Kathmandu: Balendra Shah, the newly elected leader of Nepal is set to take oath as the 40th Prime Minister of the Hindu-majority Himalayan country at an auspicious time on March 26, Friday at 12:34 PM. Thus, he has decided to take the oath during the “Shubh Muhurth” as per the Hindu calendar on the day of Chaitra Navratri’s Ram Navami. As per the sources, Balendra Shah has informed the President’s Office about his decision to take the oath at this auspicious time.
As per the official reports, during the oath taking ceremony of Balendra Shah as the Prime Minister of Nepal, 108 young Vedic students(Batuks) will perform Swasti Vachan that translates to Vedic chants for well-being. Along with this, 107 Buddhist Lama gurus will also recite auspicious prayers. Additionally, 7 Brahmins will perform Shankhnaad(blowing of conch shells), filling the entire ceremony with the sacred resonance of Sanatan Dharma.
These latest developments signifies the importance asserted to Sanatana Dharma in the Himalayan country. It illustrates how Hindu rituals and practices are deep-rooted in Nepal. The decision of Balendra Shah to take oath on the occasion of Ram Navami and at a time designated as sacred as per the Hindu traditions symbolically reflects the fact that the leader respects the emotions of the people of Nepal which is indeed a Hindu majority country. As per the latest survey, 81.19 per cent of Nepal population comprises Hindus, which is 23.7 million people.
The Ramayana symbolism is repeatedly evoked by Balendra Shah since the days of election campaign. His political party, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party(RSP) swept through the latest elections across the country and earmarked a decisive victory. Balendra Shah kicked off his election campaign from Janakpur, which is the birthplace of Sita. Balendra Shah also belongs to the Madheshi community from the Southern Terai region of Nepal, where Janakpur is located.
Political analysts claim that the repeated Ramayana symbolism evoked by Balendra Shah and his decision to take oath on Ram Navami symbolically illustrates that the leader and his party will respect the emotions and sentiments of the Hindu majority population of Nepal, where the people have deep connection and history cherished with Ramayana and other Hindu practices. Unlike the previous Prime Ministers of Nepal Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal or K.P. Sharma Oli, Balendra Shah is not distancing himself from Hinduism. Balendra Shah is infact associating himself with Hinduism and thereby seeking to connect with the masses.
Balendra Shah, the 35 year old leader is set to be the new Prime Minister of Nepal. He is a structural engineer by profession who rose to popularity as a rapper who took a dig at corruption and other misdeeds of the administration with his songs. He won the Kathmandu Mayor elections in 2022 by a huge margin of 61,000 votes. He is the first leader from the Madheshi community, a politically marginalised group in Nepal, to rise to the helm of Nepal politics. Shah is the maiden and youngest Hindu leader to reach the apex of the political structure of Nepal, a Hindu-majority country.
