Kathmandu, Nov. 17: This year’s Chhat festival is going to be celebrated in Kathmandu Valley without a crowd due to coronavirus pandemic.

Chhat festival is celebrated offering fruits and nuts to setting sun and rising sun the next day at different places including Kamalpokhari, Guheshwori, Nagpokhari and Gahanapokhari of Kathmandu Valley.

Thousands of people used to gather at these places of Kathmandu valley to celebrate Chhath festival.

Rajendra Singh, who has been leading the Chhath Pooja Society for the past 10 years at Kamalpokhari, said that the District Administration Office has given permission to fulfil the rituals of Chhath festival with the presence of 25 people only.

According to the Society, an environment would be created to offer fruits and nuts to the setting sun for those fasting during the festival for the past nine years at Kamalpokhari on November 5 evening.

However, people are not allowed to stay in these areas in the night this year as previously.

Chairperson of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-1, Bharat Lal Shrestha, said that no special celebration programme would be organized this year as physical distancing has to be maintained for the festival.