BHAKTAPUR, Nov 17: When people think of Bhaktapur, many envision it with the Malla-era fifty-five-windowed palace, the five-tiered temple, Siddhapokhari, and the palace square located at the main gate. However, Bhaktapur is much more than just these landmarks. The city, with its vibrant art, culture, and civilization, continues to astound even its own residents every day. The cultural festivals, Dafa Bhajan, traditional dances, and crafts such as pottery, architecture, and handcrafts, which take place every fifteen days or monthly, make Bhaktapur renowned as a city of festivals filled with living art and culture.
This city is set to organize a grand Bhaktapur Festival, which will be held for five days, from December 13 to December 17.
Bhaktapur Municipality has announced that the Bhaktapur Festival will be held starting from December 13, with the main objective of promoting Bhaktapur's art, culture, lifestyle, and local products, while attracting both domestic and international tourists. This five-day festival will provide a unique opportunity to explore the entire city of Bhaktapur.
The Mayor of Bhaktapur and Chairperson of the Main Festival Organizing Committee, Sunil Prajapati, stated that the festival's objective is to boost the city's economic activity through the tourism industry and contribute to the economic development of both the municipality and its residents. "Bhaktapur is a city rich in art and culture," he said, "and in recent times, it has also become enriched by knowledge and wisdom."
He mentioned that the municipality has been continuously working for the promotion of Bhaktapur and now is the time to showcase it. "This festival is also an opportunity to showcase the work we have done," he said, "and based on the suggestions we receive, we will move forward." He added that in the granaries of the farmers here, it is not just grain that is stored, but now knowledge is also being gathered.
He stated that the main goal of the festival is to promote Bhaktapur's art, culture, heritage, and traditional products, with the aim of attracting both domestic and foreign visitors.
Deputy Mayor Rajani Joshi shares similar sentiments. She stated that the Bhaktapur Festival will serve as an opportunity to display the city's activities. Bhaktapur Municipality has mentioned that it has established the foundation for the tourism industry in Bhaktapur by preserving, promoting, and effectively utilizing the priceless heritage created by ancestors. Gautam Prasad Lasiwa, the coordinator of the Bhaktapur Mahotsav Secretariat, provided a brief presentation on the preparations and activities for the festival, stating that it will be a grand event. The festival will feature 32 categories across 80 locations. On the occasion of the festival, Bhaktapur Municipality has also prepared to display a souvenir and a photo book. He mentioned that the Bhaktapur Festival, which was postponed in 2076 due to Covid-19 pandemic, will be held grandly this year.
Bhaktapur festival celebrates culture and heritage (In Pictures...
History of the festival
Bhaktapur Municipality has been organizing both large and small festivals from time to time. It held the five-day 'Bhaktapur Festival' from October 22 to 26, 1997 and the one-day 'Bhaktapur Street Festival 2069' on September 22, 2012. Similarly, on January 1, 2020, it organized the 'Evening Cultural Heritage Walk and Local Product Exhibition', and on April 1 and 2, 2023, it hosted the 'Heritage Walk and Local Products and Home Fair'. On August 5, 2023, it successfully organized the 'Bhaktapur Pond Heritage Walk Fair', and on December 30, 2023, the 'Bahabahi Heritage Walk and Yomari Festival' was successfully concluded, with significant participation from local residents.
In 1999, an international conference on "UNESCO Culture Heritage Management and Tourism" was held under the supervision of Bhaktapur Municipality. "Although the municipality organizes the festivals, there is active participation from all members of the community," says Mayor Prajapati. "The festivals here remain vibrant." He mentioned that the enthusiasm and excitement shown by the public during the festivals make the city appear even livelier.
Objective of the festival
The main objective of the festival is to inform both domestic and foreign visitors about the art, culture, heritage, and unique products and lifestyle of Bhaktapur, and to develop Bhaktapur as a tourist destination. This will help increase the city's economic activity through the tourism industry and contribute to the economic development of the municipality and its residents.
Other objectives of the festival include promoting the traditional dances, music, handicrafts, local industries, skills, art, and culture of Bhaktapur, and creating a conducive environment to link these with economic activities. It also aims to promote Bhaktapur’s unique food ingredients, customs, and lifestyle, while facilitating the commercialization of these aspects.
Main attractions of the festival
Bhaktapur is the heart of cultural events. Everyday different cultural activities happen here. The municipality is making efforts to turn the entire city into a festive atmosphere by organizing events in various neighborhoods. Different programs will be held at each Dabali Chowk, and the municipality has also made efforts to provide accurate information about these events through mobile apps. Visitors can obtain information about which neighborhood and square an event is taking place through brochures and mobile apps and can plan their walking routes accordingly.
This year's festival will feature a flute competition, bhajan (devotional singing), Naubaja (traditional Newari music), Nagara drumming, and both traditional and modern cultural dances. Additionally, there will be exhibitions of Paubha (traditional art), photography, painting, Chwali art, traditional costumes, and performances of Halimli, Yomari, traditional musical instruments, domestic products, traditional thread dyeing, Kumari (living goddess), Dipankar Buddha, Navadurga, educational activities, and clay art. Traditional sports, Newari lifestyle, Naubaja, Buddhist publications, cooperative activities, agricultural products, books, Buddha idols, sports, traditional mustard oil production methods, and cultural festivals will also be showcased. The festival will also feature a food festival, trade fair, yogurt festival: Nauka Bihar, water cycling, children's entertainment activities, and sports events.
To organize the Bhaktapur Festival in an organized and grand manner, the municipality has formed a 161-member main organizing committee, a 25-member executive committee, 13 thematic committees, and a secretariat committee, with the participation of all elected representatives of the municipality, heads of all district-level offices, representatives from private sector associations, and other stakeholders.
Why visit Bhaktapur?
In 1979, UNESCO listed the heritage areas of Bhaktapur, including the Durbar Square, as a World Heritage Site, in recognition of its unique cultural identity. Bhaktapur is not only the administrative center of Bhaktapur district but also the historical and cultural hub of Nepal.
The centuries-old temples, monasteries, shrines, Shiva temples, sacred places, Dheyochen, palaces, Sattal, Patipauwa, and stone spouts here are examples of world-class architecture. Every year, millions of domestic and foreign tourists are mesmerized by the brilliance of the town’s sculpture, painting, and metalwork.
The Bhaktapur Municipality is working towards preserving, promoting, and making good use of these priceless legacies created by ancestors, laying the foundation for the tourism industry in Bhaktapur. Art, culture, and heritage are integral to human civilization. The municipality has been raising public awareness about the importance of historical and cultural heritage, focusing on its preservation and promotion. To familiarize the new generation with Bhaktapur’s originality and to impart its significance, the municipality has developed a local curriculum for students from grades one to eight.
Bhaktapur Municipality, embracing the slogan "The Property Created by Our Ancestors, Our Art and Culture," has stated that it is developing a tourism industry based on the town's tangible and intangible heritage, contributing to the economic development of the city. Through this, the municipality is advancing Bhaktapur as a model city in cleanliness, heritage preservation, and social development, while promoting public participation in the conservation of art, culture, and heritage.
The municipality has completed the restoration and reconstruction of hundreds of heritage sites, including the Five-Story Temple, Bhairabnath Temple, Siddha Pokhari, Lakshminarayan Temple, Nhu Phukhu (Rani Pokhari), Bhaju Phukhu, Chaturbrahm Mahavihar, Jhaurabahi, Betal Temple, Indrayani Dyochhe, Chuma Ganesh Dyochhe, as well as the rest houses, ponds, temples, stone spouts, wells, and ponds in various neighborhoods.
Bhaktapur Municipality has been regularly conducting skill-based training programs, such as foreign language courses, computer training, and culinary skills, to produce the skilled workforce necessary for the prosperity of the tourism industry. The municipality has been providing training to local guides and operating through an organizing committee to maintain discipline and decorum, thereby ensuring the smooth operation of Bhaktapur's tourism industry. According to the municipality, the upcoming festival will be the best opportunity to experience a glimpse of the multi-dimensional nature of Bhaktapur. "So, Bhaktapur itself is like a festival," says Mayor Sunil Prajapati, "This festival aims to showcase the entire city at one location all at once."
