This festival, which is linked to both religious beliefs and cultural traditions, is attracting increasing attention from devotees due to the Deuda, Choulo, and Bajagaja.
What you should know
A grand fair was held at the famous Mashta Bhagwati Temple located in Navadurga Rural Municipality-1 of Dadeldhura on Friday with a large crowd of devotees. This temple, which houses a 45-foot statue of Goddess Bhagwati, has been holding a fair every year. Devotees had started gathering in the temple premises since Thursday night, according to the caste, for the Ratedi, which is celebrated on the Chaturdashi day of the Shukla month of Mangsir, and the Diunsedi, which is celebrated on the full moon day of the second day of the month.
The fair management committee has stated that this year's festival ended after the traditional puja was completed on Friday. This festival, which is linked to both religious beliefs and cultural traditions, is attracting increasing attention from devotees due to the Deuda, Cholo and Bajagaja.
Apart from this annual special festival, there is a tradition of holding a festival on other important festivals in Mashta Bhagwati. The Vishu Jatra on Baisakh 1 and the Dashain Jatra on Bada Dashain are specially celebrated. After the farmers' crops and fruits were severely damaged due to hailstorms in the village, there is a tradition of establishing temples and performing pujas with the belief that they will get the goddess's blessings to avoid famine. According to this tradition, the locals are still celebrating the festival.
This year too, the fair featured local agricultural produce such as oranges, honey, lentils, various food items and home-made food items. In addition, traders from different parts of India have also done business. This fair, which is considered important from both religious and cultural perspectives, is also considered a center of social unity for the residents of this place.
Various festivals are held throughout the year, but the festival of Mashta Bhagwati is known for its collective devotion and enthusiasm, said local Madan Bohara. According to him, the tradition of concluding the festival in a festive manner by playing cholo and deuda has been going on for years. According to locals, it is a tradition that once the festival here ends, the fairs of other deities held in the surrounding monasteries and temples also end.
Temple Area Development Committee Chairman Prem Bahadur Bohara said that the festival has been held since ancient times as a custom of praying to the goddess to prevent famine after hailstorms damaged the crops. He said that the fair attracted thousands of devotees and also helped local businesses.
