Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-14 – The annual Bol Bam Fair officially began at Pindeshwar Babadhama on Tuesday, inaugurated by Balasant Mohansharan Devacharya. This month-long event is expected to attract around 300,000 devotees, according to the Bolk Bam Fair Organizing Committee.
The committee has made extensive arrangements to accommodate the influx of devotees, including security measures and shelter for over a thousand devotees within the temple premises during rain. Basudev Baral, an advisor to the organizing committee, highlighted that devotees believe offering water from the confluence of the Saptakoshi River at the temple fulfills their wishes, which explains the anticipated large turnout.
Traditionally, participants wear yellow clothes and walk barefoot from the Koshi River at Barahakshetra’s Chatara to Pindeshwar Temple to offer water. The fair attracts devotees from various districts of eastern Nepal, as well as from western regions including Baitadi, Dang, Bajura, Rautahat, Achham, and Dadeldhura. Additionally, devotees from neighboring India, particularly from Sikkim and Darjeeling, also join the festivities.
During the inauguration, Basudev Baral released his book ‘Rudraksharanya Parichaya,’ which centers on the religious significance of Bijaypur and Pindeshwar, referencing sacred sites like Dantakali, Budhasubba, Pindeshwar, Barahakshetra, and the ancient Haridwar and Kumbh Mela.
The event was attended by prominent figures, including Ramesh Basnet, a Member of Parliament from Koshi Province, Aindravikram Begha, the Deputy Mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City, and other local representatives.
The Bol Bam Fair, held throughout the month of Shrawan, continues to be a significant cultural and religious event, drawing devotees and tourists alike to Dharan.
