President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba garlanded the life-size statue of the builder of the nation, Prithvi Narayan Shah, at a ceremony held in front of the west gate to the Singha Durbar here Thursday.
Thursday marks the 296th Prithvi Jayanti (birth anniversary of PN Shah) and the National Unification Day.
Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeetendra Narayan Dev, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Bikram Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Supplies Jayanta Chand, Chief of the Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri, the Chancellors, Vice-chancellors and member secretaries of various academies, and Nepali Congress leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, the Chiefs of the Nepal Police and the Armed Police and government high officials also garlanded the late king's statue.
Likewise, the representatives of various organizations and members of the general public offered bouquets and garlands at the statue of the unifier of modern Nepal on the occasion.
A contingent of the Nepali Army offered a guard of honor to the President. Prithvi Jayanti and the National Unification Day is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety from this year after the government announced a public holiday on this Day after a gap of 11 years.
