KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari attended the Basanta Shrawan ritual at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square this morning.

On the occasion, the President listened to a special melody, Basanta, at the auspicious hour of 8:47 am and received tika and prasad.

The ritual is observed every year on the occasion of Basanta Panchami. The festival is also celebrated as the Shree Panchami or Saraswati Puja, offering prayers to Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge.

The main priest of the Hanumandhoka Management Office, Dev Raj Aryal offered tika, garlands and fruits, as the auspicious items, to President Bhandari at the function.

A contingent of the Nepal Army presented a guard of honour to the President. There is a tradition that the Head of the State and of the Government along with high officials attend the Basanta Shrawan ritual every year.

The ritual has its origins in the Srimad Bhagawat Mahapurana which mentions about a particular episode in the life of the Hindu god Krishna in which Radha and her friends sing hymns in praise of lord Krishna heralding the arrival of the spring season. It is believed that the spring season begins from this day.

Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha, government ministers, the heads of constitutional bodies, high officers of the government and the chiefs of the four security bodies also attended the ritual and took tika and prasad.