With the increase of the number of Nepalese community in the United Kingdom, Nepalese have started to give continuity to their religious and cultural tradition holding various cultural and ritual programmes.
In this connection, Bratabandha, the sacred thread bearing ceremony, of two teenage boys was held at a special ceremony at Hindu temple of Reading. This was the first time that such Bratabandha programme of the Nepalese was held in Reading, according to the priest of the temple.
The joint Bratabandha of Alok Acharya and Prashant Adhikari, sons of Dr Nabin Acharya of Reading and Binod Adhikari of Bracknell respectively , was held amidst an auspicious chanting of sacred mantras of the Hindu scriptures. As per the Hindu tradition, fathers of the boys whispered the Gayatri Mantra to them.
A large number of Nepalese living in the area and other parts of the United Kingdom including visitors from Nepal that included renowned gaenochologist Dr Bhola Rijal attended the ceremony which was appreciated by Nepalese as well as the Indian community living in the area. More than 125 guests attended the ceremony.
Despite the holding of such ceremony in the United Kingdom, where the number of Hindus is very nominal- third largest after Christianity and Muslim- the programme was held fulfilling all the Hindu rituals.
“This has encouraged to all of us and I have also planned to hold the sacred thread ceremony of my son”, said Dr Sitaram Basnet after attending the programme. I was planning to go to Nepal to perform Bratabandha of my teenage son but now I realised that it is appropriate to organise such rituals here in the United Kingdom, he added .
Tanya Shivalingam, a regular visitor of the Reading Hindu temple, said that he was very happy to see that a large number of Nepalese people have started to visit the temple regularly and hold such religious ceremonies to give continuity to their religious and cultural tradition.
Hinduism is the oldest religion of the world with such a great tradition of love, pity, humanity, brotherhood and fraternity, he said, adding that we all should unitedly move ahead for the promotion of our tradition.
Similarly, Bratabandha of two sons of journalist Shashi Paudel was held at his home in Camberley, Farnborough. More than 200 guests including officiating ambassador of Nepal to the United Kingdom Jhabindra Aryal were present at the programme.
The number of Nepalese living in the United Kingdom is estimated to be over 100,000 and most of them are the Gurkhas and their families, students and highly skilled migrants.
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