Dashain: one of the major festivals

 Dashain: one of the major festivals

Dashain, also known as Bijaya Dashami, is the grandest, longest and most auspicious festival in Nepal. It takes place in Nepali Ashiwin month (September to October in Solar Calendar) and lasts for 15 days. Similar to Chinese Spring Festival, Dashain is celebrated by the whole country for the goddess Durgar's victory over the demon Mahishasura. In addition to worship the Goddess Durga, Nepalis will hold celebrations for the fertility of the land and a year of good harvest. Meanwhile, Dasain has also emphasized the importance of family reunion, which is helpful to ease social contradictions. All the government agencies, educational institutions and other public sectors will be closed down during this festival period.

However, this year 2020 Dashain in Nepal will be observed in an unusual way due to Covid 19 pandemic. There will not be mass gathering in any occasions. Devotees will not flock to the temples fearing corona infection. And it has been necessary also for the people to follow self-protection protocals.

Everest looks sad this year

 Everest looks sad this year

Nepal is known for mountaineering and earns a good amount of foreign currency as revenue every year. Many interested climbers from different countries come to Nepal for fulfilling their immense wish and interest to have first-hand mountaineering climbing experience and go back to their homeland with all the exciting and unforgettable sweet memories.

Since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa ascended 8,848-metre (29,028 feet) high Mount Everest in 1953, a total of 6,507 mountaineers have climbed it from the Nepal side. Among the 6,507 summiteers, 471 are female, with Junko Tabei of Japan being the first to make it to the top in 1975.

Foreigners pay $11,000 to obtain a permit to climb Everest and spend anywhere between $40,000 and $90,000 for the entire expedition. In 2019, the government earned $5.07 million in royalties from the issuance of climbing permits. Out of the total revenue, Everest accounted for $4.05 million.

Covid-19 kept all expeditions away in this year. Likewise, there were no expeditions in 2015 owing to the April earthquake. According to the Tourism Ministry, there were five record-setting events for 2019. On May 22 and 23, a total of 223 and 212 climbers reached the summit, which has been recorded as the highest and the second-highest number of climbers on the top of Everest on a particular day.

The Kathmandu Post

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Triumph at 29,000 feet: Everest has seen over 6,500 footfalls since 1953

 

A total of 6,507 mountaineers have climbed Everest from the Nepal side since Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and New Zealander Edmund Percival Hillary first set foot atop the world's highest peak in May 1953.

This and other figures are contained in the latest annual mountaineering statistics published by the Tourism Ministry on Tuesday. Among the 6,507 summiteers, 471 are female, with Junko Tabei of Japan being the first to make it to the top in 1975.

The 8,848-metre (29,028 feet) Everest straddles Nepal and China and the summit can be reached from both countries. It costs less to climb from the Chinese side since the royalty is less than Nepal’s $11,000 per person and also because there is a motorable road up to the base camp.

Nepal’s Tourism Ministry started collecting details of events on Everest dating from 1922 when seven Sherpa climbers died in an avalanche, becoming the first reported deaths on the tallest mountain in the world.

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https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/10/17/triumph-at-29-000-feet-everest-has-seen-over-6-500-footfalls-since-1953