Kathmandu: President Ramchandra Paudel has said that festivals such as Maghe Sankranti help strengthen brotherhood, mutual harmony, and tolerance among Nepali people.
Extending best wishes on the occasion of Maghe Sankranti and Maghi Festival, 2082 BS, the President wished happiness, peace, and prosperity to all Nepalis at home and abroad. He stated that such festivals contribute to ethnic harmony, respect for diversity, and national unity in Nepal’s multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multicultural society.
Maghe Sankranti, also known as Makar Sankranti, is celebrated across the country by various communities in different ways. The Tharu community observes the Maghi festival as its New Year. Families traditionally celebrate by consuming foods such as ghee, chaku, tarul, laddus, sel roti, dhikri, and khichdi.
President Paudel noted that devotees customarily take holy baths at sacred sites including Barahkshetra, Devghat, and Ridi Kshetra, and offer prayers at temples on the day. He added that such festivals, as intangible cultural heritage, play an important role in introducing Nepal to the world. He expressed hope that the festivals would inspire efforts to preserve culture and build a civilized, cultured, and egalitarian society.
Meanwhile, Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, in his message of best wishes, emphasized the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. He noted that Maghi is also observed as National Agricultural Biodiversity Day in Nepal and stressed the responsibility of all three levels of government and stakeholders in biodiversity conservation, particularly as Nepal is a signatory to international treaties.
(RSS)
