Panauti & Makar Mela 2078

Panauti is a small historically and archeologically remarkable open museum newar city located in Kavrepalanchok district i.e. 32 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu. It is a very important religious Centre, known merely everywhere in Nepal’s Hindu for its location at the confluence of two sacred drivers and or it all Nepal pilgrimage (Makar Mela) organized once every twelve years. Panauti is also a very rich testimony to medieval Nepali architecture like Indreshwar Mahadev temple, Unmatta Bhairab temple, Tulanarayan temple, Sattals, stupas, stone sculptures, and so on. 

Sachi tirtha/Triveni Dam of Panauti, Makar Mela2078

Panauti is a part of the adjacent valley of Banepa. According to the local chronicle, the city was founded by Ananda Malla at the end of the 13th century, together with six other neighboring localities including Banepa, Nala, Saga, Dhulikhel, Shreekhandapur, and Chaukot. During brief periods, it was attached to the chiefdom of Banepa. However, most of the time it fell under the Malla kingdom of the nearby Hindu city Bhaktapur. It is sometimes said that Panauti and its region were given as a dowry by king Bhupatindra Malla to his daughter, yet there is no historical evidence for this. Despite the ruins of a place called Layaku (Palace) in the centre of the settlement and a small adjoining temple dedicated to the royal goddess Taleju.it does not seem that Panauti was ever the seat of an independent kingdom, even for a short period of time. Nevertheless, since its very beginning, it has been an important center for trade, dhukuti lying between the hills of the Kathmandu valley and the Indian plains.

Panauti lies at the confluence of two rivers; The Punyamati to the north and the Roshi Khola to the south. The Punyamati originates from Nala Dada, the southern part of Nagarkot, and the Roshi from Phulchoki mountains to the south. The religious names of these two rivers are Padmavati and Lilavati respectively. they have been regarded as an important religious site since ancient times. It is believed that there is a third river, Rudrawati also converging in Panauti creating Triveni (Tri-junction) in the shape of Lord Shiva’s Trident, making the location even more holy and scared. However, this third river can only be seen by the sheers and intellectuals. The river's junction is also regarded as Uttar Prayag, Triveni Dham, Sachi Tirtha of Nepal.

Devotees of Makar Mela 2078 and Panauti 

The twelve years’ pilgrimage to Panauti Tirtha/ Tribeni Mela. 

It is celebrated once every 12 years in Panauti, on the solar month of Magha (January-February). This year it's happened in Magha 2078 B.S (January-February 2022 AD). At that time Nepal government announced the COVID-19 protocol and followed it because the third wave of covid-19 (Omicron variant) was increasing in Nepal. The Makar Mela is going on a month-long festival in Panauti so the whole month of Magha is supposed to be sacred. I reached that particular event on 9 Feb 2022 and worshipped & observed the Mela. The next celebration will hopefully be observed in Magha 2090 B.S (2034 AD).