Biratnagar, January 12:

A statue of Shankhadhar Sakhwa, the founder of Nepal Sambat, has been installed outside the Kathmandu valley for the first time, thanks to the Jhipucha Biratnagar. The organisation unveiled the statue to mark its silver jubilee today.

The statue has been built on a plot of land donated by a local social worker Torendraman Singh Pradhan, the organisation said.

“The statue built with help form a resident of Australia, Rajeshraj Joshi, is the first one outside the valley,” said general secretary of the Jhipucha Biratnagar, Dinesh Shrestha.

Also today, Senior litterateur Satyaman Joshi laid the foundation stone of a cultural museum of the Newar community here.

At the programme today, Torendraman Singh, Lilaman Singh, Devendrakumar Malla and Sudarshanbahadur Shrestha were felicitated for their outstanding contribution to the Jhipucha.

A silver jubilee special edition and a silver coin were also released in the programme chaired by the president of the organisation, Gopalraj Joshi.