Their Majesties grace Feu-De-Joie

Kathmandu, Oct. 4 (RSS): Their Majesties the King and Queen graced Feu-De-Joie and March Past Programmes presented by the Royal Nepal Army at the Royal Nepal Army Pavilion on the occasion of "Phulpati", the seventh day of the Bada Dashain today.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and other members of the Royal family were present on the occasion.

His Majesty the King presented the King’s banner to the Kevaljung Company Commander Major Ram Sharan Karki.

The Kevaljung Company with "Satya Nai Shakti" or truth is power as its motto was instituted during the reign of King Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah in 1865 BS.

The company has been successfully fulfilling its duty in various places of the Kingdom and had won the first position in the King Mahendra Nature Conservation Trophy Tournament in 2053 BS.

The company had taken part in the Nepal-Tibet war of 1912 BS, played an active role in the areas that were defeated in course of the national unification and has been assigned to East Timor for the last five months at the call of the United Nations.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Speaker Taranath Ranabhat, Chairman of the National Assembly Dr Mohammad Mohsin, Ministers, MPs, Heads of Constitutional Bodies and other high-ranking officials were present on the occasion.

On the occasion, the Royal Nepal Army opened successive salvos and individual fire.

People gathered in large numbers around Tundikhel to see the Feu-De-Joie programme.

Phulpati fest celebrated

Kathmandu, Oct. 4 (RSS): The seventh day of the Bada Dashain Festival was observed today by placing "Phulpati" at "Dashainghars" throughout the Kingdom according to religious tradition.

The Phulpati brought from Gorkha and placed at Jamal on the occasion of Bada Dashain was taken to the Dashainghar at Hanumandhoka where the idol of goddess Durga Bhavani is enshrined.

A procession comprising musical band, the Guruju platoon, Panchaibaja, women carrying auspicious pitchers, cultural pageantry, an "Asaburja" team, military and police personnel and others marched from Hanumandhoka to Jamal to fetch the Phulpati.

The Chief Justice, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Rajparishad Standing Committee, Ministers, office-bearers of the Raj Parishad Standing Committee, Gurujuko Paltan, Royal Nepalese Army, Nepal Police and high-ranking officers in the royal service and civil service participated in the procession.

According to the tradition, priests of the Dashainghar including six Magars escort the Phulpati upto Jibanpur of Dhading district from where it is escorted upto Jamal in Kathmandu, by six Brahmans from Kathmandu.

The Phulpati basically consists of auspicious items including sugarcane, banana, plant, belpatra (wood apple) pomegranate, ear of "Jayanti" rice and ginger plant.

Gorkha: On the occasion of the seventh day of Badadashain today, Fulpati was taken into the Dashainghar of Sri Garudal Company at Gorkha barracks this morning.

On the occasion, auspicious items including sugarcane, banana, wood apple, pomegranate, ears of Jayanti paddy and ginger plant were taken into the Dashainghar where an idol of Durga Bhawani is kept.

A procession comprising a band from the Royal Nepal Army, the Gurujuko Paltan, the CDO, civil servants, local businessmen and social workers had gone from local Tundikhel to Rohtepani to fetch the Fulpati.

After the Fulpati was brought from Rohtepani the Royal Nepal Army fired salvoes at Tundikhel. The Fulpati was then taken into the Dashainghar.

Biratnagar: On the occasion of Badadashain, the Fulpati was taken to the Nishan Bhagawatithan and local Kalisthan temple to the firing of salvos here this morning.

Brahmins offered worship at Nishan Bhagawatithan and under a wood apple tree near the Bagalamukhi temple at Biratnagar sub municipal corporation ward No l3. Goat sacrifice also took place.

As per tradition, a police contingent presented a salute when the rituals were being solemnised and the Brahmins distributed Tika and Prasad of goddess Bhagawati.

Earlier, a religious procession which started from Kalisthan temple went around the town and took leaves from the wood apple tree near the Bagalamukhi temple to the Kalisthan temple and Nishan Bhagawati temple.

Participating in the procession were virgins carrying flowers and Prasad from goddess Bhagawati as well as devotees.

Nepal, India to implement river embankments work

Kathmandu, Oct. 4 (RSS): A meeting of Nepal-India Joint Committee on Water Resources today decided to implement the agreement reached between the Prime Ministers of Nepal and India for the resolution of the submersion problem caused in Banke district by the Laxmanpur Barrage built in the India side, and construct embankment along the Rapti river bank on the Nepalese side.

Likewise, both sides at the meeting agreed to expedite the construction of the embankment at Lalbakaiya and construct an embankment along the Bagmati river next year. They also decided to speed up the construction of the Kamala and Khando river embankments.

Both sides agreed to work together to conduct a study so as to solve the erosion problem in Chandani and Dodhara area in Nepal, Sanedhi and Sharada Sagar Dam in India and in the left side of Gandak.

Likewise, the meeting decided to form a joint committee on flood forecast and develop a master plan in this regard before the next summer begins.

The joint team of experts has been instructed to expedite work on completing the Pancheshwor DPR by the end of 2001.

The two sides also agreed to prepare a detailed report of the Saptakoshi and Sunkoshi-Kamala Multipurpose Project and intensify construction of the road linking Mahendranagar and Tanakpur.

A Koshi-Gandak joint committee will be formed for carrying out works as stated in the Koshi and Gandak agreements and the related problems will be solved through the committee.

The joint meeting also agreed on building a Hydel Project by India in Nepal, for which an Indian technical team will come to Nepal for feasibility study.

The Indian government is considering raising the exchange of electricity between Nepal and India from the present 50 MW to 150 MW and the power exchange committee has already been directed to advance necessary work.

At the meeting, the Nepalese side was led by secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources Bishwonath Sapkota and Indian side by secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources Zaffer Hussein.

NC leader Bhandari passes away

Kakarbhitta, Oct. 4 (RSS): Nepali Congress regional member of constituency No. 3 and treasurer of Dhulabari Campus Parasuram Bhandari, passed away at the age of 63 Tuesday.

A democratic fighter, Bhandari was founder of the Dhulabari Campus and had also served as chairman of Jhapa constituency No. 3.

Born in 1994 Bikram era, he was father of Bishwa Prakash Bhandari, Nepal Student Union ex-central vice chairman and its central member, and Rajya Prakash Bhandari, Dhulabari Jaycees treasurer.

He served a jail term of about three year and five months at various times in the course of democratic movement.

Late Bhandari is survived by his mother, his wife and two sons and one daughter.

Minister of State for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Narendra Bikram Nemwang, MP Dr. Gopal Koirala and NC Jhapa district committee Sudhir Shiwakoti were present during the funerals of late Bhandari.