By Homraj Ranabha

Nawalparasi, Feb. 12 : Several Nepali and Indian pilgrims have gathered at Trivenidham, a popular pilgrimage site in East Nawalparasi to partake in the Maghe new moon festival as a celebration at the end of the Nepali month of Magh.

The three-day event, which began on Thursday, has seen a huge number of devotees, especially from India flocking to Binayi Triveni Rural Municipality, according to Rural Municipality chairman Dambar Bahadur GC.

Renowned for being the sacred hub of Gandaki Province, Trivenidham is a confluence of three rivers, the Swarna Bhadra, the Purna Bhadra and the Narayani.

"Given its religious and historical significance, thousands devotees usually flock the holy grounds.

This year too, despite the COVID-19 pandemic scare, we estimate to witness similar amount of crowd and fanfare," said GC.

According to him, the holy premises recorded a total footfall of over 500,000 last year while this year, the number of devotees is estimated to reach 300,000 by the end of the festival.

Considering the crowd, special arrangements have been made to manage the flow of people, as per Chief District Officer of East Nawalparasi Mana Maya Bhattarai Pangeni.

The devotees take a holy bath by immersing themselves into the waters while also worshipping the rising sun.

Bathing and taking a dip in the confluence of the three rivers at the holy site is believed to wash away all the sins and purify one's soul.

Moreover, Gajendra Moksha Divyadham, the ashram of Swami Kamal Nayanacharya, just a couple of kilometres north of Trivenidham, also attracts a large number of Indian and Nepali devotees along with the fabled Valmiki Ashram nearby.