Devotees preparing offerings ahead of the Dipankha Yatra to be organised tomorrow from Patan after 38 years. Praying  for world peace and prosperity of humankind, devotees walk for more than 24 hours around Kathmandu Valley during the festival, Sunday, Oct 16 05. nepalnews.com

Devotees preparing offerings ahead of the Dipankha Yatra to be organised tomorrow…
‘Dipankha Yatra’, a religious precession of ‘Neel Thu’ (Blue Horned Oxen) is being conducted after 38 years by the Dipankha Yatra Organising Committee, Nagbahal on Monday, 17th October, 2005.

According to the organiser, more than one hundred thousand Buddhists and Hindus are expected to pay homage to their deities in the 24 hours long procession. The participants will visit 141 temples and monasteries of religious significance on the 60 km long walk around the Kathmandu Valley.

‘Dipankha Yatra’ is a symbol of religious harmony in Nepal dating back to age of the legends of ‘Dipankar’ (one of the 14 Buddhas), though its history can be found on records as old as 1902 BS (1865 AD) in the holy scripts of Golden Temple, one of the major tourist attractions in Lalitpur.

“Everyone is welcome to participate in the ‘Dipankha’. It is not just a local event, it is the national event and every Nepali should be proud of it,” says an organizing committee member.

Minister of Tourism and Culture, Buddhi Raj Bajracharya inaugurated the ‘Publication on Dipankha Yatra’ published by the organizing committee, on 14 October, 2005.

“All the preparations have been completed; organizers and volunteers are geared up for the upcoming event” said a speaker on the program. The book contains introduction of the Dipankha Yatra, pictures and descriptions of all the deities and map of the path to be taken on the procession.