Nepal Sambat New Year 1137 and Mha Puja today; PM extends best wishes

Kathmandu / Oct 31: The Nepal Sambat New Year 1137 is being celebrated across the country today amidst various programmes.

The people of the Newar community have been celebrating the Nepal Sambat New Year’s Day at present. The Nepal Sambat is an indigenous calendar of Nepal.

The Nepal Sambat or calendar year was begun by Shankhadhar Sakhwa by relieving the people of Nepal off debt during the rule of Lichchhavi King Raghavdev in 880 AD.

Recognizing the contribution of Shankhadhar Sakhwa to the country and people, the government led by then Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai had announced Sakhwa a national luminary on November 18, 1999.

Also today, the people of the Newar community observe the Mha Puja ritual in the evening. Mha Puja is the worship of the self.

Mha Puja is based on the religious belief that the soul or self is the most important in the world and that if the soul is satisfied, the gods are also satisfied and one’s life becomes meaningful and prosperous.

Likewise, the Council of Ministers chaired by first Prime Minister of Republic of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal had on October 23, 2008 nationally recognized the Nepal Sambat propounded by national luminary Shankhadhar Sakhwa.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has extended hearty best wishes to all the Nepalis within the country and abroad on the happy occasion of the Nepal Sambat New Year 1137.

In a message of best wishes on the occasion, PM Dahal has said the role played by the National Hero Shankhadhar Shakhwa in the history of social justice in Nepal is unforgettable. Sakhwa is credited with starting the Nepal Sambat calendar.

“Nepal Sambat is Nepal’s indigenous calendar and its progenitor Sakhwa had laid a notable foundation of social change in the contemporary society by absolving the people of their debt,” he said, adding that the contribution that Sakhwa had made to enhancing the prestige and uniqueness of the whole country is inspiring to all.

The country’s internal nationality can be consolidated and independence protected in the present 21st century characterised by modernism only by establishing the diversity and the identity of all communities, languages, cultures and castes, the PM noted.

Stating that the government was vigorously engaged in carrying out serious home work on constitution amendment for the purpose of reflecting the aspirations of all in the new constitution, the PM expressed the confidence that this would make an important contribution to the implementation of the constitution and ultimately to the country’s prosperity by enhancing the acceptability of the constitution.

While recalling that he had the opportunity to declare the Nepal Sambat as a national calendar during his term as Prime Minister after the establishment of the republic, he said it is upon our shoulder to institutionalise the Nepal Sambat as the National Calendar and have it implemented in practice. RSS