Bimal Bahadur Bista/Binod Singh Bista
Gaura Parba, the major festival of the Sudurpaschim Province, has begun from today. It is believed that Gauri Devi or Parbati observed got married to Lord Shiva Maheshwor as she observed fasting for the same. Since then, this festival is being observed in memory of marriage of Gauri Devi and Lord Shiva Maheshwor, Pandit Dayakrishna Panta said.On the first day of the festival, the married women marked the beginning of the festival by soaking five types of grains in water in a copper pot. The collection of the five grains including wheat, peas and black gram is known as Biruda in the local dialect. And, Biruda is received as Prasad.

As per the tradition, the second day is a day of fasting during which the women prepare the portraits of Gaura Devi or goddess in the wee hours at the sources of water or well by washing the Biruda collectively, Khimadevi Bista of Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality-4 said.People in Jorayal, Gadsera, Dipayal Rajpur, Phaledi and some other areas observe this festival witha great fanfare in Doti.Chetraj Upadhyay, a Pandit from Sayal Rural Municipality in Doti, said that Gaura Festival is marked in the Sudurpaschim by organising different religious functions from Bhadra Shukla Shashti to Ashtami.

On the day of Saptami, the married women welcome the Gaura deity in the temple after worshiping. The residents of Darchula, Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Doti and other districts observe the festival with great fanfare.