18th National Paddy Day celebrated symbolically owing to COVID-19

Rice plantation, eating delicacies like curd and beaten rice, and participations in traditional cultural programmes like singing, throwing mud.

RSS

Today is the 18th National Paddy Day and Paddy Cultivation Festival. The government had decided in 2061 BS to mark Ashar 15 of Nepali calendar every year as National Paddy Day and Paddy Cultivation Festival.  

Rice plantation, eating delicacies like curd and beaten rice, and participations in traditional cultural programmes like singing, throwing mud at each other and merriment, are the major attractions of the Day. But like last year, this year too there were no such big events on this occasion as the Festival was celebrated symbolically owing to COVID-19.

Paddy is the major crop not only in Nepal but also in the entire South Asia. It is the main staple crop of Nepal. But the COVID-19 pandemic has made the Festival celebrations dull for the past two years. Though farmers and private sectors celebrated the festival sporadically on their own, the celebrations from the government level were limited to formalities. 

The Day was celebrated symbolically by observing all health protocols, in a bid to promote the significance of rice, encourage farmers, keep the tradition alive and for the publicity of the Day, according to Officiating Director General of the Department, Januka Pandit. The Department of Agriculture had directed all stakeholders and its units in the districts to mark the Festival within the limits set by the government.

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