March 17: A traditional bamboo pole known as the ‘Chir’ was installed at Basantapur, marking the commencement of the festival of Holi or Fagu Purnima. The festival formally begins in the Kathmandu Valley and nationwide with the people from the Manandhar community installing the Chir, a bamboo pole decorated with a tuft of colorful pieces of cloth in three tiers at the top end a week before the full moon day in the month of Falgun.    
According to a local Tirthalal Tandukar, the placing of the Chir marks the commencement of the festival of colours.

Following the completion of the Holi festival, people would collect the pieces of clothes from the Chir and keep it in their homes with a belief that it will bring good luck for them. The Chir will be dispersed in Tundikhel.    
This year, the festival falls on March 24 in the hill districts including the districts in the Kathmandu Valley and on March 25 in the Terai/Madhesh. -- RSS