Kathmandu, Sept 30: In virtual exile since his ouster, Nepal's deposed King Gyanendra, is all set to make his first public appearance on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.
Gyanendra, who left the royal Narayanhiti palace on June 11 and living on the outskirts of the city, is performing other rituals of Dashain festival from the Nagarjuna summer palace.
He is preparing to come to Nirmal Niwas at Maharajagunj to celebrate the Vijaya Dashami festival next week, a prominent member of loyalist RPP-Nepal, Raja Ram Shrestha, said.
He will also put "tika," a mixture of vermilion, rice and curd, on the forehead of his loyalists and some other political workers at Nirmal Niwas, Shrestha said.
Dashain used to be a good occasion for the King to come into direct contact with the people, but now as he is formally stripped of his crown and powers, including cultural rights, Gyanendra does not have any role to play during the festival.
However, anyone who wishes to receive tika and blessings from the former King will have to queue up at the main gate of Nirmal Niwas, he said.
Meanwhile, the former king and queen, Komal, issued their customary greetings and well wishes for Vijaya Dashami to the people.
According to Janabhawana Weekly, "the cards were signed by the former royal couple as ordinary citizens without mentioning "His and Her Majesty" and the address was printed as "Nagarjuna Bungalow".
The greeting cards were also sent to some political leaders of the new Constituent Assembly, which had abolished the monarchy on May 28.
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