Kaski. Foreign tourists who came to Pokhara to participate in the cultural fervor of Tihar, the second biggest festival of Nepalis, celebrated Bhai Tika.

A total of 51 foreign tourists from 15 countries participated in the 19th Bhai Tika Festival organized by Hotel Association Pokhara Nepal at Hotel Pauwa in Lakeside, Pokhara-6 today. The girl students of Rainbow Children Home Nepal celebrated Bhai Tika by offering tika and garlands to foreign tourists.

According to Nepali tradition, the tourists were excited to apply Bhai Tika. They also tasted the Nepali dish Selroti while participating in Deusi Bhailo, dancing and cultural presentations. After the tika, the female tourists were given a pachyaura and the male tourists were given a Dhaka topi.

Tourists from 15 countries including America, the UK, China, Japan and Australia participated in the festival.

Monika, a tourist from Lithuania, who participated in the festival, said that she liked the friendly behavior of the Nepali people and the way they celebrated Tihar. She said that it was a new and fun experience to celebrate Bhai Tika with Nepalis.

According to her, although she could not get a good view of the mountains due to adverse weather during the Mardi mountain trek, the trekking and the experience of Nepali culture made her stay in Nepal memorable.

“I was very excited to see the way Tihar is celebrated in Nepal. We had a lot of fun here. After returning home, I will tell my friends about Nepali Bhai Tika and the culture here,” she said.

Laxman Subedi, president of Hotel Association Pokhara Nepal, said that after giving continuity to the Bhai Tika festival, various hotels in Pokhara have started offering tika to foreign tourists. He said that the main objective of the festival is to promote tourism through Nepali culture and to promote mutual brotherhood and cultural relations.

“We have been organizing the Bhai Tika Festival for the last 19 years with the objective of making the cultural importance of Tihar known to the international level and promoting tourism through culture. This has helped to make Nepal’s culture and tradition known to the world,” Subedi said.

Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki and Pokhara Metropolitan City have been promoting the festival.