Source::Rss
The Shivaratri Mela held at Bhanumati, a religious and touristic place in Khotang, which has been closed since 2032, has been revived. The Shivratri Mela, which was closed by the then-District Panchayat President Parshuram Rai, has been revived after 47 years in Bhanumati, which is located in the southern region of the district.
Mela was held for 15 days on the occasion of Shivaratri at Bhanumati, a religious and tourist spot. The fair which was closed by Chairman Rai was restarted after a dispute between the then Pradhan Panch Prithi Bahadur Rai of Savapari Diplung and Pradhan Panch Sri Prasad Bhattarai of Sawavari Khotangbazar.
Between Rai of Sawapari and Bhattarai of Sawavari, who will take the income of the fair? It is reported that the fair was closed due to a dispute. The mela was held in coordination and cooperation between the two rural municipalities regarding the holding of the Bhanumatima fair in Sawakhola, which flows through the border of Khotehang Rural Municipality and Jantedhunga Rural Municipality.
Gambling, Tripasa, Ghurni games, and drinking alcohol used to be the market of Runghan. People used to walk for months from Kathmandu to the Mela.
The rural municipality has said that the fair has been started to promote the tourism of the famous religious place of Bhanumati. The fair was inaugurated by Vishal Bhattarai, outgoing Member of Parliament and Politburo member of CPN-UML.
Chief Udim Bahadur Rai of Khotehang Rural Municipality, Deputy Chief Rupesh Rai, Chief Aruna Devi Rai 'Diksha' of Jantedhunga Rural Municipality, and Deputy Chief Khadka were present in the fair opening program. Local residents have said that there is a crowd of devotees and pilgrims at the religious fair held in Bhanumati.
It is believed that Bhanumati Khutteshwar Mahadev was born at this place where Sati Devi's left leg fell. There is also a tradition of Makar bathing in Bhanumati every year from the middle of Poush to the 1st of Magh.
Also, since Bhanumati is the main place for the cremation of dead bodies, prayers are performed for the deceased souls and their ancestors. There is a popular belief that if you see Bhanumati, you will not get sick, childless people will get children, etc. After being a religious and touristic place in the district, Bhanumati has been neglected due to a lack of attention from the relevant authorities.
"When I was young, I heard my mother say that it was sati practice at that time. After the death of the surrounding people, they used to pray there, even now the ghat is there. Mother has seen how many women have been raped. At that time there used to be a huge fair," said 99-year-old Dambarsingh Rai of Jantedhunga Rural Municipality-5 Wachipala, "I also held a fair later. There was a big fair. I stayed at that fair for 15 days. There were no police at that time.
"After drinking alcohol, quarrels, and fights, in 2032 Parshuram came on a horse and stopped the fair. Even then people did not stop. A fair was held a few years later. And it closed itself", Rai said, "I was also a member of the Zilla Panchayat. After the situation increased, I also started to close the fair. Now there is police, there is no danger. All have read and written. The fair has started again. I'm glad."
“Pilgrims and traders from the neighboring districts of Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Bhojpur, Udaipur, and others fill the fair during the fifteen-day Bhanumati fair. Jantedhunga rural municipality and Khotehang rural municipality started the fair in Bhanumatima located in Sawakhola in the southern region of the district,” said Shivprasad Phuyal, chairman of Bhanumati Khuteshwar religious fair organizing committee_Rss
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