Swasthani Brata Katha festival begins

KATHMANDU: Hindu devotees today reached the banks of Shalinadi River, on the first day of the month-long Swasthani Brata Katha festival, at Sankhu on the north-eastern outskirts of Kathmandu.

During the lunar month of Magh, devotees recite the 31-chapter Swasthani Brata Katha, generally one chapter a day, and pray for the well-being of their spouses throughout the month-long fast.

Nepali women warm themselves near a bonfire before taking a holy dip at the Shalinadi River, on the first day of the month-long Swasthani Brata Katha festival, at Sankhu in Kathmandu, on Thursday, January 12, 2017. Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT
Nepali women warm themselves near a bonfire before taking a holy dip at the Shalinadi River, on the first day of the month-long Swasthani Brata Katha festival, at Sankhu in Kathmandu, on Thursday, January 12, 2017. Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT