Festival at Lakeside on New Year

By Phadindra Adhikari,Lekhnath, Dec. 27: Nepal’s tourist destinations are almost deserted during the off-season. However, in the tourist capital Pokhara, there is always something happening to attract visitors even during this period.

The 27th edition of the street festival, initiated to bring more activity to the Lakeside area of Pokhara, usually quiet during December and January, is being celebrated this year.

The organiser, Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal (REBAN) Kaski, held a press conference in Pokhara on Friday and informed that preparations for the festival, scheduled to be held from December 28 to 31, have reached the final stage.

Bishwa Raj Poudel, Chairman of REBAN Kaski, said that preparations were almost complete and that the Lakeside area had been made spectacular.

“This time, our main concern is security. We are organising the first festival after the recent movement,” he said. “We have given priority to food and local products.” He also expressed hope that the festival would contribute to making the region economically vibrant.

It has become a tradition for both domestic and foreign tourists to visit Pokhara to celebrate the English New Year. Chau Bahadur Gurung, cultural coordinator of the festival, said that cultural dances, along with performances by popular contemporary artists, will be major attractions.

“Traditional dances such as the Kaura dance and the Tharu community’s stick (Lathi) dance will be performed,” he said. “This year, a special attraction is the Rodi, which will be performed at the Lakeside during 

the festival.”

In recent years, the festival has gone beyond dancing, singing, and food, and has become a platform for cultural harmony among different castes, religions, and cultures.

Cultural coordinator Gurung said that agriculture, handicrafts, technology, and indigenous products had been promoted by linking them with 

the festival.

The festival is held along a road stretching about three and a half kilometers from Lakeside. Festival coordinator Basanta Gautam said the event had been established as a destination for celebrating the English New Year.

The festival will feature endangered Jhaki traditions, costumes and dances of various ethnic groups of Nepal, and live concerts by renowned national artists.

There will also be expert discussions on the opportunities and challenges of Pokhara’s tourism sector, along with folk duet performances, boat races, water sports, tug-of-war, and other tourist-oriented games.