Suryodaya Street Festival begins in Ilam

By Our Correspondent,Pashupatinagar, Apr. 17: The 4th 'Suryodaya Street Festival' kicked off in Phikkal of Ilam from Sunday The two-day street festival has been organised jointly by the Suryodaya Hotel Business Association, Aayam United Club Phikkal and Suryodaya Jaycees on the occasion of the New Year 2080 with the aim of promoting tourism. 

The street festival has 40 stalls with local food dishes and agricultural produce of Ilam In the festival, wooden materials produced in Dhankuta and Dhaka clothes are also showcased  with priority.

Similarly, flower stalls are other attractions in the festival.

According to the organiser, around Rs. 4 million  has been spent to host the festival.

Abhishek Shrestha, chairman of the main event organising committee, said that the 4th Suryodaya Street Festival could promote tourism of Ilam.

According to him, tourists will be able to taste the local dishes of Newari, Rai and Limbu tribes at the festival.

He said that the festival would help boost the tourism sector which has been affected recently due to economic recession.

Free entry has been arranged for the festival.  According to organisers, more than 100,000 visitors are expected in the festival.

Inaugurating the festival, Provincial Assembly Member of Koshi Province Khageshwori Paudel said that not only the private sector but also the government of all three levels should work in coordination to promote tourism.

Similarly RSS adds, in Gorkha, The 20th Rot Festival will be taking place at the temple of Guru Gorakhnath at the Gorkha Palace in Gorkha. The 11-day religious festival will commence from May 5, according to organiser Siddhashram Shakti Kendra (SSK).  The festival will conclude on May 15. 

Mythically it is believed that Rot which is baked from rice flour dough prepared by mixing 52 types of ingredients including coconut, clove, cardamom and sugar with ritualistic procedures is the favourite food for the Guru Gorakhnath. 

According to SSK Gorkha coordinator Kishor Kumar Akela, Rot are offered to the Gorakhnath Temple each day, but it has been celebrated as a grand festival since the 20 years on the initiation of the SSK. 

It is believed that Guru Gorkhanath first appeared in the Gorkha Cave. 

Rots are prepared in two ways: one is Bhungre Rot which baked on the fire and another is Tawa Rot which is prepared by frying with ghee on a pan. 

The middle part of the rot is slightly up, reflecting the mythical significance of the Rot.  It is made by pressing by two fingers while giving the dough a shape of Rot and it makes the Rot special. Rots are peppered in small size. 

The available inscription reads that during the Nepal unification process led by the then King of Gorkha, Prithvi Narayan Shah, fighting soldiers could resist hunger for long after consuming one Rot and around one liter of water.   

According to Bindeshwari Baral, the founding member and coordinator of SSK, the festival is organised by wishing for common good among the people and world peace which is the pressing need of the time. 

Additionally, the festival aims to promote the religious and domestic tourism of Gorkha, the district in the Gandaki Province, it is said. 

"The objective of the festival is to appease the Guru Goraknath and receive his blessings," says SSK member Balkrishna Shrestha who heads the Publication Department within the SSK. 

SSK with its central office in Basundhara of Kathmandu which identifies itself as a spiritual and research-based organisation was established in 2056 BS. 

A chariot procession, meditation and yoga camps, Hawan and bhajan kirtan (singing of mythical and devotional songs and dancing) are other parts of the festival. 

It is said the festival is estimated to cost around Rs 2.5 million and funds will be managed voluntarily by the SSK, its members, devotees and local organisations and other social organisations. 

The organisers will manage food and accommodation for devotees visiting the festival.  

On May 5, the SSK plans a chariot procession from the Gorkha district headquarters to the Gorakhnath Temple to mark the inauguration of the festival.  Devotees from different parts of the country and from India arrive here to observe the festival.  Around 100 thousand people are expected to visit the festival this year.