Kathmandu – India’s 80th Independence Day was celebrated at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu on Saturday with the participation of members of the Indian community, friends of India in Nepal, embassy officials and their families.
The celebrations began with the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’, followed by the hoisting of the Indian national flag by Ambassador of India to Nepal and the national anthem.
The gathering then watched the address to the nation by Indian President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of the country’s 80th Independence Day.
On the occasion, the ambassador honoured the widows and next of kin of 11 deceased personnel of the Indian Armed Forces and handed over Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF) cheques totalling NPR 8.2 crore to the bereaved families.
The embassy also felicitated winners of competitions organised to mark the Independence Day. The winners included participants in the ‘Viksit Bharat’ painting competition, Viksit Bharat Run and inter-school quiz competition, along with winners of the special edition of the ‘Bharat Ko Janiye’ quiz.
As part of its educational outreach, the embassy announced a book grant for 22 educational institutions and libraries across all seven provinces of Nepal, aimed at improving access to educational resources.
The celebrations also featured patriotic songs and cultural performances by teachers and students of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Embassy of India.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from the Indian community in Nepal, friends of India and members of the embassy.
