Parbat, Mar. 1: Majhi community people living along the river banks in Parbat and Baglung have observed extinct Ladipuja (river festival).
The main occupation of Majhi community, fishing and boating, is in crisis with the construction of roads and bridges over the rivers. Then the worship of the rivers is also disappearing.
The riverside inhabitants are familiar to offer worship to the rivers as the source of their livelihood. There has been a belief that offering worship to the river (Ladipuja) would bring no risks in their ancestral boating and fishing profession. The rivers mostly in the rainy seasons have been causing loss of life and properties in several areas.
During the Ladi pooja, the indigenous Majhi people had worn their cultural dress (Daura-Suruwal, Gunyu-Choli and Feta Waist Coat). The Majhi community people have demanded the government make efforts to preserve their indigenous practice of offering worship to the rivers as the national festival.
Inaugurating the programme, Kushma municipality mayor Ramchandra Joshi said the municipality would put its efforts to make arrangement for alternative residence and profession for them.
