SUNSARI: Devotees have flocked to the Budha Subba Temple in Bijayapur, Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-14, to offer prayers and perform rituals during the Bada Dashain festival.
The temple has witnessed a large turnout since morning on Maha Nawami, when special worship of Goddess Durga is performed, traditionally accompanied by the sacrifice of roosters.
According to temple priest Dambar Ale Magar, devotees worship at the temple with the belief that their wishes will be fulfilled and offer a rooster after their wishes come true. Many visit the temple seeking happiness, peace and prosperity for themselves and their families.
Devotees come to the temple from various districts of eastern Nepal, as well as from Sikkim, Darjeeling and Bhutan.
Nirmala Basnet of Tarara said she visited the temple during Dashain to pray for her family’s happiness, peace and prosperity. She said she returns every year to offer a rooster in keeping with her vow, believing that her wishes will be fulfilled.
MD Jammel, who has been running a business at the temple for around 30 years, said the number of devotees had increased since the start of Bada Dashain. He noted that business had also picked up, particularly on Maha Nawami, as devotees began arriving in large numbers early in the morning. Jammel sells religious offerings and various toys for children on the temple premises.
Until about a decade ago, visitors commonly wrote their names on bamboo growing within the temple premises, believing that doing so would make their love eternal. As the bamboo gradually began to die, the temple management committee installed wire mesh around it. Since then, the practice of writing names on the bamboo has declined, while tying garlands to it has become more common.
Devotees offer roosters, eggs and fruits at the Buddha Subba Temple. Traditionally, a rooster is offered to fulfil a vow at Buddha Subba, while a hen is offered at the nearby Goddess Gaurini shrine. If a hen is unavailable, devotees offer eggs instead.
Bijayapur is home to several prominent religious sites, including the Dantakali, Buddha Subba, Pindeshwar and Panchakanya temples. Dantakali Temple, in particular, draws large crowds of devotees during Bada Dashain.