KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 19

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that unity among diverse cultures and traditions helps foster national unity.

Addressing a programme organised at Basantapur Durbar Square on the occasion of the 18th National Jyapu Day today, PM Deuba stressed the need to preserve and keep alive Nepal's original traditions and cultures.

'Nepal's diversity is exemplary in the world in terms of geography, nature, culture and the social fabric.

The coexistence and tolerance among multiple ethnicities and lingual communities must be kept intact,' PM Deuba stressed.

'Festivals such as Jyapu Day play a significant role in maintaining religious tolerance and harmony in the country,' he observed. He pledged assistance from the government to preserve Jyapu culture.

PM Deuba further said that Jyapu society had its own unique culture, heritage and identity. 'It has made its special position within the Newari community, thanks to its unique art, culture and skills,' he stated.

Likewise, Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajendra Prasad Shrestha said the Jyapu community's unique culture had made a crucial contribution to promote Nepal's identity across the globe.

Also speaking at the event, NC leader Prakash Man Singh said more tourists could be lured into the country through Newari culture. He added that the arts, cultures and heritages of the capital city had helped spread Nepal's identity to the outer world. Similarly, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Bidya Sundar Shakya said Newari culture had played a vital role in uniting the diversified society.

A version of this article appears in the print on December 20, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.