Welcome to the new year of Bikram Sambat, 56.7 years ahead of AD.

सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om, May All be Happy,
 May All be Free from Illness.
 May All See what is Auspicious,
May no one Suffer.
Om Peace, Peace, Peace. Happy Nepali new year, 2078BS.

Happy New Year with all those above wishes, prayers and love. Writing these words inside of my home amidst a global lockdown, maybe this world is silent, people are under their roof but the solidarity has increased and humanity is taking a newer form. From Niles to Nairobi, from Teheran to Taipei, from Everest to Atlantic, from Ney York to New Delhi and every corner of this planet, let the peace flow, may smiles grow.

I define 2077 BS as the year within the mask. The face inside the mask, the terror in the eyes and the blackened hands with the sanitizer frequently on the hands. This year has been marked by the rate of corona infection, quarantine, death toll and lockdown. In other words, no other year of the last century has been able to teach us as much as 2077 BS. This year has gone through many dilemmas of technology and disaster and the same dilemma has been lent to the coming year. Let's hope the coming years are a little smoother.

Every year, the old calendar shifts to new sheets and new sheets and new opportunities emerge. These years are like the new chapters in the book, which are like the rest of the exciting pages to read and turn over.

Like plain sheets of writing copy, where the days and months live, laugh and cry, the alphabets of the experience fill up. The circle with we made in the last year is equally significant. Welcome to this new version of the year, combining the good experiences, memories, and steps of the past years.

Happy Siruwa, Happy Jut Shittal, and Happy Baishakhi. From poetry and greeting cards to the film heroes and heroin pictures in school life, to the good wishes of today on Facebook and Twitter, from the taste of Selroti (Typical Nepali sweet bread) and cucumber pickle to various dishes of new year parties and restaurants, let there be grand wishes and smiles also in their faces who are marking red on their calendars to return their motherland, Nepal, from foreign lands.

Commencing year will spread a magical wave to temple bells, church pinnacles, gumbaj of monasteries and to the domes, mosques, and Dargahas. This year is auspicious, right and good, we have faith.

Like the prehistoric presence of Aradhyadeb Pashupati which is formless, endless but yet powerful, Time is an infinitive flow of change and we humans try to measure time under our efforts by counting years, months and weeks. These clocks indicate the changing time and these changes also change the periphery of human lives.

Singing cuckoos, blooming mango trees, ripen wheat plants at the farms, litchi flowers and many more natural appearances welcomes the commencing year. Wall calendars are outdated, making hand-held mobiles updated as digital calendars, Hamro Patro will always be your mobile companion for more years and decades to come.

People all over the world have different kinds of dates and calendar associations into practice, but Bikram Samwat has been described as an old and historical counterpart, especially in Eastern philosophy and the traditional Vedic Sanatan rites. Ancient Indian King Vikramaditya commenced this calendar, there are apparent shreds of evidence and scriptures to prove his ruling time as his borders were expanded till gulf nations of today. Welcome to the new year of Bikram Sambat which is 56.7 years ahead of AD association. This is also an authorized annual calendar of Nepal.

May the blessings of religion, culture, and philanthropy prevail globally, the destruction of lawlessness, the welfare of the world, the life of the creatures and the love of nature and the development of a society that loves nature be ensured this year. Jay Jay Desh, Jay Jay.

Biska Jatra , Death of the serpent King.

Jatra, festival and date, one should learn from Nepal. We celebrate every day as a feast, with every celebration and ecstasy of the festival, to keep it going forever. On the very first day of the Bikram Sambat calendar, there is a huge celebration of Biska Jatra around Bhaktapur, Tokha, Dhapasi, Thimi and nearby places. People also call it Bisket but Biska is its ancient and original name to address.

Despite the Jatra on the first day of Vikram Samvat, the reasons for celebrating the Jatra are not linked to Vikram Sambat's new year. The Balkumari area of Thimi and Bhaktapur Durbar Square captivates the exclusive beauty of Biska Jatra. This Jatra is related to the death of Nagaraja, king of serpents, Biska itself translates the death of a snake. Local people work an entire month of Chaitra to construct and decorate magnificent chariot of Lord Bhairava and Bhadrakali, from the Nyatpol temple of Taumadi these chariots are pulled till the Khalla Tole. There holds a competition between upper and lower side residents of the ancient city of Bhaktapur who can pull the chariot into their side, this competition is the major attraction of this Biska.

Thimi has its own signature celebration of this Jatra, at Layaku locals organize Sindur Jatra, they also bring their own small chariots and the celebration under the subtle musical waves of ancient Dheeme Baja gives you goose bombs. The modern life of today still beholds the beauty and essence of traditional Jatra which have been happening for thousands of years.

While there is a tongue piercing program in Bode Bhaktapur, this Jatra provides an exciting atmosphere to start the New Year.
The celebration commences four days ahead of the new year, "SatruHant Jatra" is the kick starter which means the destruction of enemies. People observe and participate in this Jatra very actively however, the massive earthquake of 2015 AD has shortened the Jatra celebration at various steps and venues.

Happy Biska Jatra, meaningful wishes from Nepal.

Mesh Sakranti
Baisakh first has different names and features across Nepal and the Indian subcontinent. The first and second of Baisakh is celebrated as Jutshittal in Terai regions of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, this day is also called Baishakhi and Shiruwa.

12 Months of Bikram Sambat calendar is divided on the base of 12 Rashis, zodiac signs. Baisakh first is the commencing date of the first Rashi which is Mesh, this is why it's also called Mesh Sakranti. Nepali kitchen prepares their signature delicacies on this day, a warm celebration and chain of wishes flow underneath every Nepali heart.

People set resolution and plans of the New Year, bright April sky also seems ready to welcome monsoon clouds in Nepal. Happy New Year, love and peace.

Matsya Jayanti Vrata

The Matsya Avatar or fish incarnation is the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu. I am here to explain Charles Darwin's theory of evolution concerning the incarnation of the fish. According to the theory of evolution, single-celled organisms are gradually evolving from water based on adaptation.

Here in Sanatan Darshan also, while explaining the creation, the things of lotus flower, fish incarnation, and tortoise come. In this sense, there is no doubt in both Sanatan philosophy and science that aquatic life is the first basis of human development. The Matsya Avatar is also considered as the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu among 10 avatars.

It is found in the scriptures that a horned fish originated during the apocalypse. Matsya Jayanti is celebrated on the third day of Chaitra Shukla Paksha or the Tritiya. Eating pure and Satwik food one day in advance, chant the hymns of Lord Vishnu, and staying awake is done. Thus, on the day of Matsya Jayanti, it is customary to recite the scriptures including Vishnu Sahasranama and Vishnu Purana and to assimilate the nectar of learnings for both, the listeners and speakers are focused.

The charity done on this day is also of great importance.

I would like to add a little more to the explanation of the fish incarnation. Before the beginning of Satya Yuga, at the end of Kali Yuga, everything was being destroyed. We all know that the overall human condition is bound up in the Sanatan philosophy based on the four yugas, Satya, Treta, Dwapar, and Kali.

Thus, after a complete cycle of circles, Satya, Treta, Dwapar, and Kali, on the verge of destruction, Lord Brahma was asleep after creating a new Satyayuga. In the meanwhile, the giant named Hayagruva went to hide under the sea, carrying many useful sources of Dharmadarshana, Vedas, Upanishads, and many other sources. It is mentioned that Lord Vishnu took the form of a fish to search for this Hayagruva and bring back all the scriptures. Today is the anniversary of the same Matsya Avatar, fish incarnation, good luck to everyone.

Have a good year

Suyog Dhakal