Former King Gyanendra on Friday visited the 11th Kapilvastu Festival organized at Buddha Stadium in Bandhganga Municipality in Kapilvastu District. After offering pooja at the Pashupati Temple in Gorusinghe, the former King had reached the Festival venue. He had spent about ten minutes at the Festival. He had enquired about the festival with Rajkumar Khand, chairman of the Bandhganga Welfare Society, reports Nagarik daily.
The Society has organized the Festival. When it was informed that the former King was visiting the Festival, local were gathered at the Festival venue from 1 pm. At 3 pm the former King directly went to the Pashupati Temple in Gorusinghe without stopping at the Festival venue. Upon his return from the Temple, the former King had dropped at the Festival venue.
Dinesh Chhetri, secretary of the Society, said that the former King extended best wishes for the success of the Festival.
Although the former King stayed for a short period, locals were highly encouraged from the former King’s visit, said Chhetri.
Thousands of people with national flags and welcome banner, had gathered at the venue to greet the former King.
At the Pashupatinath premises in Gorusinghe also, thousands of people arrived from different villages were gathered to greet the former King from 12 noon. Around 15 thousand people were present there to greet the former King, said RPP’s district coordinator Bhisma Banjade. People also chanted slogan in support of monarchy. The former King returned to Bhairahawa after visiting the Festival.
The former King had reached Bhairahawa on 1 December. While staying in Bhairahawa, the former King visited different shrines in Rupandehi, Palpa, and Kapilvastu. On Saturday, the last day of his stay in Bhairahawa, he has scheduled to visit Palhi Bhagawati Temple in Nawalparashi. The former King has visited different districts in the Western Region for the first time since 2006.
People’s News Monitoring Service
