Kathmandu: The Gaura festival was celebrated in Tundikhel, Kathmandu, with the performance of Deuda dance and cultural processions on Sunday. People originally from Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces, now residing in Kathmandu for study, work, or business, observed the festival with enthusiasm.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the celebration was organized by the Prashansha Conservation Group. Revelers performed the Deuda dance while placing an idol of Gaura Mata (Goddess Parvati) on their heads. The event also featured traditional dances such as chaliya and hudke, as well as games like thado khel.
The Gaura festival commemorates the wedding of Gaura Mata (Parvati) to Maheshwor (Lord Shiva) and is celebrated in the Nepali month of Bhadra, according to the lunar calendar. The festival is known as ‘Ujjyali’ when it falls during the waxing phase of the moon and ‘Adhyari’ during the waning phase.
The observance of the Gaura festival is becoming more prominent in Kathmandu, as more individuals from Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces settle in the capital. The festival has been celebrated in Kathmandu since 2052 BS and has been regularly observed in Tundikhel since then.
In a separate celebration, Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba observed the Gaura festival at his residence in Budhanilakantha, Kathmandu. An idol of Goddess Gaura was set up and worshipped by NC President Deuba and his spouse, Dr. Arzu Deuba, who is also the Foreign Minister. The event included a deuda dance with participation from federal ministers, lawmakers, and the chief minister from Sudurpaschim Province.