Month-long fair at Adinath Temple begins Kartik 9, preparations complete

A month-long fair is set to begin on Kartik 9 at the Adinath Temple in Kirtipur Municipality-6, in the southern part of Kathmandu. The fair runs for one month, from the full moon of Asoj to the full moon of Kartik.

As part of preparations, the fair management committee coordinated with local organizations to clean the temple premises and surrounding area. The temple has now been nicely decorated and tidied up. The committee estimates that around 200,000 devotees will take part in this year's fair.

The temple houses an idol depicting the combined form of Shiva and Parvati, which is why it is known both as Adinath and as Ardhanarishvara. The Adinath Temple stands as a shared cultural heritage site for both Hindus and Buddhists.

Hindu devotees worship the deity here as a symbol of Shiva and Shakti, while Buddhist followers venerate the same deity as Lokeshwar, a symbol of compassion. Devotees visit the fair in the belief that it brings happiness and prosperity to the family and wards off fear and obstacles.