POKHARA: A clash erupted during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Koti Hom Mahayagya, a religious event, organized by the Manav Seva Foundation in Lakeside, Pokhara, on Friday. Nearly 27 people, including city police and volunteers from the foundation, were injured in the incident.
The injured are currently receiving treatment at Gandaki Medical College, Metro City Hospital, and other medical facilities in Pokhara. Among the injured, 12 are city police personnel from Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC), and 15 are volunteers from the Mahayagya organizing committee. Most of the injured have sustained wounds to their heads, faces and other parts of their bodies.
The clash occurred on Friday morning when the Manav Seva Foundation was preparing for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Koti Hom Mahayagya. However, Pokhara Metropolitan City attempted to stop the event, citing a lack of permission, which led to a confrontation between the two sides.
Moti Lal Timsina, the spokesperson for the PMC, said city police personnel were attacked while they were trying to tell the organizers not to proceed with the Mahayagya without receiving necessary approvals. “This morning, we were trying to warn them, but they unexpectedly attacked city police personnel with rods and other weapons. Our 12 city personnel have been injured in the incident,” Timsina said.
He accused the organizers of creating terror in Pokhara’s main tourist area under the guise of religion.
Lekhraj Dhakal, media coordinator for the foundation, said the PMC deployed a large number of police personnel to stop the Mahayagya, which they are planning to organize as per the court order.
The foundation had scheduled the groundbreaking ceremony for 10:21 am on Friday. Dhakal alleged that the clash began when city police personnel abruptly tried to seize their materials immediately after the ceremony concluded.
The foundation is planning to organize the Mahayagya from April 30 at Barahighat and Camping Chowk on the banks of Fewa Lake.
PMC Spokesperson Timsina said it won’t be appropriate to organize Mahayagya in the main tourist area for 92 days despite opposition from civil society and tourism entrepreneurs. “They are destroying resting places by chopping Pipal and Sami trees and creating terror in a tourist area,” he said. Timsina also claimed that the organizers were forcefully proceeding with the Mahayagya despite the court’s order and without proper approval from the city.
The foundation had earlier cut down trees, including Bar, Peepal and Shami, from public resting places in Pokhara to prepare firewood for the Mahayagya. The PMC confiscated around 50 truckloads of firewood collected by the foundation. As the dispute escalated, the PMC Executive Committee decided to prohibit the Mahayagya.
Bijay Bhandari, founder of the foundation, had made controversial remarks during a press conference in Pokhara, stating that he would not hesitate to commit “adharma (unrighteousness) for the sake of dharma (religion).”
As the dispute intensified, both parties approached the court for a resolution. Last week, the Pokhara High Court issued an interim order in the name of Pokhara Metropolitan City, instructing that no obstruction be created to the Mahayagya except through legal means.
