Gyanendra took part in the Makar Mela in the Panauti area, which till now was considered out of bounds for the former royal family.
Nepal's deposed king Gyanendra for the first time took a holy dip in the Triveni river, breaking a centuries-old taboo by taking part in a religious function as a commoner in an area forbidden for the erstwhile royal family.
Nearly two years after he became a commoner, Gyanendra yesterday took part in the Makar Mela in the Panauti area, which till now was considered out of bounds for the former royal family.
Amid tight security, Gyanendra visited Panauti in Kavre district, 50km southeast of the capital, to participate in the popular religious mela with his former subjects. The mela takes place once every 12 years.
As per tradition, Panauti was a forbidden area for the Shah kings and believed to bring misfortune for the royals. Gyanendra's ancestor Prithvi Narayan Shah had annexed Panauti in the 18th century.
The former monarch took a holy dip in the Triveni Kunda, a confluence of three rivers, visited the temples of Indreshwor Mahadev, Basukinath, Brahyayani, and Mukteshwor, and
donated Rs2 lakh to charity.
Gyanendra was welcomed by the traditional Panchakanya upon
arrival at the temple. He also took blessings during the
'Mahayagya' function.
His personal secretary, Sagar Timilsina, told reporters that his visit was personal and religious.
It was the first public appearance of the ex-monarch after returning from India last month. Gyanendra in December last year paid a month's personal visit to India where he met his relatives in Rajasthan as well as religious and political leaders.
Mass protests against Gyanendra, which began in April 2006, culminated in the abolition of the monarchy soon after the CPN-Maoist emerged as the largest party in the April 2008 constitutional assembly polls.
Many ordinary Nepalese were delighted to see the back of the dour, unpopular king as well as his son Paras.
The former king vacated the royal palace in June 2008, two weeks after the 601-member Constituent Assembly abolished the monarchy.
Gyanendra has been at the centre of many conspiracy theories, including the 2001 palace massacre, in which his popular older brother Birendra and most of the royal family were killed by then crown prince Dipendra. The massacre was allegedly fuelled by a cocktail of drugs and alcohol. Dipendra then shot himself.
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