Kathmandu, Nov 16 (PTI) More than 400 Hindu devotees carrying ritual gifts called 'tilak' on Saturday embarked on a religious march from Janaki temple of Janakpurdham in southern Nepal to reach Ayodhya in India for 'Tilakostav' ritual.
Janakpur is the birthplace of Sita, wife of Lord Ram, the presiding deity at Ayodhya. Sita’s other name is Janaki, daughter of King Janak of Janakpur, about 220 kilometres southeast of Kathmandu and about 500-odd kilometres east of Ayodhya.
Each year, devotees carry tilak to Ayodhya symbolising invitation for marriage to their in-laws at Ayodhya.
“There were more than 400 people, including the chief priest of Janaki temple Ram Roshan Das, in this year's procession,” Kishori Shah, deputy Mayor of Janakpurdham Sub-metropolitan City, said.
They carried hundreds of utensils called 'bhar' consisting of sweets, fruits, dry fruits and clothes in dozens of cars, jeeps and trucks from the bride to the bride groom's place for the symbolic Ram–Janaki marriage.
The invitation party is expected to reach Ayodhya on Monday where a special ritual called 'Tilakotsav' will be performed at the Ram Mandir as soon as the procession reaches there, according to Shah.
In response to this, a grand procession from Ayodhya will arrive in Janakpurdham to celebrate the Bivaha Panchami festival, which falls on December 6 this year.
The festival is observed to celebrate the wedding of Lord Ram and Sita, which is believed to have taken place on the same date according to Nepali calendar thousands of years ago in Treta Yuga.
The wedding procession from India consists of around 500 sadhus from Ayodhya apart from hundreds of thousands of people who make offerings at the Janaki temple.
“Some 5,00,000 devotees are expected to throng in Janakpurdham on the occasion,” he said.
This event is also important for Nepal from a tourism point of view.