A team embarked on a religious chariot procession from Gajendramokshanarayan in Nawalparasi to Muktinath in Mustang to promote religious tourism, preserving the sacred Shaligram stones found only in the Kali Gandaki River, and fostering religious harmony.
The procession, led by Swami Kamalnayan Acharya, began on Chaitra 18 from Gajendra Mojnayanarayan and traveled through Devghat, Pokhara, and Baglung before arriving in Magdi. The procession, which included devotional songs and chanting, was welcomed in Beni by the mayor of Beni Municipality, Surat KC, chairperson of Jaljala Rural Municipality, Rajuprasad Acharya, Chief District Officer Gurudatta Dhakal, and others.
The local people of Beni also welcomed the procession by placing water pots in front of their homes. The procession, which traveled on foot from Beni to the religious site of Galeshwar Temple, will reach Muktinath on the 24th and begin a six-month-long religious festival. Swami Kamalnayan Acharya explained that the chariot procession is being organized to promote Vedic Sanatan culture and traditions, preservation of Shaligram, the Kali Gandaki River, cows, water, nature, environmental conservation, social unity, nationalism, and the construction of an ideal society, along with tourism promotion and the prayer for world peace and national prosperity, especially on the occasion of Ram Navami.
The festival will feature readings of Vedic scriptures such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, Gita, and Vishnu Sahasranama, along with special rituals and havans. The six-month festival aims to attract 500,000 religious tourists. The chariot procession and religious festival are expected to raise awareness of the religious and tourist sites along the Kali Gandaki River, as well as promote their preservation, development, and attract government attention for further support.
