Pokhara, December 28

The 19th Pokhara Street Festival began at Lakeside, Pokhara, today. The festival is being organised by Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal.

The programme was jointly inaugurated by parliamentary member from Constituency 2 Rabindra Adhikari and provincial member Rajib Pahari of Kaski Constituency 3 ‘Kha’ with a cultural procession taken out in Komagane Park, Pokhara today.

The rally started from Halchowk and reached the park. People from different communities participated in the rally in their traditional attire. The festival will continue till January 1.

Chairman of REBAN and festival coordinator Chau Bahadur Gurung said the festival aimed to attract more tourists to Pokhara for the celebration of New Year.

Food stalls have been set up on the roadside. Amusement park, singing and dancing, cultural exhibition and food stalls are the major attraction of the festival.

Former Chairman Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai of REBAN said the tourists from different places reached Pokhara for the festival.

Pokhara chairperson of Western Hotel Association Bikal Tulachan said almost all hotels had registered full occupancy for the next few weeks.

Entrepreneurs said the number of people interested in paragliding, riding helicopters and sightseeing had increased of late.