Chitwan: The 12th edition of Chitwan Festival has commenced on the banks of Narayani River here from Wednesday.

The festival — organised by the Chitwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry — is a biannual event organised around the theme, Chitwan’s Pride and Dignified Presentation.

Former Prime Minister and Nepal Communist Party (NCP) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated a procession as a precursor to the festival by releasing a balloon. The procession made a round of Narayangadh Bazaar. Various organisations participated in the procession.

Various national-level seminars on agriculture, education, health, tourism, communication and energy would be organised in the festival, Sahan Lal Pradhan, coordinator of the Festival Organising Main Committee said. Cultural programmes would also be carried out at the festival venue on a daily basis in presence of national artists.

Entrepreneurs from 22 districts of the country and four from abroad will display their products at 570 stalls. Entrepreneurs from China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will also keep their stalls, according to Festival Management Committee coordinator Chum Narayan Shrestha.

There will be commercial stalls, agriculture promotion stalls, information and technology related stalls, Nepali handicraft expo stalls, educational stalls and stalls run by social organisations. Main highlight of the festival is the ‘Made in Nepal’ stall.

The festival that will run till January 18 is aimed at making Visit Nepal Year 2020 a success as its main objective is to promote the touristic spots in Chitwan district and to make the district Nepal’s premier tourism destination.