Annual Salhesh Flower Festival Draws Thousands in Siraha

Siraha. A grand fair is being held today at the famous historical and religious site, Salhesh Phulbari, on the occasion of the New Year 2083.

Since early this morning, a large crowd of devotees has gathered to witness and worship the blooming orchids, a tradition observed every year on Baisakh 1. The orchids are in full bloom on the Haram tree within this nine-bigha garden, which spans across Lahan Municipality-12 and 22. Thousands of pilgrims from various districts of Nepal and neighboring Indian cities have arrived to see the flowers, which are considered a symbol of the love between the 14th-century folk hero King Salhesh and his beloved Malini.

According to Dashmilal Chaudhary, chairman of the fair management committee, long queues for worship began as early as 4:00 AM. It is a deeply held religious belief among the Paswan community of the Terai that worshipping King Salhesh, their patron deity, fulfills wishes, grants children to the childless, and provides relief from various ailments.

Security has been significantly tightened in the fair area to manage the heavy influx of devotees. Teams from the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have increased patrols to control the crowd, while plainclothes officers and CCTV cameras are being used to monitor the area for security purposes.

Fair committee chairman Chaudhary noted that volunteers are assisting to ensure that the heavy crowd does not cause disruptions to traffic and pedestrian movement.

Although the government has listed this area as a new tourist destination, stakeholders have expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of concrete development work at the local level.

Pradip Kumar Gupta, president of the District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Siraha, Lahan, stated that it is essential for all three tiers of government and relevant agencies to coordinate and develop an integrated master plan. He believes that doing so would help establish this historical site as a more attractive and well-facilitated religious tourism center.