Kathmandu, October 30

The Newar community has observed the kijapuja, bhaitika, on Wednesday.

Although the bhaitika is celebrated on the fifth day of the Yamapanchak, the kijapuja was observed on Wednesday due to some changes on the auspicious day as per lunar calendar. Wednesday is the second day of Kartik Shukla ditiya.

However some Newar people celebrated the day on Tuesday as per the date fixed by Nepal Calendar Determination Committee. Member of the Committee, Kirtimardan Joshi, expressed that the Newar community had to receive bhaitika on Tuesday as per the tradition.

"But, some political organizations swayed the people to mark it today", he lamented. The sisters garlanded the brothers and offered five or seven coloured bhaitika and exchanged greetings.

The brothers also offer tika to sisters and provide gifts, wishing prosperity.

Theologian Professor Dr Dev Mani Bhattarai commented that people were divided with confusion as the government decided to give holiday on kijapuja while the Tihar had already begun. Such differences on auspicious date/hour for religious and cultural activities need to be settled judiciously, he suggested.