As part of the move, Paschimanchal Hotel Association and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) jointly organized the Chaliye Pokhara six-day campaign at North Indian cities Patna, Banaras and Lucknow.

The program witnessed a participation of Pokhara hotel entrepreneurs, media persons and NTB officials.

Pokhara a Must-Visit: Ministers
Indian ministers urged citizens from the three cities to visit the Himalayan country before visiting other destinations in the presence of Nepal tourism operators. This is what they had to say!

Speaking at the campaign in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that Nepal and India share a lot in common and encouraged citizens to visit Nepal before other countries.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Lawmaker Rabindra Jaiswal advices Indian citizens to visit Pokhara before making a trip to Singapore, during the ‘Chaliye Pokhara’ promotion program in Banaras.

India – A Huge Market for Pokhara
Organized under the Nepal-India Regional Tourism Promotion Campaign (RTPC) banner, the campaign uses Pokhara’s proximity with North India as a tool to lure Indian tourists to the ‘Lake City’ and identifies it as an ideal destination to escape the heat during hot climate, says Bikal Tulachan, Paschimanchal Hotel Association Chairperson.

Similarly, Gandaki Province NTB Chief Surya Thapaliya said that India is an important and huge market for Pokhara  adding that Indian high-level officials’ visit would take the region’s tourism potential to greater heights in Nepal’s Tourism Capital.

The six-day campaign included a press-meet, B2B meetings between Indian and Nepal Tourism companies, audio-visual displays on tourism & distribution of promotional material.

Nepal Tourism Continues Pace
Following are some of the recent statistics that show the growth trajectory of Nepal tourism sector:

• Totally, 65,159 international tourists visited Nepal in June 2018
• Comparison between June 2017 and June 2018 shows visitor increment at 16.4 percent In Nepal
• The arrival figures during January-June 2018 period were recorded at 520,014 as compared with same period in 2017, resulting in a 13 percent increase
• The Indian tourist arrivals in Nepal increased by 18.8 percent in June 2018 as compared with the same period in 2017
• According to NTB statistics, out of the 940,000 tourists who visited Nepal in 2017, 160,832 alone were Indians
• Nepal is expected to cross the 1.2 million-mark in 2018 in terms of tourist arrivals
• The Himalayan country earned a record revenue of Rs 58.52 billion from the tourism industry in foreign exchange in FY 2016-17 according to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)

The post Nepal Tourism Calling: ‘Chaliye Pokhara’! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Yoga means addition – addition of energy, strength and beauty to body, mind and soul.  – Amit Ray

June 21^st, 2018 – the world was celebrating the 4^th International Yoga Day! This day is a reminder of how yoga started more as a spiritual ritual and is now a routine almost every individual follows. It’s so fascinating to see an individual transform into being of light, a source of positivity and an energy that is in sync with the rest of the universe.

The Inception of International Yoga Day
International Yoga was first celebrated in 2015, it was proposed by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). While addressing his audience at the UNGA Modi said,

“Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in well-being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”

When Modi proposed June 21^st as the day, he said that the given date was the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere which is considered to have special significance in many parts of the world.

Lord ‘Shiva’, the first yogi or guru began sharing knowledge about the spiritual practice to mankind on this day also known as ‘Guru Poornima’. It is a Nepali and Indian festival that honors spiritual and academic teachers.

History & Origin
Yoga is a practice that can be dated back to earlier than the 5^th century B.C. Embodied in mystery and mythology, yoga, as mentioned by historians is the practice of Himalayan Shamans which is still being observed in Tibet and Nepal.

The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuja’ meaning ‘to bind’ ‘to align’ ‘to hold’.

Celebrations Across Nepal
Nepal, a country that has its roots grounded into ancient traditions and practices, religiously performs Yoga. Even though the country has scaled many heights of urbanization, it has done so while being rooted in its traditions and culture.

Below some of the celebrations that occurred before and on International Yoga day:

• Muktinath Temple

Prior to the celebrations marking International Yoga Day, the Muktinath temple in Nepal took Yoga to a higher level when monks, spiritual teachers and locals practiced Yoga Asanas at an elevation of 12500 ft above sea level on June 17, 2018. This Yoga camp was organized by the Indian Embassy at Kathmandu.

• Yoga Camp in Kathmandu

In another event held organized by the Indian Embassy on June 19, 2018 hundreds of people including representatives from, Yoga associations, officials from the embassy, film personalities like Malina Joshi (also Miss Nepal 2011), friendship societies and school children participated in the camp enthusiastically.

At the occasion, many victorious school children who participated in Yoga competitions were awarded certificates by Indian Ambassador, Manjeev Singh Puri.

• Nepal Police Academy

Despite intermittent rain and cloudy weather, people from all walks of life performed ‘Yoga Asanas’ on the occasion of the 4^th International Yoga day, in the vicinity of the Nepal Police Academy. The event that saw the participation of 200 people including Acting Nepali Prime Minister Ishwar Pokhrel and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri, was co-organized by the Patanjali Yog Peeth and the Indian Mission to Nepal.

Speaking at the occasion, Sadhvi Devastha a disciple of Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev says, “We all performed yoga despite the rains, which testifies what we are doing is for the nation’s prosperity. We want to interlink and connect people from various backgrounds through yoga so that our nation, whether it is India or Nepal, progresses further.”

• Yoga Session in Basantapur, Kathmandu

Many government schools in Basantapur took part in a Yoga session organized by the Daya Foundation and the Art of Living Nepal. It was heartening to see the children participate in the event with good cheer and a lot of enthusiasm.

4th International Yoga Day Theme
The theme for this year’s International Yoga day reads ‘Yoga for Peace’ which was created by the permanent mission of India to the United States.

Yoga connect people from different nations and different walks of life, it fosters a sense of harmony among fellow beings and with the rest of the universe. It is a constant self-improving, self-nourishing source that helps you evolve to your highest self.

In Countries like Nepal and India, Yoga has been the center of their age-old practices and traditions and by sharing this art with the world, these countries are inculcating a sense of oneness and eliminating geographical barriers. They are treating the world as one ‘global village’ where different people co-exist in peace and harmony.

The post Nepal 4th International Yoga Day Celebrations in a Reel appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 2-day visit on Friday with the aim to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between India and Nepal. Despite being Modi’s 3^rd visit to Nepal, this visit is the first ever ‘High Level’ visit from India since Nepal’s new government formation.

The visit came after Nepali Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli’s visit to India. It focuses on the initiative taken by India towards building friendly relationships with Nepal. Addressing the media earlier, Modi said, “My visit closely follows the State Visit of Prime Minister Oli to India last month. These high-level and regular interactions reflect my government’s commitment to the ‘Neighborhood First’ policy, in consonance with the motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.”

Narendra Modi was received by the Nepal Defence Minister Ishwor Pokharel and Chief Minister of Province-2, Lalbabu Raut among other important persons. Following this, Modi was welcomed with local music and a group of dignitaries in Janakpur.

Visit to Janaki Temple

 Modi then visited the Janaki temple in Janakpur where he offered prayers in accordance with Khodasopachar rituals. The 30-minute puja was administered by 12 priests and was attended by Nepali PM, KP Oli as well. The statue of Goddess Sita is decorated with clothes and jewels as part of the ritual. The Janaki temple is dedicated to the Goddess Sita and is reflects the Hindu Koiri Nepali architecture.

Tradition has it that the special ritual is performed only on behalf of the special guests visiting the temple.

Thousands of people from India and Nepal gathered to see the Indian PM in Janakpur. Once outside the temple, Modi described his experience saying, this is a historic moment. “It is my privilege to come here and offer prayers to Mata Janaki”. Thanking KP Oli, Narendra Modi addressed him as ‘Mere Bhai Sahib’.

Indo-Nepal Bus Route

The Indian PM was welcomed by a civic reception at the Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City in Barhabigha ground. Talking about the bus route between Janakpur and Ayodhya, he said, “Tourism is developing at a fast pace across the world. This Ramayan Circuit has immense potential.”

During his talk, Modi announced that Janakpur and its surrounding areas would receive a grant of 1 billion for its development.

Following his public addressing, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and KP Oli flagged off the Ayodhya-Janakpur bus service. Now a part of the Ramayan Circuit, the bus route will connect the birthplaces of Goddess Sita and Lord Ram.

After a spiritual experience and the inauguration of the bus-route at Janakpur in the region of Mithila, Modi was flown to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.

In Kathmandu, Modi was met by Foreign Minister of Nepal, Pradeep Gyawali followed by a ceremonial reception that included a Guard of Honor. Later in the day he met President of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Vice President, Nanda Bahadur Pun.

After the meetings, there were bilateral talks between KP Oli and Narendra Modi. The Nepali Prime Minister then hosted a dinner in honor of the Indian PM.

Modi’s Gift to Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, also announced that the Indian government would gift Bhabhatron Radioactive Cobalt-60 teletherapy machine to Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in Kathmandu. This machine will benefit thousands of cancer patients waiting for treatment in the Himalayan nation.

Currently, the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in Kathmandu has only one Bhabhatron Radioactive Cobalt-60 telepathy machine. “The hospital was in need of radiotherapy machine for treatment of cancer. There is only one Cobalt-60 radiotherapy machine in the hospital and additional gift would help provide timely treatment to cancer patients,” said Ishwor Shrestha, Director at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital.

Visits to Muktinath and Pashupatinath

On the morning of 12^th May, Modi visited the Muktinath Temple in the Mustang district of Nepal. The Indian PM offered prayers at the golden statue of Lord Vishnu known as Mukti Narayan at the temple.

Seated at the foot of Thorong La mountain pass, Muktinath is located at a height of 3,710 M. The temple is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.

The Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa houses all the elements, earth, air, holy water and natural fire. Hindus believe that the natural fire and holy waters represents Brahma. The central belief of the Muktinath area is the veneration of Lord Vishnu in the form of Ammonites (shilas) called Salagrama-Shilas.

Modi was then welcomed with a civic reception amidst the beating of drums. He actively participated in the festivities and was seen beating a traditional Nepali dhol.

Later, in the day he visited the famous Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. The temple is sacred to Hindus and is located on the banks of Bagmati river. Regarded as one of the oldest temples, the Pashupatinath is the temple of Shiva. Modi has visited this temple in the past but what makes this visit special is that the Indian PM becomes the first leader in the world to visit this holy shrine.

After his visit, he was invited by the President of Nepali Congress and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other members of the Nepali Congress.

As part of his itinerary, Modi met Communist Party of Nepal (MC) Chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. He was the former Prime Minister of Nepal. The meeting had Modi and Prachanda discuss ways of strengthening bilateral relations.

He also met Mahanta Thakur, President of the Rastriya Janata Party – Nepal, and other leaders of the party. Modi congratulated the party for their electoral performance and exchanged views on deepening the nations’ bilateral relations.

The Indian Prime Minister was honored in a civic felicitation program in the Rashtriya Sabha Griha, Kathmandu. After the ceremony, Modi was presented with a key of the city and other souvenirs by Bidya Sundar Shaka, Mayor of Kathmandu.

Foundation for 900-MW Hydroelectric Power Plant Laid

Modi was privileged to join his counterpart K P Sharma Oli in laying the foundation stone of the 900-megawatt Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant in Tumlingtar area.

The project was initiated after permission was granted in accordance with the decision of the 30^th Meeting of IBN’s Board of Directors.

The largest capacity Hydroelectricity project, Arun III will be constructed over the next 5 years.

The Satluj Jala Vodyut Nigam Power Development Company was recently granted a license by the IBN, to generate power from the Arun III Hydropower Project. This power development company is a subsidiary of the Indian government-run Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd.

The Promise of a Golden Tomorrow

On Sunday, Nepali Prime Minister K. P. Oli addressed the Parliament and gave a brief about the Indian Prime Minister’s, 2-day state visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said that Modi had helped take Nepal-India ties to a higher level. Speaking further, he said Indian PM Modi had decided to set into action, the past pacts that were long pending. The two prime ministers have agreed to set a time frame to implement the past pacts.

Oli and Modi also discussed ways to address the trade issue between the two nations, further enabling the easy import of Nepali products like ginger and cardamom.

Oli told the parliament that India was open to the idea of mapping four new air routes. India is willing to extend its support by sending technicians to study Nepal’s proposal for the new air routes and will make a firm decision for the same by September.

The post Modi, Oli aim to Strengthen India-Nepal Bilateral Cooperation appeared first on Nepali Sansar.