६ मंसिर, वीरगञ्ज : कोरोना महामारीका कारण विगतको वर्षहरुमा भन्दा केही फरक ढंगले छठ मनाइएको छ । पूर्व क्षितिजबाट उदाउँदै गरेको सूर्यलाई अर्घ दिएपछि चारदिने छठ पर्व सकिएको छ । शुक्रबार साँझ अस्ताउँदै गरेको सूर्यलाई अर्घ दिएका ब्रतालुहरुले आज बिहान उदाउँदै गरेको सूर्यलाई अर्घ दिएका हुन् । वीरगञ्जको घडिअर्वा पोखरी, स्वीमीङ पुल, नगवा पोखरी, मुर्ली, छपकैया, रामगढवा, तेजारथ टोल, चिनी मिल आवासक्षेत्र, पिपरा, परवानीपुर, सुखचैना लगायत ग्रामीणक्षेत्रका पोखरी तलाउहरुमा छठको विशेष आकर्षण देखिने गरेको थियो । छठघाटमै गएर शिरसोप्ताको पूजा, छठी मैयाको आराधना र सूर्यको उपासना गर्ने कतिपयले यसवर्ष घरको छत र आँगनमै पर्व मनाएका छन् । कोरोना संक्रमणको जोखिम कायमै रहेको भन्दै स्थानीय प्रशासन र स्थानीय सरकारले छठघाटमा भिडभाड नगर्न आग्रह गरेको थियो । नदी, खोला र पोखरीस्थित छठघाटमा ब्रतालुहरु र दर्शनार्थीहरुको भिड विगतको वर्षमा भन्दा कम देखिएको छ । मास्क अनिवार्य भनिए पनि छठघाटमा मास्क नलगाउनेहरुको संख्या पनि बाक्लो छ । छठघाटमा मास्क निःशुल्क वितरण गरिएको भएपनि अधिकांशले मास्क नलगाएको पाइएको छ ।
Safe Travel Barometer rates airports from a score from 5 to 0 in regards to COVID-19 safety.Rating qualifications include contactless baggage drop and check in kiosks, traveler face masks, COVID-19 test upon arrival and staff masks among many other criteria.
No airport achieved a score of 4.5 and higher, but 5 airports received a score of 4.4 and can now be considered the five safest airports in the world to travel to and from during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 5 safest airports are with a score of 4.4
- Heathrow Airport, London, UK
- Dubai International Airport, UAE
- Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar
- Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE
- Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore
Place 2 of the safest airports are the following 7 with a score of 4.3:
- Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Mumbai
- Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France
- Ben-Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Newark Liberty International Airport, NJ, USA
- Beijing Capital International Airport, China
- Boston Logan International Airport, MA, USA
Place 3 of the safest airports are the following 9 with a score of 4.2
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, The Netherlands
- Frankfurt Airport, Germany
- O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, IL, USA
- Hong Kong International Airport, China
- Los Angeles International Airport, CA, USA
- Brisbane Airport, Australia
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, GA, USA
- Duesseldorf Airport, Germany
- San Francisco International Airport, CA, USA
- Inchheon International Airport, Seoul, Korea
Place 4 of the safest airports are the following 9 with a score of 4.1
- Toronto Pearson International Airport, ON, Canada
- Manchester Airport, UK
- Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport, TX, USA
- Vancouver International Airport, BC, Canada
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, AB, Canada
- Munich International Airport, Germany
- Bordeaux Airport, France
- Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Germany
- Zurich Airport, Switzerland
Place 5 of the safest airports are the following 12 with a score of 4
- Perth Airport, Australia
- Montreal- Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Canada
- Bahrain International Airport, Bahrain
- Adelaide International Airport, Australis
- Darwin International Airport, Australia
- Boryspil International Airport, Ukraine
- Kempegowda International Airport, India
- Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, China
- Adelaide International Airport, Australia
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia
- Cologne-Bonn Airport, Germany
Safe but with room for improvements (Score 3.5-3.9)
- New Chitose Airport, Japan
- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China
- Torino Airport, Italy
- Denver International Airport, CO, USA
- Mactan Cebu International Airport, Philippines
- Heikou Meilan International Airport, China
- Budapest Airport, Hungary
- Chansha Huanghua International Airport, China
- GMR Hyderbad International Airport, India
- RIOgaleao Tom Jobim International Airport, Brazil
- Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport
- Fiumiciono Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Italy
- Tampa International Airport, FL, USA
- Antalya Airport, Turkey
- Guangzhou Baiyn International Airport, China
- Seattle- Tacoma International Airport, WA, USA
- Miami International Airport, FL, USA
- Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand
- Jorge Chaves International Airport, Lima, Peru
- Chubu Centrair International Airport, Japan
- Ankara Esenboga Airport, Turkey
- Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, China
- Osaka International Airport
- Paris Orly, France
- Muscat International Airport, Oman
- Nice Cote D’Azur Airport, France
- Kig Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia
- Zvartnots International Airport, Armenia
- Dallas Love Field Airport, TX, USA
- Cancun International Airport, Mexico
- Charlotte Douglas International Aiport, SC, USA
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX, USA
- McCarren International Airport, Las Vegas, NV, USA
- Vienna Airport, Austria
- Indianapolis International Airport, IN, USA
- Milas – Bodrum Airport, Turkey
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport, SC, USA
- Naha Airport , Okinawa, Japan
- Tianjin Binhai International Airport, China
- Oakland International Airport, CA, USA
- Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Ethiopia
- Sardar Vallabhbai Patel International Airport, India
- Nuremberg Airport, Germany
- Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, China
- Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan
- Baltimore Washington International Airport, MD, USA
- Cape Town International Airport, South Africa
- Kansai International Airport, Japan
- Cairo International Airport, Egypt
- Lyon- Saint Exupery Airport, France
- Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini (Ezeiza) International Airport
- Sofia Airport, Bulgaria
- Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, China
- O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Pune Airport, India
- Ynukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia
- Fukuoka Airport, Japan
- Faa’a International Airport, French Polynesia
- Bradley International Airport, CT, USA
- Phnom Penh International Airport, Cambodia
- Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco
- Salt Lake City International Airport, UT, USA
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, India
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius
- Albuquerque International Sunport, NM, USA
- Leipzig Halle Airport, Germany
- San Juan Airport, Puerto Rico
- Sendai Airport, Japan
- Dulles International Airport, VA, USA
- Velana International Airport, Maldives
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya
- Bali Nguraha Rai International Airport, Bali, Indonesia
- King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia
- Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia
- Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, TX, USA
- Melbourne Airport, Australia
- Nadi International Airport, Fiji
- Coimbatore International Airport, India
- Dublin Airport, Ireland
- Kansas City International Airport, MO, USA
- Sacramento International Airport, CA, USA
- Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport, CA, USA
- Nashville International Airport, TN, India
- Coimbatore International Airport, India
- Chiang Mai International Airport, Thailand
- Milano Linate Airport, Italy
- Chennai International Airport, India
- Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, FL, USA
- Miyazaki Airport, Japan
- Kagoshima Airport, Japan
The majority of airports not listed here need improvements, some urgent implementation of COVID-19 safe policies and measures.
The three lowest-rated airports in the world with a score of only 2
- Paine Field Airport, WA, USA
- Karlsruhe Baden- Baden Airport, Germany
- Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, MS, USA
eTurboNews also published a list of 230 safest and not so safe airlines.
India travel industry players continue to make great efforts to see that tourism gets back on track once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. In the latest news, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President, Pronab Sarkar, requested the Government of India to announce the dates for restoration of E-Visas and Tourist Visas as well as resumption of international flight
Mr. Sarkar has requested the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Home Affairs to announce the dates for the restoration of E-Visas and Tourist Visas along with resuming international flights at the earliest to restart inbound tourism to India. Travel and tourism are highly-stressed sectors in the absence of tourist arrivals and the lack of a government stimulus package, so industry companies are looking for a way to survive.
Referring to the announcement made by Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, and Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), that the vaccine will be available in a couple of months, Mr. Sarkar in his letter addressed to the Secretary of Tourism and Additional Secretary (Foreigners), Ministry of Home Affairs, stated: “It is imperative that our Ministry should plan for inbound tourism to start as early as possible for which [the] Ministry of Tourism and the stakeholders should start international marketing. This can only be possible if the industry stakeholders know of Government’s plans of opening of e-Visa[s] and Tourist Visa[s] and resumption of international flights so that accordingly we can inform our foreign tour operators and clients, and they can promote India as a safe destination well in advance.”
Mr. Sarkar has requested that besides announcing the dates for opening of e-Visas and Tourist Visas, government should also announce the dates for commencement of international flights. This is very important because international tourists take at least 3 to 6 months to commence their journey for their holiday travel to India. Foreign tourists plan their tours well in advance, and they will not travel immediately.
“Once [the] above decisions are taken, it will create confidence amongst foreign tour operators and foreign tourists and will send a positive message that India is ready to receive and welcome them. If no timely actions [are] taken by us, foreign tour operators/tourists will look for other destinations, and India may lose the chance for the rest of the winter and summer season of 2021,” said Mr. Pronab Sarkar.
Hong Kong is becoming an international concern, and this is not about COVID-19. The text of the following statement addressed to the People’s Republic of China was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
We, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and the United States Secretary of State, reiterate our serious concern regarding China’s imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong. Following the imposition of the National Security Law and postponement of September’s Legislative Council elections, this decision further undermines Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms.
China’s action is a clear breach of its international obligations under the legally binding, UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration. It breaches both China’s commitment that Hong Kong will enjoy a ‘high degree of autonomy’, and the right to freedom of speech.
The disqualification rules appear part of a concerted campaign to silence all critical voices following the postponement of September’s Legislative Council elections, the imposition of charges against a number of elected legislators, and actions to undermine the freedom of Hong Kong’s vibrant media.
We call on China to stop undermining the rights of the people of Hong Kong to elect their representatives in keeping with the Joint Declaration and Basic Law. For the sake of Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity, it is essential that China and the Hong Kong authorities respect the channels for the people of Hong Kong to express their legitimate concerns and opinions.
As a leading member of the international community, we expect China to live up to its international commitments and its duty to the people of Hong Kong. We urge the Chinese central authorities to re-consider their actions against Hong Kong’s elected legislature and immediately reinstate the Legislative Council members.
कोरोना भाइरसविरुद्धको भ्याक्सिन नेपालमा पनि परीक्षण गर्ने भएको छ । आपत्कालीन औषधि र खोप प्रयोगलाई सहज बनाउन सरकारले सिफारिस गरेको औषधि (तेस्रो संशोधन) अध्यादेश राष्ट्रपति विद्यादेवी भण्डारीले बुधबार जारी गरेसँगै अन्य मुलुकमा अनुमति पाएको खोपको क्लिनिकल ट्रायल यहाँ पनि गर्ने कानुनी आधार तयार भएको हो । नयाँ औषधि तथा खोप प्रयोगमा ल्याउन उचित छ/छैन भन्ने यकिन गर्न रोगी वा अन्य व्यक्तिको सहमतिमा प्रयोग गरी खोप परीक्षण गर्नु क्लिनिकल ट्रायल हो । औषधि ऐन २०३५ मा नयाँ औषधिको क्लिनिकल ट्रायल गर्न औषधि व्यवस्था विभागबाट अनुमति लिनुपर्ने व्यवस्था थियो । महामारीका रूपमा फैलिएको संक्रामक रोगको रोकथाम र नियन्त्रण निर्मूल गर्न विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठनमा स्वीकृत भएका वा सम्बन्धित मुलुकको औषधि नियामक निकायले दर्ता गरेका वा त्यस्ता नियामक निकायले आपत्कालीन प्रयोगको अनुमति प्रदान गरेका औषधि तथा खोपलाई नेपालमा आपत्कालीन प्रयोगका लागि औषधि सल्लाहकार समितिको सिफारिसमा विभागले दर्ता गर्नेछ।
यसरी प्रयोग गरेको औषधि वा खोपबाट कुनै असर देखिए रोक लगाउन सकिने प्रावधान पनि राखिएको छ । यसबाहेक औषधि प्रयोग गर्न अनुमति दिने निकाय विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन (डब्लूएचओ) र अन्य मुलुकले अनुमतिमा रोक लगाए नेपालमा पनि प्रयोग गर्न रोक लगाउने व्यवस्था गरिएको छ ।
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has come up with a list of recommendations on how to survive and revive travel and hospitality in the current COVID-19 pandemic world. Here’s what FICCI recommends.
In view of the current situation, the moratorium on all working capital, principal, interest payments, loans and overdrafts need to be extended by another 1 year.
RBI’s resolution framework: One-time rescheduling of principal and interest dues of borrowers in Hospitality Sector may be permitted in line with the revised estimated cash flows of each project. While the proposed capping of extension in repayment tenor is 2 years based on the assumptions on which the projections are made, if the situation does not improve as expected, a provision should be made to extend this to 3-4 years. Further, the requirement of additional provisioning should be linked to the tangible security available with lenders, viz., additional provisioning at ‘5%’ for Security Cover more than/equal to 1.5-Times.
Given the current situation and the future of the hospitality industry which will take long to revive, we request if banks can be mandated to reduce the interest rate of borrowing to between 7-8%.
In case of projects under implementation: The sudden nation-wide lock-down and subsequent migration of labor, etc. has seriously hindered on-going construction work of various projects. Therefore, considering for the locked-down period & the remobilization efforts, the Banks/FIs may be permitted to extend the DCCO by 1 year, without treating it as restructuring (in addition to the time period already allowed).
Stimulus package to stabilize and support the sector in the near term, including a workforce support fund to ensure that there are no job losses. Hospitality Sector being a large employment generator and worldwide, various governments are providing monetary support to the extent of 60-80% of salary expenses for the next 2-3 years as a special relief to keep retrenchments/job losses at lower side.
Lending to MSMEs in the Hospitality sector may be treated as ‘Priority Sector lending’, which will enable increased access to bank finance. GOI may consider supporting borrowers in the hospitality sector with payment/reimbursement of Six Month’s interest and providing 5% interest subventions for coming 2-3 years to ensure continuity in business operations/ survival of players in the Hospitality Sector.
Electricity and water to tourism & hospitality units should be charged at a subsidized rate and on actual consumption against fixed load.
The Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) scrips which is due to the tour operators for the financial year 2018-2019 must be paid at the earliest. This is only possible if the Government starts accepting the forms. This amount of SEIS will help all destination management companies in tiding over this crisis period with the much-needed working capital.
Restoration of SEIS scrips for duty credit of 10% to Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Industry.
Create a separate Tourism fund under the aegis of Ministry of Tourism to support the Hospitality and Travel Industry in this time of crisis. The fund should be accessible to the Industry as a collateral free 10-year loan. The first 2 years should be interest free and thereafter, a very minimum rate of interest should be applicable for the remaining 8 years. This will help businesses to stabilize till Tourism gets back on track.
Grant infrastructure status to all hotels to allow them to avail electricity, water, and land at industrial rates as well as better infrastructure lending rates with access to larger amounts of funds as external commercial borrowings. It will also make them eligible to borrow from India Infrastructure Financing Company Limited (IIFCL). This has been a long-standing request of the industry and in 2013, the Government granted infrastructure status only to new hotels with a project cost of more than Rs 200 crore each (excluding land costs). However, the status should be given across all hotels so that every hotel benefit from this status.
All Hotels should open – hotels have hosted Doctors, passengers returning on Vande Bharat flights and have followed all required protocols. So, they would be in a position to host the public as well. Allied services of Hotels like Restaurants, Spas, Bars should also open. Hotels should be given permission to host all kinds of banquets and conference in the hotel, with a ceiling of 50%of venue capacity and maintaining social distancing norm to allow hotels to earn some revenue when other source of business has dried up.
FICCI had also requested to create a separate Tourism fund under the aegis of Ministry of Tourism to help businesses to stabilize till Tourism gets back on track.
The Government should provide tax rebate of up to rupees 1.5 lakhs for spending on Domestic holidays in the lines of the Leave Travel Allowance (LTA).
A national tourism policy should be issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India which covers common protocols for entry of a tourist into a state. This will act as a uniform guideline for all states to follow.
All the states and union territories should work in complete co-ordination with each other and the Centre under your leadership with a clear cut date to announce when they will open up the tourism activities so that this also gives time to the stakeholders to prepare themselves accordingly. The entry process and requirements for tourists to any state and union territory should be uniform and standard.
The states and union territories should have a targeted marketing campaign to communicate the safety measures taken by the Government at various tourist attractions and the private stakeholders to ensure the safety of the tourists when travelling to the destination This will help to educate tourists and build their confidence to travel for tourism purposes.
India should enter into a travel arrangement with Russia i.e. a travel bubble specifically between Russia and Goa, wherein people can fly in on a charter, stay in Goa and then fly back. Going by the number of Russians that come to Goa (almost 1.3 lakh in 2019-2020 out of the 2.1 lakh foreign arrivals) it would be a win-win situation for all as Goa has the hotel inventory as well as the flight inventory to cater to these tourists.
There are 11 Russian regions from where we get the maximum number of tourists and the bubble can be specifically between these regions and Goa. The 11 regions in Russia are Moscow, Kazan, Perm, Ekaterinburg, Ufa, Rostov, Samara, St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnodar and Krasnoyarsk.
There should be no quarantine, travelers should be required to bring with them a COVID-negative test report, which would be good enough for them to board the aircraft. We can also incentivize it either by granting free visa to the first 1,000 tourists or anybody who arrives between October and November will be offered visas free of cost.
If this travel bubble succeeds, it can be replicated in other parts of the country.
United Airlines free COVID-19 testing was provided today to every passenger over 2 years old and all crew members on board flight 14 from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to London Heathrow (LHR). These passengers and crew were the first to experience the airlines free rapid testing transatlantic COVID-19 testing program guaranteeing everyone* onboard tested negative prior to departure.
“These flights are a good proof-of-concept for governments around the world that are considering making testing part of the travel experience,” said Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer for United. “Expanding our testing efforts with pilot programs like this one not only helps guarantee passengers* onboard test negative for COVID-19, it also adds another element to our layered approach to safety and demonstrates a way to work within quarantines to key international destinations.”
The rapid Abbott ID Now COVID-19 test – administered by Premise Health – was offered onsite at a testing facility, located at the Newark United Club near Gate C93. The test will continue to be used with passengers traveling on United Flight 14, departing at 7:15 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the next four weeks. Customers booking these flights will have the option to confirm their willingness to participate in the trial or be accommodated on another flight. Customers who opt-in will receive information prior to travel in order to schedule a testing appointment at least three hours before their flight departs. All customers are still subject to current U.K. entry requirements, including the 14-day quarantine rule. For more information on the testing program, please visit united.com/covid-testing.
United has invited governments on both sides of the Atlantic to observe this pilot program and to assess its effectiveness as an alternative to mandatory quarantines and travel restrictions. United has seen a positive impact on travel demand and significant increases in customer load factors as well as revenue when testing options are available. Before the pandemic, United operated six daily flights between New York/Newark and London Heathrow on a 767-300ER (76L), offering not only the most frequency among U.S. carriers, but also the most business class and Premium Economy seats.
Since the start of the pandemic, United has been a leader among U.S. airlines in enacting new policies and innovations designed to keep employees and passengers safe when traveling. It was the first U.S. airline to mandate masks for flight attendants, quickly followed by all customers and employees. United was also among the first U.S. carriers to announce it would not permit customers who refused to comply with the airline’s mandatory mask policy to fly with them, while the face mask policy is in place. United was also the first U.S. airline to roll out touchless check-in for customers with bags and the first to require passengers to take an online health self-assessment before traveling. Additionally, last month, the airline announced it will apply Zoono Microbe Shield, an EPA registered antimicrobial coating that forms a long-lasting bond with surfaces and inhibits the growth of microbes, to its entire mainline and express fleet before the end of the year.
२ मंसिर, काठमाडौं । नेवार समुदायका केही समूहले आज पनि भाइटीका लगाउँदैछन् । यस वर्ष मंगलबार बिहान पनि केही समय द्वितीया तिथि रहेकाले भाइटीका लगाउन लागिएको हो । विभिन्न माैलिक चाडवाड, सभ्यता तथा संस्कारका धनी नेवाः समूदायले पनि काग तिहार र कुकुर तिहार मनाएतापनि मूल रुपमा लक्ष्मी पूजा, म्ह पूजा र किजा पूजा भनी भाईटिका मनाउँदै आएका छ । तीन दिन सम्म लगातार रुपमा मनाउँदै आएको कारणले नै स्वन्ति नखः भनिएको हो । नेवा भाषामा स्वन्हु भनेको तीन दिन र नखः भनेको चाँड पर्व हो ।
कृषी प्रधान नेवा समूदायमा यो तीन दिनको चाड स्वन्ति नखः मा खेतबाट आएको धान भित्र्याउने र वर्षभरीको हिसाब-किताब सम्पन्न गर्ने अर्थात साल तामाम गर्नुका साथसाथै आफ्नो शरिरलाई पुजा गरी नयाँ वर्षका लागि संघर्ष गर्दै अगाडी बढ्नकालागि आवश्यक पौष्टिकतत्व ग्रहण गर्ने पर्वको रुपमा लिएको पाइन्छ ।
यस दिनमा म्ह पूजाकै दिनमा जस्तै तयार गरि मण्डप लेख्ने गरिन्छ । विमिरोदेखि सबै प्रकारका फलफुल समेत मण्डपमा राख्ने गरिन्छ । नेवाः समुदायमा भने पञ्चरंगी टिका नभई अक्षता, अविर, दहि, चिउरा र पानी राखेको रातो टिका जसलाई नेवारी संस्कारमा ‘जाकि सिन्ह’ भनिन्छि । नेवार समूदायमा म्ह पुजाकै दिनमा जस्तै पुजा आजादेखि साैगन दिने चलन रहेको छ ।
पञ्चतत्वको सौगन दिनेदेखि पुजा गर्ने र आफ्नो भाईको दीर्घायूको कामना गर्ने गरिन्छ । हरेक मानिस भित्रको देउता अनि दिदिबहिनीबिचको आत्मियताकालागि नेवा समूदायमा तिहार प्रसिद्ध छ । यस वर्षको तिहार र किजा पूजाको रौनकमा केहि कमी नहोला तर कोरोना स्वास्थ जोखिमका कारणले धेरै यात्रा अनि भेटघाटहरु आगामी वर्षका लागि थाती राखिने भनें पक्का छ । माया बढोस्, संक्रमण घटोस् अनि मुस्कान कायम होस् ।
नेवार समुदायको भाइटीका (किजापूजा) का लागि सरकारले आज पनि देशभर सार्वजनिक बिदा दिएको छ । धेरैजसोले भने मंसिर १ गते नै भाइटीका लगाएका छन् ।
भाइटीकालाई लक्षित गरी रानीपोखरीको बीच भागमा अवस्थित बालगोपालेश्वर मन्दिर मंगलबार पनि बिहान ५ बजेदेखि नै खुल्ला गरिएको छ ।
दिदीबहिनी नहुनेहरुले बालगोपालेश्वर मन्दिरमा पूजा गरी टीका लगाउने चलन छ । त्यसैले बालगोपालेश्वर मन्दिर भाइटीकाको दिनमा मात्र खोल्ने गरिन्छ ।
लाखौं शंखमा दाहिना शंख एउटा पाइन्छ । हिन्दू धर्ममा प्रयोगसम्पादन गर्नेरामायण, महाभारतमा शंख को महिमा प्रसस्त छ भने हाम्रो समाजमा मंगल कार्यदेखि मृत्युजन्य शोकको घडीमा समेत शंखवादनलाई महत्त्व दि इन्छ । विषयसूची [लुकाउने] १ किसिम२ हिन्दू धर्ममा प्रयोग३ औषधीका रूपमा प्रयोग४ सन्दर्भकिसिम[सम्पादन गर्ने]शंख विभिन्न किसिमका हुन्छन्, तीमध्ये दाहिना शंख बहुमूल्य मानिन्छ, जुन निकै महँगो हुन्छ । शंख बजाउँदा त्यसको ध्वनिले विभिन्न प्रकारका रोगाणु र विषाणुलाई मार्ने वर्णन ऋग्वेदमा छ ।शंख महा भारतमा वर्णित एक राजा विराटको एक पुत्रको नाम पनि थियो। यो हिन्दु धर्ममा अति पवित्र मानिन्छ। यो धर्मको प्रतीक मानिन्छ। यो भगवान विष्णुको दायाँ माथिल्लो हात मा शोभायमान देखिन्छ। बिहान र बेलुकी आरती गर्दा शंख बजाइन्छ ।
शंख भस्म बनाउन शंखलाई माटोको भाँडोमा राखेर पाँच/छ फिट गहिरो खाल्डोमा गुइँठाले पोलेर निकाली घ्यूकुमारीको रसमा पिन्नु पर्छ । यसमा क्याल्सियम, क्याल्सियम सल्फेट, म्याग्नेसियम आदि तत्त्व प्रसस्त पाइन्छन् । शंख भस्म अम्लपित्त, अनुहारको चाया, डण्डीफोर र खत हटाउन उपयोगी हुन्छ ।अनिद्राको बिरामीलाई कानमा दुइटा शंख राख्दा समुद्री लहरको कर्णप्रिय आनन्दले निन्द्रा लगाउँछ भने शंख जलले मुख धुँदा अनुहार उज्यालो हुन्छ ।कान पाक्ने रोगको उपचारमा प्रयोग हुने शंख मोतिविन्दु, रतन्धोलगायतका आँखासम्बन्धी रोगमा पनि लाभदायक मानिन्छ । आयुर्वेदमा विभिन्न १५ रोगमा शंखबाट बनाइएका औषधी प्रयोग हुन्छन्।
१ मंसिर, काठमाडौं । विसं १७२७ मा राजा प्रताप मल्लले आफ्ना दिवंगत छोरा चक्रवर्तेन्द्र मल्लको सम्झनामा बनाएको रानीपोखरी हरेक वर्ष भाइटीकाको दिन विशेष बन्ने गर्छ । अहिले रानीपोखरीको बीचमा रहेको सो मन्दिर भाइटीकामा दिदीबहिनी र दाजुभाइ नहुनेहरुले गएर टीका लगाउने केन्द्रको रुपमा विकास भएको छ । विवाद र अन्योलका कारण भूकम्पमा भत्किएको पाँच वर्षसम्म पनि पुनर्निर्माण हुन नसकेको रानीपोखरी निर्माणकालीन स्वरुप पाएपछि पहिलोपल्ट यसवर्षको भाइटीकामा सोमबार खोल्ने तयारी गरिएको छ । यसैले पनि यो वर्ष रानीपोखरीको महत्व झनै बढेको छ । अहिले यही मन्दिरमा भेटभएका कतिपयले अहिले दाजुबहिनीको नयाँ सम्बन्ध समेत स्थापित गरिसकेको पाउन सकिन्छ ।
वि.सं. १७२६ मा छोरा चक्रवर्तेन्द्र मल्लको निधनपछि रानी भुवनलक्ष्मी पुत्र वियोगमा विक्षिप्त भइन् । उनैलाई सान्त्वना दिनको लागि तत्कालीन दरबारको मूलद्वारबाहिर सबै तीर्थको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्नेगरी रानीपोखरी निर्माण गरिएको भन्ने किंवदन्ती पाइन्छ । यद्यपि यसको नाम रानीपोखरी भने पछि राखिएको हो । देवमाला वंशावलीका अनुसार रानी भुवानलक्ष्मीले आफ्ना इष्टदेव महादेवको मूर्ति राखेर पोखरीको बीचमा मन्दिर बनाइन् । त्यतिबेला उनीहरुको इष्टदेव यमलेश्वर महादेवको स्थापना गरिन् । त्यसैलाई पछि बालगोपालेश्वर नामले चिनाउने गरिएको हो । पहिलेपहिले सो मन्दिरमा दर्शन गर्न जानेहरु त्यही पोखरीमा हामफालेर आत्महत्या गर्न थालेपछि राणा कालदेखि बार लगाउने काम गरिएको अनुमान गरिन्छ ।
