KATHMANDU: It was a Dashain celebration like no other for those who had gathered at Gurukul on October 14, receiving bounteous blessings from prominent figures from various fields. People received tika and blessings from senior artists, theatre artistes, politicians, literatteurs, cultural experts, actors and many other important personalities like Satya Mohan Joshi, Prachanda Malla, Uttam Nepali, Kamal Mani Dixit, Kiran Manandhar, Harihar Sharma, Abhi Subedi, Sushila Raymajhi and others.

According to Gurukul’s Sunil Pokharel, “We tried to incorporate people representing different sectors. It is a great feeling as one gets tika from so many senior people and I believe that it is their blessings that saves us.”

“I don’t think people get a chance to get tika on this big scale and so this is a kind of privilege for us,” he added.

They chose this very day as it is the day when Dalits take tika, elaborated Pokhrel.

Lauding the practice, senior theatre artiste Prachanda Malla said, “This is an utsav in itself. Such a kind of celebration is found nowhere in Nepal and the effort by Gurukul to save our tradition is commendable.”

He added, “It also is a kind of encouragement for people whose families have grown apart.”

Renowned artist Kiran Manandhar, who was really enjoying himself, said, “It is a place where people from various fields exchange pleasantries on tika and we should give it continuity.”

And a Dashain gathering is never complete without a delicious bhoj (feast). Nisha Sharma along with the Gurukul team were all ready to serve the delicacies they had prepared from mouth-watering alu tama to alu acchar, kauli, Juju dhau and all the tid-bits that go along with chiura, and of course aela to gulp it all down.