Lalitpur, August 21:

Matya, the jovial festival of light, was celebrated here today by taking out a procession that visited many Buddhist temples and stupas in Lalitpur. The procession was headed by Buddhist priests. Bands of traditional musicians gathered at the Durbar Square and paraded around Patan. Thousands took part in the march and lighted candles and offered coins in more than 2,000 Buddhist temples and stupas across Patan.

“This procession has been taken out to honour the victory of Buddha over vice,” said Ratna Man Shakya, a Patan local. The families who lost their members in the years gone by participated and ignited candles and prayed for the departed souls. The participants were dressed in funny garbs, symbolising the evils that the Buddha defeated. People also dressed up in traditional Newari attires, adding more colour to the parade.