'Clean Panauti: Green Panauti' Campaign Continues for Seven Years

Kavrepalanchok. For seven years, the 'Clean Panauti: Green Panauti' campaign has been operating in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok, with the active participation of women's groups. The campaigners have been conducting a cleanliness drive of the Roshi River and Punyawati River in the historic and archaeological city of Panauti every Saturday.

Today marks the 376th week of the campaign. The campaign was initiated by the local Kavreli Active Women's Organization on February 18, 2075 BS. As part of the cleanliness campaign, which has been continuously operating every Saturday, the Triveni Ghat and Punyawati River area were cleaned today with the active participation of local leaders.

"In the initial phase, only women participated, but in the last few years, locals have been helping with the cleaning," said activist Sumitra Acharya. The campaign was started by forming a group under her chairmanship.

Acharya stated that the campaign was launched to clean the historically significant Panauti area, which is very important from a religious tourism perspective, and that it is the duty of the locals to do so. "The cleanliness campaign is also aimed at further promoting religious tourism," she said, adding, "We will continue the campaign in the coming days."

Ward numbers 4, 6, and 7 of Panauti Municipality, which encompass the historic and tourist area of two rivers, are included in this campaign. The cleanliness drive, named Panauti Triveni Citizen Cleanliness Campaign, was started four years ago. Every 100 weeks, a cleanliness festival is organized to gather large public participation, and a procession through Panauti bazaar with placards for public awareness is carried out, informed activist Acharya.

Local Gita Timalsina said that the campaign has been successful and that awareness among citizens about the need to clean around religious and historical heritage sites is increasing. "It is a matter of pride that the cleanliness campaign, initiated by local women, has reached more than three hundred and fifty weeks," she said. Panauti, which has the highest number of monasteries in the district and holds significant historical, religious, cultural, and tourist importance, is in the process of being listed as a World Heritage site.

A month-long Makar Mela is held in Panauti every 12 years, and every year from Jestha Trayodashi to Purnima, the Jya Purnima, or Hile Jatra, is celebrated with great fanfare. According to an inscription, when King Pratap Malla built the Rani Pokhari in Kathmandu in 127 BS, he collected water from various pilgrimage sites, including the water from Triveni Ghat in Panauti.

According to legend, at the confluence of three rivers at Triveni Ghat, besides the Punyamata and Roshi rivers, the Padmavati river is believed to flow secretly. Similar to the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in Prayag, India, where the Saraswati river flows secretly, the Roshi is considered the Rudravati River, the Punyamata River is considered the Lilavati, and the river flowing under the Bramhayani temple, believed to flow secretly, is considered the Padmavati in Panauti.