Phulpati being marked today

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Oct. 10: Phulpati is being taken inside homes as per the tradition of the Bada Dashian festival throughout the country on Thursday.  

Phulpati, an assortment of flowers, banana leaves, ginger plant, sugarcane plant and fruits, is anointed at homes and Dashain ghar of several places.

A team of eight members from Sarduljung Company and Hanumandhoka Durbar Herchaha Adda departed for Gorkha on Wednesday morning to bring Phulpati, said Sandeep Khanal, Executive Director of Hanumandhoka Durbar Museum Development Committee.  

They stayed at Kotkali of Dhunibesi in Dhading in the evening and sacrificed sheep and he-goats there. They collected Belpatra, a special 

flower, and other new leaves of several plants and will return after meeting with a team which came from Gorkha Durbar to hand over the Phulpati.  

A palanquin with Phulpati will return to Hanumandhoka in Kathmandu on Thursday morning. 

A team of Gurujyuko Platoon, Nepali Army, Nepal Police with band music, panchebaja bands will be sent to welcome the team at Jamal with decorated palanquin and Kalash to bring the Phulpati, he said.  

Sugarcane stem, turmeric, banana stalk, plant of paddy, Belpatra and other plants tied with a red cloth along with Kalash filled with holy water are set up on a decorated palanquin.

The decorated palanquin will be brought to the Dashain Ghar of Hanumandhoka on Thursday evening after the Nepali Army concludes a special military function at Tundikhel. 

Prithivi Narayan Shah, the then king of Gorkha, started the tradition and it continues to this day.