Devotees throng Taleju Bhawani temple on Mahanawami

KATHMANDU : A large number of devotees can be seen queuing up at the Taleju Bhawani temple in the premises of Hanumandhoka Durbar area on the occasion of Mahanawami, the ninth day of the 10-day-long Bada Dashain festival, the biggest festival of Nepalis.

This goddess temple is opened for the devotees once in a year on the day of Mahanawami. Devotees thronged the temple since the early morning today to offer worship.

Sandeep Khanal, Chief of the Hanumandhoka Durbar Area Management Office, said that thousands of people have assembled at the temple since the morning and all those lining up for paying homage to the goddess Taleju Bhawani would be allowed in as the temple is open only today.

Meanwhile, Tulaja Bhawani has been taken around the Mulchok of the Hanumandhoka Durbar Area as part of time-honoured tradition. The statue of the goddess was taken around the Mulchok courtyard at 10.05 am on Sunday, the auspicious hour determined for performing this ritual by the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee. The goddess was kept at the Mulchok and special Kalaratri worship and prayers offered to her on Monday with the sacrificing of 54 male goats and 54 male buffaloes.

Worships are offered to the Taleju Bhawani by keeping the goddess statue at the Mulchok courtyard until Bijaya Dashami. Bijaya Dashami, the last day of the 10-day biggest festival of Nepalis, falls tomorrow this year.

The goddess statue would be taken to the Taleju Bhawani temple from Mulchok at the auspicious hour of 7.35 given by the Committee tomorrow morning and ensconced there until the day of Saptami during Dashain next year. rss