GORKHA: The traditional Phulpati procession was dispatched from the Dashain Ghar of Gorkha Durbar to Hanumandhoka Durbar in Kathmandu on Monday morning, marking the seventh day of Bada Dashain.

According to Bishnu Prasad Pathak, chief of the Gorkha Durbar Care Office, the ritual offering was prepared and consecrated by the Durbar’s caretakers at 7:30 a.m., the auspicious hour for Phulpati, before being sent to the capital. The sacred bundle, carried in a decorated palanquin by attendants, was placed into government vehicle Ba 2 Jha 3882 for its journey to Kathmandu.

A farewell rally accompanied by traditional music was organized from Gorkha Durbar, priest Sharad Prasad Bhattarai of the Gorkhakali Temple said. The Phulpati, once received in Kathmandu, will be ceremonially welcomed into Hanumandhoka Durbar this evening as per centuries-old tradition.

The custom dates back to King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who began state governance from Hanumandhoka after unifying Nepal. Since then, every year on the seventh day of Dashain, Phulpati is sent from Gorkha Durbar to the former royal palace in Kathmandu.

Officials including Mohan Bahadur Thapa Magar, chief of the Gorkha District Coordination Committee, and Krishna Bahadur Rana Magar, mayor of Gorkha Municipality, participated in the farewell ceremony. Later this evening, Phulpati will also be ritually received at Gorkha Durbar itself with celebrations.