KATHMANDU: The life-size statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah was garlanded by President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at a ceremony held in front of the west gate of Singha Durbar today.

Marking the 296th Prithvi Jayanti, birth anniversary of Prithvi Narayan Shah, and the National Unification Day, the celebration took place outside Singha Durbar today.

Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeetendra Narayan Dev, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Bikram Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Supplies Jayanta Chand, Chief of the Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri, the Chancellors, Vice-chancellors and Member Secretaries of various academies, Nepali Congress leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, the Chiefs of the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force, and government high officials also garlanded the late king's statue.

Likewise, commemorating the occasion, representatives of various organisations, and members of the general public offered bouquets and garlands at the statue of the Unifier of modern Nepal.

A contingent of the Nepali Army offered a guard of honour to the President. Prithvi Jayanti and the National Unification Day is being celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy from this year after the government announced a public holiday on this day after a gap of 11 years.