An interaction programme was organized on June 28, 2005 with twenty Thai Tour Operators who came here for FAM tour to share their experiences during their stay in Nepal .
Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) organized an interaction program on 'Rebuilding the Image of Nepalese Tourism through Embassies Abroad' at Soaltee Crowe Plaza on 24th June 2005
Bandipur Bandipur is an ancient trading town of quaint streets and charming atmosphere. Situated on a ridgetop south of Dumre, it lies 135 km out on the Kathmandu -Pokhara highway.
Shiv clinched
Surya Nepal Int'l Golf Championship title
India's Shiv Kapur lifted the Surya Nepal Masters
2004 golf title after an exciting three-way playoff on the
final day of the championship on December 12, 2004.
An estimated three hundred thousand devotees
from India and Nepal converged in Janakpur to
witness the re-enactment of the legendary Ram-Janaki
wedding on December 16, 2004. Special functions
were held at the Bivah Mnadap and Janaki temple
where king Gyanendra and Queen Komal offered Puja amid
the chanting of Vedic hymns by the priests. Upon
arrival at the Janaki Temple, Their Majesties
were welcomed by the Mahanta of Janaki Temple,
Ram Tapeshwar Das.
According to Hindu mythology, King Dashrath's eldest son Ram married the deity
Sita by stringing the bow of Lord Shiva over seven thousand years ago. The story
relates how over a hundred princess and Hindu kings from different kingdoms across
India attended the 'Swoyambhar' to try their luck at stringing the heavy bow
to win Sita's hand.
The marriage procession started from Ayodhya, India, hometown of Lord Rama on
December 8, accompanied by forty vehicles led by chief of Vishwa Hindu Parishad
Ashok Singhal. Other prominent members of the procession were VHP general secretary
Acharya Giriraj Kishore and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, president of Ramjanmabhoomi
Trust. Janaki's palanquin was also taken around the city prior to arriving at
the Rangabhoomi (the engagement site). Swoyambhar was then formally held. Janakpur
was illuminated in the evening to celebrate the celestial marriage. Ramananda
Dwar, built by the Janaki temple, was also inaugurated.
Though this festival of celestial marriage performs throughout Nepal and India,
the focal point of attraction is in Janakpur, the birthplace of Janaki. Janakpur
is considered to be a pious place of pilgrimage. Thousands of people visit Janakpur
from different parts of India and Nepal to offer worship at the famous temples
of Rama and Janaki. They also watch and witness the ceremonial marriage procession.
KIMFF
2004 concluded
Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival
(KIMFF) concluded in Kathmandu on December 12,
2004 with a feast of 49 films from 21 countries.
The Rinpoche of the Tengboche Monastery Nawang
Tenzing Jangbu inaugurated the festival on 9
th December, 2004 that continued for the four
days. The entries included anthropological films,
alpine documentation, archival footage, adventure
cinema, experimental shorts, light-hearted commentary,
and feature films. Besides screening of documentaries,
workshops, photo exhibition on Alps-Himalaya,
a display of books on the Himalaya, an on-the
spot painting contest for children were also
organized. On the final day of the festival,
botanist Dr. Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha made a slide
presentation on "Mountain Beauties", Nepal's
floral heritage.
The Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival was organized by Himal
Association, a Kathmandu based non-profit group, which seeks to inform the people
of the Himalaya on issues related to their lives and times and promoted by Nepal
Tourism Board. The non-competitive festival of mountain films provided a unique
platform for filmmakers to exhibit new and exciting works, and to foster an understanding
of the World's highlands, mountain cultures, and mountain sensibilities. The
viewer's choice award went to Dutch Filmmaker Margriet Jansen for "Mr. Sherpa
Speaks", which portrayed the lifestyle and dreams of a Sherpa boy named Nima
Temba Sherpa .
Shiv
clinched Surya Nepal Int'l Golf Championship
title
India's Shiv Kapur lifted
the Surya Nepal Masters 2004 golf title after
an exciting three-way playoff on the final day
of the championship on December 12, 2004.
Kapur, who won the Asian games gold as an amateur, sank a 35-foot birdie
putt to win the thrilling play-off on Sunday and pocket Rs 162,000 in the
Amby Valley Pgai tour event played at the Gokarna forest golf resort.
In the play-off, Kapur took the honours on the par-3 tenth, but left his
nine-iron 35 feet short. The 22-year-old then staged a brilliant recovery
with birdies on the third, fourth, ninth and 12th, before dropping a shot
on the 15th.
Ashok Kumar equalled the course record of eight-under 64, set by Shiv Kapur
on December 10, to pole-vault to the tied-fourth position at 281 along with
Mohd Rafique and Sanjay Kumar.
The Inter-Cultural film Society (ICTF)
is organizing three days Film Festival from December
24- 26, 2004 in Pokhara. With the aim of promoting
inter-cultural communication, ICTF has presented
more than 50 movies from Asia, Africa, Europe,
the Americas and Australia in last four years.
Pokhara Film Festival 2004 is organized in order
to reach the audiences outside the Kathmandu valley
and to explain multi-dimensional cultures of the
world on a human level through films.
The films that would be shown in this festival are: "On the Road with
the Red God Machhendranath" and "Listen to the wind" by Kesang Tsten, "Numafung" by
Nabin Subba, "Mukundo" by Tsering Rita Sherpa, "Chameli" by Ravi Baral, "Caravan" by
Eric Valli, "History for Winners" by Pranay Limbu and "Bheda ko Oon Jasto" by
Kiran Krishna Shretha. The film festival would be of great value for the people
of Pokhara and the rest, as the work of these renowned filmmakers would find
common venue. The Film Festival is promoted by Nepal Tourism Board.
The marriage procession started from Ayodhya, India, hometown of Lord Rama on
December 8, accompanied by forty vehicles led by chief of Vishwa Hindu Parishad
Ashok Singhal. Other prominent members of the procession were VHP general secretary
Acharya Giriraj Kishore and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, president of Ramjanmabhoomi
Trust. Janaki's palanquin was also taken around the city prior to arriving at
the Rangabhoomi (the engagement site). Swoyambhar was then formally held. Janakpur
was illuminated in the evening to celebrate the celestial marriage. Ramananda
Dwar, built by the Janaki temple, was also inaugurated. 
