KATHMANDU: Tharu Women Society, Nepal and Tharu Mahila Sabha have jointly organised Tharu National Jitiya Ceremony at Rastriya Nachghar in Kathmandu on Monday. Jitiya is an important festival of Tharu women to be celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) of Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Ashwin in the lunar calendar. Hundreds of Tharus participated in the ceremony including Tharu Women Society's Chairperson Saraswati Chaudhary and Legal Advisor Maheshwar Prasad Chaudhary, Tharu Journalists Association's Advisor Geeta Chaudhary. Chairman of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum–Democratic Bijay Kumar Gachhadar was the chief guest in the ceremony among other guests from Tharu societies. The ceremony committee members and chief guests were offered traditional turbans in the beginning of event. Inaugurating the programme, Gachhadar offered shawls to the statues of deity called Jitmahan, who is worshipped on the day. The ceremony comprised songs, dances and humorous poems by Tharus. Previously, the two organisers, Tharu Women Society and Tharu Mahiila Sabha, had intended to hold the ceremony separately, according to Neelam Chaudhary, Vice-President of Tharu Mahila Sabha. She said they had organised the ceremony with an objective to bring Tharu people together,  promote and publicise Tharu cultures internationally, collect funds and establish a Tharu culture study academy building. The government was not fair with Tharus and did not address their demands of an autonomous Tharuhat state, said Maheshwar Chaudhary, a Tharu leader.   Read also:Tharu’s major festival Jitiya formally begins