Kathmandu: The Embassy of Nepal in India organized Nepal’s National Yoga Day on January 15.

Nepal observes National Yoga Day on Makar Sankranti, which marks the beginning of Uttarayan, a period considered auspicious for yoga and meditation. The occasion highlights the cultural and spiritual significance of yoga in Nepal.

Kathmandu: Maghe Sankranti, also known as Makar Sankranti, is being observed across the country today.

The festival is marked by ritual baths in rivers and ponds, worship at temples, and the consumption of traditional foods such as ghee, yam, khichadi, prepared by cooking rice and lentils together and sweets including chaku (jaggery) and items made from sesame and molasses.

Astrologically, Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of the sun’s northward journey, as it moves from Sagittarius to Capricorn, symbolizing longer days and shorter nights. Religious texts such as the Bhabisya Puran and Dharma Sindhu state that devotees who observe the festival according to prescribed rituals are believed to receive special blessings and good health.

The Newar community observes the day as Ghyo Chaku Sallnhu, during which ghee and chaku are consumed in remembrance of departed souls. As part of the tradition, elders apply mildly warm edible oil to the heads of younger family members.

Large numbers of devotees gather at sacred sites including Devghat, Barahchhetra, Ridi, Panauti, Dolalghat, and Kankai in Nepal, as well as Prayag and Gangasagar in India, to take holy baths and perform Shraddha rites.

The festival also holds significance in Ayurveda and medical science, as the traditional foods consumed on the day are considered a balanced diet that helps boost immunity.

In Bhaktapur’s Taumadhi Tole, special celebrations are underway at the Tilmadhav Narayan Temple, where a puja of Deepankar Buddha is being performed.

Among the Tharu community, the festival is celebrated as Maghi with great enthusiasm over five days. In the Tarai districts, the occasion is also marked by the ritual bathing festival known as Nahan.

Kathmandu: The Nepali national cricket team will travel to Sri Lanka and India for overseas training as part of its preparations for the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

According to the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the team will first complete two phases of training camps in Nepal before heading abroad. During the tour, Nepal will play practice matches against Sri Lanka’s ‘A’ team and the Mumbai Cricket Association team in India to gain international exposure and match experience.

The team is currently training at the Extratech Oval cricket ground in Rupandehi. Nepal will first travel to Sri Lanka next week, train there for about a week, and then proceed to Mumbai for the final phase of preparation.

The Nepali squad is led by captain Rohit Paudel, with Dipendra Singh Airi serving as vice-captain. The team also includes Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Sandeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Bashir Ahmed, Gulshan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sher Malla and Lokesh Bam.

(RSS)

Kathmandu: Sumnima Tuladhar, Ambassador of Nepal to Denmark, held a constructive and forward-looking meeting on January 12, 2026 with Dr. Christian Bayer Tygesen, Director for Asia, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, and his team.

The meeting reviewed the current state of Nepal–Denmark relations and explored ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. Discussions focused on sustaining political dialogue, expanding economic engagement and enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including academic collaboration.

Both sides also discussed preparations for the upcoming Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM), underlining their shared commitment to regular and structured diplomatic engagement. In addition, they exchanged views on the possibility of Denmark’s participation in international election observation for Nepal’s upcoming general elections.