“Dipankha Yatra”, a religious walkathon of ‘Neel Thu Bodhisatva’(Blue Horned Oxen). It is considered as one of the longest journey where the devotees are suppose to travel 66 km on foot, nearly traveling 25 to 32 hours. The journey covers visiting 141 temples and monasteries in the Kathmandu Valley which are more than 900 years old. This year it occurred on 18th of October, 2013. In Nepali, 1st of Kartik 2070 B.S. on Kojagrat Purnima of Dashain (National Festival). On 17october, 2005 also Dipankha Yatra was organized which was occurred after 38 years.

The Dipankha is organized when five auspicious astronomical and astrological features coincide together on one day. 
The five features are:

1.      Full moon day of Ashwin.(October)

2.      Rewati para Ashwini Nakshatra.(Astrological)

3.      Harshan Yoga.(Astrological)

4.      Sankranti (the first day of solar month)

5.      Sunday.

“Dipankha Yatra” is a symbol of religious harmony in Nepal. Its history can be found on records as old as 1902 B.S (1865 A.D) in the holy scripts of (Hiranya Varna Maha Vihar) Golden Temple, one of the major tourist attractions within the World Heritage Site, Patan, Lalitpur. 

Dipankha Yatra is also one of the precious journey in which devotees are believed to gain dharma of one tola of gold in each foot-step. This means the devotees who joins the procession will get good deeds as he/she has earned 1 tola(11.664 gram) of gold on each foot-step. (Religious belief of the walk)

This year more than One hundred fifty thousand devotees paid homage to deities on the 25-32 hours long procession. Along with that mass I am also one. The day before this walk,People offer  a “Kisli” ( a bowl full of wheat, nut and a coin in a mud pot) at Nagbahal (Starting Point of the walk), it is a kind of traditional practice of registration and showing commitment for the walkathon.

I started the journey  from Nagbahal at 3 am on 18 Oct, traveled acrossed the valley and I conclude this walk at 9 am , 19 Oct  at Mahalaxmisthan, Lagankhel, Lalitpur. The experience of this walk was very magnificent. It was a walk with nature a Heritage Walk.