By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sep 13: President Bidya Devi Bhandari Friday observed the Indrajatra festival at Basantapur.
On the third day of the famous festival, the President observed the chariot procession of Kumari, the living Goddess, Lord Ganesh and Bhairav from the Hanuman Dhoka Palace.
On the occasion, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Lal Babu Pandit, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai, chiefs of constitutional bodies, diplomats, political leaders and chiefs of security bodies were also present.
Special guests invited by Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) also observed the festival.
They included Jiang Xiaohong, vice chairman of Lanzhou, Guo Guo, Mayor of Lhasa, Kinlay Dorji, Mayor Thimpu City, Mohammad Sayeed Khokon, Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Bangladesh and Saradar Avtar Singh, Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation India. The guests were accompanied by Mayor Bidhya Sundar Shakya of Kathmandu Metrpolitan City and Deputy Mayor Hari Prabha Khadgi to the festival venue.
On the occasion, President Bhandari paid homage to Goddess Kumari, Shree Ganesha and Shree Bhairav.
Thousands of people thronged the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar to observe the ceremony. Children from the Shakya community are selected as Kumari, Bhairav and Ganesh.
Several groups, including men and women, from local Newari community played traditional musical instruments.