Fulpati brought to Dashainghar; President to offer Tika on Dashain

Kathmandu / October 20: The Fulpati – an assortment of flowers, leaves and fruits of different plants and considered auspicious – was brought from Jivanpur of Dhading district on Tuesday.

The Fulpati is anointed at the Dashainghar on the seventh day of the 10-day Bada Dashain festival. It was brought to Kathmandu as per the Vedic rites.

As per the earlier practices and tradition the Fulpati is brought from Gorkha district to Jivanpur of Dhading district by six persons of Magar community including a priest of Dashainghar and the same Fulpati is brought to the capital from Jivanpur by six Brahmins from Kathmandu. However, this year the tradition saw a break as the Fulpati was not taken from Gorkha to Jivanpur.

This year some employees from Hanumandhoka Durbar Conservation Office left for Jivanpur to transport the Fulpati. After ritualistic sacrifice of animals including goats on Monday the team brought the Fulpati to Jamal from where it was taken to Dashainghar at Hanumandhoka.

Though Dashain festival begins from Ghatasthapana, the festival sees special fervor from the day of Fulpati.

Office Director Saraswoti Singh said the tradition existed since the Malla era and was given continuity with the rise of modern Nepal when Fulpati was brought to Kathmandu from Gorkha district.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav is to give tika to the interested general people on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami from 1:30pm to 5:00pm Thursday.

For this, the Office of the President would keep the gate of the Rastrapati Bhawan, Shital Niwas, open.

Former King Gyanendra put-off the plan of offering Tika to general people citing current situation of the county. There is scarcity of goods including petroleum products after India imposed undeclared blockade to Nepal. Nearly 10 thousand Nepali people lost their lives during the earthquake of April this year.