Kathmandu, November 15
The annual “Bhoot Mela “(Ghost Fair) is being observed today on the banks of the Kamala River, which flows along the border of the Dhanusha and Siraha districts. From early morning, devotees have gathered at the river to bathe, marking the occasion of Kartik Purnima.
Since last evening, locals from various villages, accompanied by shamans, have arrived at popular riverbanks along the Kamala, including Sarswar, Chikna, Baninia, Basapitta, Barerba, Fulbariya, and Inarwa, which lie on the Dhanusha-Siraha border.
According to traditional beliefs, bathing in the Kamala River on Kartik Shukla Purnima wards off evil spirits, appeases deities, and alleviates various afflictions. Shamans perform rituals for ancestral spirits and deities on this day, giving the event its name, the “Bhoot Mela.” New shamans also come to bathe, believing it will grant them spiritual power in their practices.
After the ritual bath, devotees collect pure water from the Kamala River to take home. Sprinkling this water around their homes is believed to purify the space. The common belief is that a bath in the Kamala on this day frees one from suffering, conflict, and sin.
The fair attracts devotees from across the border in India, arriving by tractor, bus, and SUV. Currently, hundreds of thousands of people are bathing in the Kamala River as part of the ritual.
