By Our Correspondent
Janakpur, Nov 1: As the festival of Tihar fast approaches, people of province 2 have given top priority to sanitation and decoration of their houses, shops and roads, as well as their surroundings. The businessmen are also busy cleaning their factories and shops. The festival is known as Dipawali in the province.

What’s more, the businesses of essential items used for entertainment during the festival – such as fuljhari, chirchiri, chakkar and patka – are on upward trajectory. The festival is also celebrated with firecrackers. But sale and use of the inflammables have been banned for some years now. However, despite the ban, firecrackers are being sold secretly.

Similarly, as the date of the festival approaches, sculptors have intensified their efforts to carve artistic sculptures of clay. Now, they are working day and night to meet the soaring demands for the idols.
According to sculptor Devilal Yadav, idols of goddess Lakshmi, Ganesh, Saraswati, Hanuman, Shiva and Parvati are being carved for the festival.

Clay idols are being carved to celebrate the festival in various public places in villages and towns of the province. Local people collect money in the villages and towns to set up clay idols in their neighbourhoods.
Manoj Mundhada, a local, informed that preparations were being made to organise a grand fair and religious entertainment programme for three days in the evening at the places where the idols have been erected. This way, the festival has been celebrated since time immemorial.

Unlike the last year, when pandemic-induced restrictions prevented the people from celebrating the festival, this year, however, as most of the restrictions have been lifted, we will be celebrating the festival in a grand manner, said Shivendra Mairata of Janakpur.