Siraha, 14 November: The “craze” of wrestling matches between wrestlers is increasing in the “Kamaldaha Religious Haribodhani Ekadashi festival” on the occasion of Haribodhani Ekadashi at Kamaldah, a mythological and religious tourist place located in Mirchaiya Municipality-9 of Siraha. Thousands of spectators gather here to watch the match that started on Tuesday.
By the second day of the wrestling competition held at the fair, wrestlers from various parts of Nepal and India participated, said Ram Adhar Yadav, chairman of the fair committee. He said, “In order to make the fair grander, like in the past, wrestling, entertainment and cultural programs of well-known wrestlers from Nepal and India are being held this year.”
Devotees from Sirha, Saptari, Dhanusha and different states of India come to the Kamaldaha festival which lasts for three days from Haribodhini Ekadashi every year. Yadav, chairman of the festival Committee informed that security agencies and local volunteers have also been deployed for peace and security as there will be a large crowd at the fair.
There is a religious belief that one’s desires will be fulfilled if one bathes in the lotus flower, known as the lotus flower, which has mythological and religious significance. Devotees and pilgrims come here on Haribodhini Ekadashi as well as on all three days to bathe and pray.
Mirchaiya Municipality Head Shrawan Kumar Yadav said that it is expected that this annual fair will help to promote the protection of Kamaldaha, a historical and religious place. He says that the city has given special importance to its preservation and promotion as the wrestling lovers take this game as a festival.
In parts of Nepal and India, especially in rural areas, traditional wrestling events are a lively and significant feature of the Ekadashi festival. This religious festival, celebrated on the eleventh lunar day, often includes friendly wrestling matches that attract large crowds and enthusiastic participants. The matches are seen as a display of strength, skill, and community spirit, drawing on long-standing cultural traditions. These events offer entertainment and preserve local wrestling techniques while fostering camaraderie and honoring religious practices.
