The jet had taken off from Chengdu province and was attempting to land at the Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport.

This incident was sparked due to poor visibility which was caused by bad weather. Tribhuvan airport authorities stated that the aircraft overshot the landing strip this morning.

The jetliner was to land in Nepal at 06:29 AM. However, as it jumped the runway limit near Imadol. As a result, the plane landed at 7:51 AM after going for another landing approach.

Stay Tuned to NepaliSansar for Latest Nepal News Updates!

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“The Central Zoo has been reopened by adopting strict health safety measures since there is still a risk of COVID-19,” said Chiranjibi Pokharel, the Zoo Management Chief.

Moreover, the zoo management has introduced online ticket booking to prevent the risk of coronavirus infection.

Zoo Entry Fee Details:

• Foreign visitors – NPR 750
• Visitors from SAARC countries – NPR 500
• Nepali nationals – NPR 150
• Nepali students and senior citizens – NPR 90

According to Pokharel, the new zoo rules are as follows:

• Visitors must wear face masks
• Visitors should leave the zoo within two and a half hours
• No eatables are allowed inside the zoo
• Only 800 visitors are allowed per day
• Children are not allowed to play at fun parks in the zoo
• Zoo will be opened from 10 AM to 5 PM

The zoo consists of around 1,068 animals of 110 species. Among them, 33 are mammals, eight are amphibians, and 17 others are fishes of different species. Tigers, bears, leopards, and red pandas are the main attraction of the zoo.

Also Read | Lalitpur: Nepal’s Abode of Shrines and Durbars

The zoo records as many as 1.1 million visitors per year and earns up to NPR 150 to 160 million through the sale of tickets.

Stay Tuned to NepaliSansar for Latest Nepali Tourism News!

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The post Nepal Central Zoo Opened for Visitors After Nine-Month Hiatus appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Interview by Sai Nikesh D

Covid-19 crisis has hit every part of the world, disturbing life and living altogether. Governments, NGOs, individuals and more sections of social workers are relentlessly working for public welfare.

In the process, we got in touch with Ms. Srijana Karki, Regional Director of South Asia at World Neighbors (wn.org), to learn the World Neighbors role in fighting the Covid-19 in Nepal and elsewhere.

 Here are some excerpts from the interview:

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Most popularly celebrated by Hindus, Nepalis belonging to other religions also celebrate Holi.

The festival begins with the Nepali culture of installing Chir, a traditional bamboo pole decorated with strips of colorful cloths, in Basantpur a week before the festival arrives. Then the actual celebrations begin across the country and last for almost a week.

The celebrations offering traditional prayers, playing with colors and water, singing, dancing, playing music, along with exchanging joy, delicious foods, among others with family and friends. Gujiya, Thandai, Bhalla, Kanji Wada and Dahi are some of the dishes made during Holi.

While hilly regions of the country begin the celebrations with the installation of Chir, Terai region celebrates the occasion a day after celebrations in hilly areas of the country.

Holi marks the beginning of spring season and arrives at a time when the agricultural fields are on pace for a better harvest. Burning of Chir marks the conclusion of the Holi festival in Nepal.

Preparations Ready

To ensure public safety and an undisturbed festive environment, the Metropolitan Police Range of Kathmandu is deploying 1,500 police security across the Kathmandu Valley.

Besides 106 police teams, 20 mobile teams are also planned to avoid discrepancies in law and order situation during the celebrations, says SSP Bishow Raj Pokharel, Chief, MPR.

All Set for Holi Celebrations!

“I can’t wait to go to Gokarna Forest Resort for ‘Colors Republic’ where there will be colours, music, dance and a lot of other actives,” says Kavita Gautam of Biratnagar.

Best part of Holi can be witnessed at Durbar Square and in the streets of Thamel.

Though usually celebrated in the month of March, the actual date of the Holi festival varies every year and is indicated by the appearing of the full moon before the spring equinox.

The Legend Behind ‘Holi’

The emergence of Holi festival dates back to the Krutayuga period during the times of demon-king Hiranyakasap.

As part of his efforts to kill his god-loving son Prahlada, Hiranyakasap places Prahlada on the lap of his demon-sister Holika and plans to put Prahlada under fire along with Holika, as Holika has the boon of fighting away fire. However, the situation happens otherwise. Due to Prahlada’s devotion to Lord Vishnu, Holika turns into ashes completely and Prahlada comes out safe.

So, the festival of Holi is celebrated marking the victory of Prahlada over Holika. A night before ‘Holi’ day, public light bonfires across the streets indicating the death of Holika.

President Bhandari Extends Holi Greetings

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended her greetings to the Nepali citizens on the occasion of  Holi or Fagu Poornima.

In a message of best wishes extended today, President Bhandari expressed that the festival of colors may encourage social harmony, national unity, tolerance, fraternity and solidarity among all the Nepalis of different cultures.

Likewise, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has also offered his best wishes of peace, prosperity, mutual trust and a higher degree of social values to all the Nepalis on this occasion.

Impact of ‘Coronavirus’ on Holi

Holi in Nepal is celebrated with great fervor across the country annually. However, 2020 Holi celebrations are slightly different from the way it’s celebrated so far.

The coronavirus outbreak has taken a toll on the 2020 Holi celebrations.

As the coronavirus has spread across the world affecting around 109 countries, the Nepali Government has banned the mass gatherings and celebrations on the occasion of Holi.

The government has suspended the Holi celebrations in Thamel, Kathmandu Durbar Square and other most visited places during the festival.

This time, it will be “Safe Holi Year 2020”.

The government’s strong response comes on the heels of the WHO’s statement that Nepal is at high risk of the new virus.

So far, Nepal has no case of coronavirus infection, and even the 4 suspected cases tested negative. But the government has been implementing stringent measures as the country lacks the minimum healthcare facilities and procedures to combat the coronavirus infection if it enters the nation.

The novel virus has infected around 110,087 people globally and killed 3,830.

Nepali Sansar wishes you ‘Safe Holi Year 2020’!

The post Nepal Celebrates ‘Holi’, A Festival of Colors appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The celebrations are planned on a grand scale beginning with the traditional #bullfight, as every year. Marking the festival day, the country is going to see exciting bullfighting events across different areas.

The bullfighting event will be seen in Nuwakot and Dhading districts, adjoining the Kathmandu valley, as the major highlight of the #MagheSankranti2020 celebrations in Nepal.

Hundreds of public are going to be seen in Taruka village of Nuwakot district to watch the joyful event.

The local sport has its origin in Taruka village and has been played since some 200 years ago in the 19^th century.

Bullfight in Nepal is different from those in other parts of the world! #NepaliBullFight event includes both bulls and oxen, where they will be fighting continuously for nearly an hour period.

Ethnic appearances by the women of Tharu and Magar communities are going to be other highlights of the day.

‘Maghe Sankranti’ – The Auspicious Day

Maghe Sankranti, which falls on the first day of the Nepali month of Magh as per the lunar calendar, marks the transition of Sun into the Hindu zodiac sign called Makara (Capricorn), putting an end to winter and welcoming the other seasons of the year followed by summer.

As per the tradition, Nepali Hindus visit various holy shrines and rivers to observe traditional pujas and Makar Snan (holy river bath) at the confluence of major rivers on this auspicious day.

While the confluence of the holy Kali Gandaki and Trishuli rivers in Devghat hold great significance, devotees also take holy dips at various other rivers such as Dolalghat, Devghat, Ridi, Triveni and Baraha Kshetra, among others across the country.

A large number of people from Sunsari, Ilam, Morang, Saptari, Siraha, and Jhapa districts and a good number of people from various places of India gathered at Kankai River for Makar Snan, the tradition that is observed every year.

Culture and Tradition for Wellbeing

Marking the celebration as the start of New Year, Nepal’s Tharu community people will visit the Kathmandu Valley’s open ground Tundikhel (to commemorate Maghe Sankranti, the community’s biggest festival).

Meanwhile, the Newar Community also celebrates the festival as Ghyo Chaku Sanlhu with delicious dishes like ghee, chaku and remembering their beloved and departed souls.

As per the tradition, the elders apply a little amount of oil to the younger ones who then proceed for holy dip in sacred rivers. It is believed that sharing and eating ghee and chaku, vegetables and yam and sesame seed candy on the festival day adds to a healthy life.

Another special delicious item, a mixture of black gram and rice with hot spices and ghee, called Khichadi is also served on this auspicious festival day. On the occasion, national leaders President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli extended their best wishes to the global Nepali community.

Grand Celebrations

In 2019, a three-day-long fair was held in Gulmi at the pilgrimage site of Ridi of Ruru area at a place, a
tri-junction of Gulmi, Syangja and Palpa districts.

Meanwhile, another big religious fair was also celebrated in Devghat of Chitwan district with thousands of participants gathering at Devghat Dham for taking holy dip and observing the festival rituals.

Tharu community people also gathered at Tundikhel on a larger scale to mark the festival celebrations. Dressed in cultural attire, the community performed various cultural and religious dance shows at the event.

A Special Attraction

The traditional bullfight is one most famous animal sports event played as part of the Maghe Sankranti celebrations across Nepal and India. Commemorating the start of Magh and holy Sankranti festival, traditional bullfight sports event will be held across Nepal on January 15, 2020.

While Magh is also celebrated as the feast of molasses, Nepal’s mountainous district Nuwakot looks at it in a different way.

Marking the start of the Magh, the country observes the annual bullfighting event, a traditional animal sport that dates back to more than 225 years.

“This is the tradition which we (farmers) have continued for years. We have been herding the bulls and the government has been giving allowance to buy the tractors. However, we are not getting any sort of help or aid despite preserving the tradition for long,” says Bhoj Bahadur Bhandari, a participant of this traditional bull sport.

This annual bull-taming festival in Nepal is similar to that of the most-famous Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu of India and the Spanish Bullfight.

Apart from being a tradition, this unique bullfighting event is also adding to the promotion of Nepal tourism.

NepaliSansar team wishes all “Very Happy Maghe Sankranti”.

The post ‘Maghe Sankranti 2020’ in Nepal: Bullfight, Mass Gathering, More! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Tamu Lhosar marks the beginning of the Tamu Sambat or Gurung Calendar Year. The festival is celebrated on the 15^th day of the Nepali month ‘Poush’ every year.

The Gurungs, also called Tamu, are the indigenous population of west-central Nepal known for their bravery and cultural heritage. The word Lhosar originates from “Lho” meaning Year and “sar” meaning New.

Tamu Lhosar day signifies the end of the winter season and the beginning of spring and is an occasion of great rejoicing for the Gurung community.

Tamu Lhosar Celebrations

On Tamu Lhosar day, people from the community dress in colorful traditional attire and visit various Buddhist shrines such as Swayambhu, Bouddha, and Kapan. They receive blessings from the monks for their happiness, progress, and prosperity.

Flags are erected on the rooftops of all houses, and friends, relatives, and well-wishers get together to exchange greetings and gifts. Delicious food, including sel roti (Nepali Bread) and achaar (Nepali pickles), is savored with the accompaniment of music and dance. Home-made alcohol called raksi is also consumed.

The Government of Nepal has declared a national holiday to celebrate the Lhosar festival. Several programs including traditional dances, rallies and Gurung sports are organized in Kathmandu on this day.

In the United States also, expatriates from the Tamu Gurung community celebrate the occasion at various places such as Pittsburgh-Pennsylvania, St. Paul-Minnesota and Nashville-Tennessee.

Nepal PM and President Extend Greetings

On the auspicious occasion of Tamu Lhosar Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and President Bidya Devi Bhandari extended their greetings to all the Gurung communities in Nepal and abroad.

Prime Minister’s Message

In his address, PM Oli said that the government was working to create an equitable society by erasing existing discriminations and inequalities.

“The government has started the campaign of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’. Supports and constructive roles from all quarters are needed to materialize the campaign. I hope the Tamu community will cooperate with the government in this campaign,” added Oli.

President’s Message

In her message, President Bhandari wished for the Gurung community and all Nepalis’ happiness, mutual harmony, peace and prosperity. Adding further, she said that the Gurung community has been instrumental in promoting cultural tourism and boosting the rural economy in Nepal.

Bhandari said that such cultural entities are unique in the world and such kinds of cultural diversities should be protected to promote economic tourism in the country.

Nepali Sansar wishes the Gurung community and all of Nepal a very Happy Tamu Lhosar!

The post Nepal’s Gurung Community Welcomes ‘Tamu Lhosar’ 2019 appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

May your heart and home be filled with all the spirits of the festival. In this loveliest of seasons, may the chimes of glory add up more shine and spread smiles across the miles, today and the time beyond.

May this beautiful season greet you with health and wealth.

May the good times and treasures of present become the golden memories of tomorrow.

Let’s share the magic of the eve with the loved ones!!

Nepali Sansar wishes all the Nepalis across the world a Merry Christmas and a magnificent New Year.

Celebrate the Wonder and Joy of the Festive Season!!

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Addressing the Global Law Conference in Chandigarh University, Justice Mohan said rising pollution levels in New Delhi has caused concerns if the same would spread to Nepal, especially Kathmandu.

“The threat was diffused when the department of meteorology stated that the mountains should prevent it, but others of different opinion said, it actually depends on the direction that the winds take and their intensity,” Mohan said in a statement.

Speaking on the regional scenario, Mohan said Nepal is currently operating without any thermal power. Whereas, Indian Punjab High Court Judge Ajay Tewari said India is far from that and has 70% dependence on coal for power generation.

“South Asia has the darkest spots of air pollution and air quality in cities in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh is lower than WHO standards,” says Mohan, urging South Asian nations to come together for a concrete action plan.

He said Nepal has been facing severe air pollution since years and it has worsened in the last couple of years.

“Last week when air quality caused a panic there was concern in Kathmandu as to whether the polluted air from Delhi would flow over to Nepal,” he added, citing intensity of the scenario.

Addressing the large gathering of national and international delegates, Justice Mohan said the Nepal Supreme Court had made many decisions pertaining to environmental degradation.

“However, it is a matter of concern that those orders are not making any impact on the ground. I think the time has come for us to break the narrow domestic wall and enforce partnership in the neighborhood for sustained and long-term action,” he suggested.

“The judiciary or government cannot do it by themselves without public participation,” says Tewari.

The post Air Pollution: South Asia Should Make Concrete Plan, says Nepal Judge appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Today, the country celebrates Maha Navami, the ninth day of the Dashain celebrations. Nepalis will be visiting temples of Goddess Durga, who is believed to be the ‘deity of victory & might’. Also, Nepalis worship the deity Vishwa Karma, the ‘God of Creativity’.

Animals, especially buffaloes are sacrificed on the occasion to honor the goddess. Military officers dressed in their uniforms with their medals play bands of war tunes and perform gun-firing in the air.

When the ceremony ends, the temple courtyards are filled with blood till ankle-level.

On this day, people get their vehicles, machinery, musical instruments and anything else that gives them a blessed livelihood.

Let’s take a look at the preparations and celebrations of Dashain 2076 (2019) across the country:

As part of celebrations of the Dashain festival in Nepal, devotees have been visiting various temples of Goddess Durga, Mahalaxmi, Mahakali and Maha Saraswati and other deities reminiscent of power, knowledge and wealth.

In Kathmandu, devotees are visiting the Bagalamukhi, Bajra Barahi, Bhadrakali, Bagalamukhi, Bijeshwari, Naradevi, Guheshwari, Maitidevi, Naxal Bhagawati and Shova Bhagawati temples among others in large numbers.

More than 1 million people in 10 days have left their villages to celebrate the Dashain festival. 992, 867 individuals alone left from Kathmandu as of October 01, 2019. 119,467 vehicles were used to carry these individuals from the city, informed the Metropolitan Police Traffic Division (MPTD). Likewise, a total of 60,000 people have entered Kathmandu Valley for the Dussehra celebrations.

1) Natives Sow Jamara in Gorkha’s Dashain Ghar – On the first day of Bada Dashain festival, natives of Gorkha sowed the traditional Jamara – barley shoots to mark Ghatasthapana (the first day of Dashain). The ritual was performed at the Gorakhali and Manakamna temples in Gorkha on September 29, 2019.  People worshipped Lord Ganesh, diyo and kalas as mentioned in the vedas.

2) Students Receive Dashain Expense from PM KP Sharma Oli – In view of the upcoming Dashain festival, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli presented students with a Dashain cash gift of NPR 5,000 on October 01, 2019. The Prime Minister has announced his guardianship for the students one and half years back. They include Grade 2 students from Ramdulari Secondary School of Kalyanpur municipality and two others from Mugu district.

3) NCP Organizing Dashain Tea Party – The ruling Nepal Communist Party has decided to hold a Dashain tea party on October 16, 2019 in view of the Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals. The NCP said that it will be inviting more than 100,000 individuals to the event, which will be held at Bhrikutimandap. This includes artistes, business community members, constitutional body officials and diplomatic agencies representatives among others.

4) Nepal Rastra Bank Issues New Currency – The NRB announced that it will be issuing new banknotes for the Dashain festival from September 27, 2019. It further stated that a person could avail of new banknotes up to NPR 18,500 until October 01, 2019. The new currency was made available at different banks and financial institutions.

Dashain 2076 Greetings

Nepali Sansar takes this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous Dashain 2076!

May Goddess Durga bless your homes and families with prosperity, peace and happiness. May this festival be a time of renewed joy, hope and strengthen the bond among family and friends.

Dashain is Nepal’s biggest festival and this is evident through its scale and grandeur. The country is a colorful sight during this time. Have you visited Nepal during Dashain?

A Colorful Nepal Dashain (In photos)

The post Dashain 2076 (2019) Festival Celebrations in Nepal appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The incident directly pointed at all such crashes that have created havoc over the period.

The latest crash of Air Dynasty helicopter was surprisingly the second one in the last six months period.

Looking at this, one can understand the frequency of air crashes in the Nepali air space!

This has given rise to a serious doubt: ‘Why these many happenings?’

As the records show, 19 horrifying helicopter crashes have occurred till date since the time the aviation authority started maintaining records in 1966.

The latest incident has come at a time when the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has been effortlessly working to introduce safety reforms in the country’s civil aviation!

The occurrence of new incident was attributed to bad weather conditions. But it’s not the only incident, there are two such!

A year back, ‘Altitude Air Crash’ took place in Mailung Pakha (Meghang Rural Municipality) of Nuwakot district, claiming lives of six people.

Exactly three years back, a Fishtail Air helicopter also crashed in Nuwakot district after hitting a cliff, killing seven people on board.

What’s common in all these three incidents was the pilot’s driving behavior to adverse climatic conditions. In its report on the Fishtail Air crash, the Tourism Department had also confirmed the same citing ‘pilot’s stress’ to climatic condition and ‘failure to manage control after entering clouds’

Source: NepalInData

Adverse Climate Aside, Regulatory Gaps Exist!

According to airport officials, Prabhakar KC, Captain of Air Dynasty helicopter, had initially reported the adverse situation saying, “Heavy snowfall. Not able to airborne.”

But what made him change his decision and finally fly is the real matter of concern, feels Gunjaman Lama, a retired Brigadier General in the Nepal Army, who helps CAAN in inspecting helicopter operations.

Lama, who holds rich experience in flying VIPs and VVIPS, explains that the new generation pilots (particularly in operating helicopters run by private operators), tend to agree with everything they are told with regard to flight procedures.

 “Although they are trained and professionally taught to say ‘no’ when the situation is not favorable, no one follows the rule,” says Lama.

Despite Timely Warnings, Strict Orders!

Speaking on the latest incident, another senior CAAN official said, “We don’t know whether the pilot was forced to fly or if he made a decision to take the risk himself.”

“But the mistakes are committed repeatedly,” says Lama, adding that CAAN has been informing its pilots about threat in entering clouds while flying.

Towards this end, CAAN had also issued orders warning pilots with the cancellation of their license if found entering clouds during flight.

Now, the latest incident comes as a question to the issued orders, especially for flights involving young pilots with just hours of flying experience.

KC was too young to fly VIP choppers, says a senior pilot at privately-owned chopper company.

“KC was a disciplined professional and he was not an aggressive pilot. But he may have felt the pressure to operate the chopper and fly them to a lower altitude destination because he was carrying high-profile individuals, including his own boss,” said Ashish Sherchan, owner of Kailash Helicopters.

Besides choppers, there are also few incidents involving twin-engine passenger aircraft.

“We are equally focused on maintaining the safety of both chopper and twin-engine aircraft operations. But, since the operational requirement of choppers are different and are basically chartered, the operators must be more liable for passenger safety,” says Rajan Pokhrel, Department of Nepal aviation Safety.

As per the statistics show, at least four new helicopter companies have begun operations in Nepal in the last two years, giving rise to the number of private chopper companies to 10.

On an end note, Lama adds that younger pilots should be given proper training to acknowledge risks before they fly along with abilities to push back in intense-pressure situations.

“What they have to learn is, they always have another day to fly,” says Lama.

Now, its high time for the CAAN and the Nepal Government to chalk out plans to avoid similar incidents in future.

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