KATHMANDU: The Nepal Army organized the ‘Phulpati Badhai’, feu de joie, at the army pavilion in Tundikhel, Kathmandu on Friday. The day marks the seventh day of the Dashain festival.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari graced the event as the chief guest. A contingent of Nepal Army offered a guard of honor to President Bhandari, who is, constitutionally, the supreme commander-in-chief of the Nepal Army.
The parade lasted for half an hour during which limited activities were showcased. This year the Nepal Army held the ceremony being minimalist to give continuity to the cultural and religious tradition.
An army chopper that flew over the army pavilion showered flowers while the army band played music dedicated to Goddess Durga and patriotic songs.
Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JBR, Speaker of the House of Representatives Agni Prasad Sapkota, and National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timalsina among others also witnessed the parade.
Likewise, the event also marked the presence of Deputy Prime Minister, members of the council of ministers, chief secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, and chief of security agencies.
A very limited number of guests were invited to the event this year due to the risk of COVID-19 infection. All the guests were asked to comply with the health safety measures such as using sanitizer, wearing gloves, and maintaining social distance among others to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Chief of Army Staff Purnachandra Thapa had welcomed the guests to the event. The state-owned television- Nepal Television- had telecast the event live.
Unlike in the previous year, there was no much general public thronging around the army pavilion to watch the parade.
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