Kathmandu January 15.

Buddhist followers in Bhaktapur today observed the Samyak Danparba, a cultural festival of making offerings, enthusiastically. The centuries-old tradition is believed to have begun before the Nepal Sambat 787 or 350 years ago. The festival established by Bajracharya Jayaratna of Chatubrahma Mahabihar is observed on the very first day of the Nepali month Magh who is celebrated as the Makar Sankranti or Maghi by other communities as well. Buddhist monks in the family life after being graduated from the Buddhist temples (monasteries) established traditionally, and Shakya and Bajracharya people were given food and cash offerings. According to Samyak Mahadan Management Committee’s Devchandra Bajracharya, Buddhist followers gathered from the district and several parts of the Kathmandu Valley made offerings on the occasion Idols of major five Deepankar Buddha in Bhaktapur were taken out of the respective monasteries and placed at the offering venue with rituals. The Samyak Dan festival is observed every 12 years in Swoyambhu, Kathmandu; every five years in Nagbahal, Lalitpur and each year in Bhaktapur.