikot district.  

Quoting security sources, state-controlled Radio Nepal said that 60 bodies have been recovered from the incident site. It also claimed that the Sinkorali airfield, which the Maoists were using as their hideout has come under the control of the Unified Command troops.  

Security forces had made use of helicopter gunships and long-range weapons during the battle that, reports said, wrecked havoc on the rebel side. 

While a lieutenant was killed, half a dozen soldiers were injured in the skirmishes. Forces have also claimed they have confiscated a large number of arms and explosives from the Maoists.  

Latest reports said that fighting still continues in the area. Meanwhile, two Maoists have been reported killed in Ratahat and Dolkha districts today. nepalnews.com mbk Feb 17 04

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Strike update: Life disrupted, bandh 'peaceful'

The one-day strike called by the Maoists in Bagmati and Narayani zones on Tuesday disrupted life, but passed off peacefully, various reports said.

The strike also affected life in the eastern region, as long route vehicles could not leave for Kathmandu and other destinations, reports from Biratnagar said.

The strike, however, cast minimum impact in the western region. Life was as normal as before in the region, reports from Nepalgunj said.

Main bazaars, shops and schools of the central region remained closed throughout the day due to the strike.

In Kathmandu, Maoists exploded a bomb near Kalanki chowk at around 9:30 am in the morning. No one was hurt in the explosion which partially damaged two parked buses and broke windowpanes of a nearby building.

The two buses were plated Ba 1 Kha 6599 and Na 1 Kha 893, police said. The damaged building was a lodge named Salina Guesthouse, they added. 

The strike also led to the closure of Kathmandu-Simara regular flights on Tuesday. Today's strike (bandh) was second in five days. The earlier strike was also a Maoist-called strike. nepalnews.com mr Feb 17 04

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Their Majesties felicitated in Dolpa 

His Majesty King Gyanendra and Her Majesty Queen Komal visited Dolpa district on Tuesday to grace a civic felicitation. 

Their Majesties were felicitated amid separate functions at Dunai, the district headquarters and Tripurakot, in Dolpa this afternoon, reports from Dolpa said. 

Chairman of Dolpa District Development Committee Dhan Bahadur Buddha presented felicitation letters to the King and the Queen on behalf of the people of the district. 

The King, reports mentioned, interacted with ordinary citizens as well as the leading personalities of the society and took stock of the security and development affairs.  

While in Dolpa, the royal couple visited the temples of Bala Tripurasaundari and Bhagawati located at Danai and performed puja. 

Dolpa is 13th district their Majesties have visited in the last 10 days after the grand civic reception of February 8 in Nepalgunj. It is learnt that their Majesties will wrap up their whirlwind tour of mid-western districts after visiting Kalikot within a few days. 

According to reports, their Majesties have arrived in Bardia from Dolpa. nepalnews.com mbk Feb 17 04

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3 children killed in explosion 

Three children of a family were killed in Achham’s Bayala VDC-9 when a bomb left by the Maoists went off, reports Tuesday said. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon. 

The blast took place when the children played with the bomb kept on a bag, mistaking it for a toy. The victims who breathed their last on the spot were aged 6, 9 and 11. 

Another girl severely injured in the blast is undergoing treatment at a local health center. Reports also mentioned that the Maoists had barred the families from taking the girl to district headquarters, Mangalsen for treatment. nepalnews.com mbk Feb 17 04

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Maoists gun down ex-MP 

Suspected Maoists shot and killed Khem Narayan Foujdar, former member of the National Assembly and chairman of the district committee of the Nepali Congress (Democratic), Nawalparasi on Tuesday. 

At around 10.45am, a group of four or five assailants shot him at his ancestral home at Butaha of Panchapur VDC, Nawalparasi. Foujdar who received three bullets was taken to Prithivi Chand Hospital in Parasi where doctors pronounced him dead.

Denouncing the cowardly act, NC-D spokesperson Hom Nath Dahal said Foujdar’s murder has shocked the party. “Preliminary clues have revealed that this is an act of the Maoists. They have unveiled their ugly face by brutalizing a popular leader of ethnic communities in the district,” Dahal told Nepalnews. 

The Maoists, according to him, have once again proved that there is no room for different ideologies in their rule. 

Publishing a press statement, the NC-D condemned the murder, asking the ultras not to victimize innocent political activists. 

Foujdar, 52, was member of the upper house for six years from 2052 to 2058. nepalnews.com mbk Feb 17 04

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Sangina Baidya selected for Olympic games

Renowned tae-kwon-do player Sangina Baidya became the first Nepali to qualify for the upcoming Athens Olympic games in 2004, reports from Bangkok said Tuesday.

Baidya made it to the Olympic games, as she stood third in the Asian Qualifying Championship held on February 14-15 in Bangkok. She defeated her competitor from Jordan for the position in the Flyweight (below 49 kg) category.

She vied against the Jordan's after she lost the semi-final bout against a Chinese player.

Deepak Bista and Kumar Manandhar also participated in the Asian Qualifying Championship but could not qualify in their respective weight categories, the reports added. nepalnews.com rs Feb 17 04

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Nepal-Thailand sign air accord

Nepal and Thailand on Monday signed a bilateral air service agreement to operate 10 flights a week between the two countries, various reports said. Till date, the countries operate seven flights a week.

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and head of the Nepali delegation, Medhini Prasad Sharma signed the agreement on behalf of Nepal while the Thailand team led by the Director General of Aviation Department in Thailand signed the bilateral agreement.

As per the Memorandum of Understanding signed in the meeting, the countries can operate as many as 22 flights a week on mutual understanding, the reports said.

The Nepali delegation also proposed the Thai team to help Nepal operate a satellite communication system, route direction and surveillance system and air traffic management system. They also discussed ways to work together to promote tourism in both the countries, the reports added. 

The Thai team, on the occasion, suggested the Nepal side to approach through diplomatic channels for more bilateral cooperation, the reports further said. nepalnews.com rs Feb17 04

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EC to set up 15 more branches

The Election Commission (EC) is planning to establish 15 more districts offices in the country, reports said Tuesday.

"The Commission has sought the government's permission and necessary support for this," the reports quoted EC spokesman Tejmuni Bajracharya, as saying.

"The Commission will decide as to where the offices should be established only after the government reaches a decision,' he said.

At present, the Commission has 30 offices across the country including 20 in the Terai region and 10 in the hilly region. nepalnews.com rs Feb 17 04

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Respiratory disease kills nine more

Respiratory disease has spread in different VDCs of Baitadi district killing 9 people, so far, Spacetime daily said Tuesday.

"The disease, which broke out in Gajur, Rashiddheswor and Shankarpur VDCs, has spread in different parts of the district with a rise in the number of patients queuing up in the local health posts," the daily quoted Jangabir Bista, Secretary of Gajur VDC, as saying. 

According to Bista, the increasing number of patients has given rise to medicinal scarcity in the health posts. Meanwhile, authorities at the District Health Office denied there was any epidemic.

"We are preparing to send teams from the district headquarters to the affected areas to see what's the actual situation there," they said. nepalnews.com pd Feb 17 04

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