Visit Pokhara Year-2007 Kicks off

Pokhara… Pure & Perfect

            Visit Pokhara Year-2007 is going on…………, this campaign has been designed and implemented to promote this beautiful place on earth with above slogan Pokhara… Pure & Perfect.

            During this period different promotional programs will be done in various tourist market places and the service provides in Nepal will make the appropriate package s for their clients with various attractive offers.

            According to the organizers (Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal Tourism Board, Pokhara Tourism Council and other associations) this program  compaign which is the largest tourism event after restoration of peace in the country will be marked by a series of celebrations throughout the year.

            The main aim of the event is to increase foreign tourists’ arrivals to Pokhara by 25 percent in 2007 and raise the flow of domestic tourist by 40 percent. Likewise the event also aims to extend the length of tourists to stay to three days against the current 1.5 days, and raise the international tourist’s expenditure. During this year various events and programs is going to be organized to offer the new experience and taste  to its visitors through out the year.

Fewa Mahotsav in Pokhara (07Apr’07 to 15Apr’07)

            The program of Fewa Mahotsav with a slogan of "Save Fewa Lake" has been finalized for 07^th Apr’07 to 15^th Apr’07, which will take place at lakeside Pokhara on the occasion of Nepali New Year 2064. The organizer; Pokhara Hotel Association is planning for various recreational and food festival kind of programs to mark the event.

            The program will commence with a procession of people playing Panche Baja (five Nepali folk instruments), music and Jhaki of various ethnic groups dressed in different Nepali costumes. There will sport competitions and other functions to provide the multiple options of recreation to the visitors. The program is promoted by Nepal Tourism Board.

            Hotels in Pokhara are providing special offers to their guest on this occasion; offer are one night complementary stay for paid two staying visitors, and more attractive package programs are yet to come as informed by Pokhara Hotel Association.

Rice Planting Festival (Ropai Jatra)

This Festival is celebrated every year on Ashad 15 (29^th June’07) as an interesting event, with the wishes of producing more crops. It also symbolize that the day is the end of planting period. On the festival day we all visit the farm fields (Paddy farm) where ladies plant the rice plant and gentleman plough the field to make the land suitable for planting the paddy. Every year tourists participate in the festival and took part in running competition on muddy paddy field, play mud and have a fun in Pokhara. Folk song competitions, planting rice competitions and several other entertaining games are organized during the festival.

Rice Planting Festival (Ropai Jatra) is the rice planting ceremony in which participants perform plowing and planting on the field. Farmers do planting and ploughing by singing folk songs. It is a special day for the Nepalese as it is celebrated as one of the important agricultural practices in the country- that of planting paddy. This is also the time when the farmers sing the 'Asare Geet' or the Songs sung while planting rice in the Nepali month of Asar. These songs enumerate the joys and sorrows of the farmers.

Annapurna int’l food festival

Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), Regional Chapter Pokhara is organizing the Annapurna International Food Festival to promote domestic and international tourism during  October 2007 in Pokhara. The great one of its kind to be organized in Pokhara, in which a wide range of traditional, local as well as international food items will be served, said Hari Gurung, president of HAN, Pokhara. The event is a part of ‘Jaun Hai Pokhara’ campaign and also visit Pokhara year 2007.

            The upcoming food festival will have food items from India, China, Pakistan, Bang-ladesh, Japan, Mala-ysia, Sri Lanka, Italy, Mexico, Spain and others along with Nepali traditional kitchen like Newari, Thakali and continental. Local hotels, resorts and resta-urants based in Pokhara are taking part in the event. “A unique part of the event is that chefs for international foods have been invited from their respective countries of origin,” said Gurung, adding that international chefs are being brought here in Pokhara with the help of embassies in Kathmandu.

Changa Chait 2064 (2007) Paper birds in the sky

          The kite flying competition is an interesting event organized every year in Pokhara during the month of November. The different teams from corporate houses and individuals (locals and tourists) participate in the competition for fun. The winner has to slash the thread of competitors kite with the help of own kites thread on the sky. 

Apart from the kite-flying competition there were many other programs to keep the onlookers as well as the teams entertained. Those groups who did not succeed to cut each other's kite within fifteen minutes of time had to play Mandala which meant they had to cut each other's string with a make- do lattai of corncob (makai ko khoya). They were not allowed to use lattai to cut their strings.

Street Festival: December 2007 (New Year Festival)

            In a bid to promote Pokhara as a holiday destination for New Year celebration, the 9th Pokhara Street Festival will be organised in this tourist hub city from  December 28, 2007. The five-day festival has been planned by the Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) in association with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).
The inflow of domestic and foreign tourists into Pokhara has increased. Most of the flights on Kathmandu-Pokhara sector are said to be full these days.
            Traditional cultural shows, various ethnic dances of Bhaktapur and Chitwan, along with games for children and tourists like tourist race, waiters race, boat race, tug of war, beer drinking competition are some of the highlights of the event.