The District Administration Office (DAO) Morang has ordered the immediate closure of the 'Food Festival 2083' being staged at Biratchowk in Sundarharaicha, after the event was found to be running well beyond the closing time fixed in its permit. The festival, organised by the Sundarharaicha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had been granted permission to operate only until 9 pm, but continued until 1 am. The administration said the event had violated its permit conditions and posed a challenge to public peace and security, according to a report by Pradeskhabar. The decision was announced after the festival, which was underway at Biratchowk, continued deep into the night in breach of the approved schedule.
Event ran hours past approved closing time
The food festival was being held at Biratchowk, a commercial area of Sundarharaicha sub-metropolitan city in Morang district, Koshi Province. Under the permission issued by the District Administration Office, organisers were required to bring the event to a close by 9 pm. Instead, the festival continued until 1 am, roughly four hours beyond the approved limit.
The administration treated the overrun as a clear breach of the terms under which the festival had been allowed to proceed. On that basis, it directed that the event be shut down with immediate effect. The report did not indicate that any extension had been sought or granted, nor was any revised schedule announced for the festival.
For organisers of public events, the conditions attached to a permit are binding requirements rather than optional guidelines. The decision to halt the festival outright, rather than issue a warning, reflects the weight the administration has placed on the breach. No untoward incidents were mentioned in the report; the order was grounded in the breach of permitted hours and the security considerations attached to it.
Administration cites public peace and security
In justifying the closure, the District Administration Office Morang pointed to two grounds: the violation of its permit conditions and the risk the event posed to public peace and security. District administration offices in Nepal function as the primary government authority at the district level for maintaining law and order, and they routinely attach conditions covering operating hours, venue management and security arrangements when granting permission for fairs, festivals and similar public gatherings.
Those conditions are intended to ensure that late-night gatherings do not disturb local residents, strain security arrangements or create openings for disorder. Large crowds after midnight are generally harder to manage and place a greater burden on local security arrangements, which is why approved closing times are treated as a core part of event permissions. An event that runs until 1 am after being cleared only until 9 pm operates outside the terms the authorities assessed when permission was granted, and that is the crux of the administration's objection.
The language used by the administration was notably firm. By describing the event as a "challenge to public peace and security", it signalled that the concern extended beyond a technical fault in paperwork and touched directly on public order, a matter that sits at the core of the DAO's mandate.
What the order means for event organisers
Permissions for public events in Nepal typically set out clear parameters, including:
- the venue and overall duration of the event
- daily operating and closing times
- security and crowd management arrangements
- restrictions on activities that could disturb the public
Organisers are expected to adhere to these terms strictly. Where an event plans to run later than the approved hours, the standard course is to seek prior approval from the authorities for amended permission rather than proceed under the existing permit. The action in Morang illustrates that a departure from approved hours can result in the withdrawal of permission altogether, not merely a reprimand.
The episode also underscores the coordination expected between organisers and district authorities. Chambers of commerce and similar business associations regularly organise food festivals, trade fairs and consumer events to promote local commerce and give small vendors a platform to reach customers. Such events, however, remain subject to the same administrative oversight as any other public gathering, and responsibility for compliance rests with the organising body.
For Sundarharaicha, where festivals of this kind serve as both community attractions and promotional platforms for local businesses, the immediate closure of Food Festival 2083 is a reminder that the ability to hold such events depends on observing the conditions set at the time of approval.
The initial report did not include a response from the Sundarharaicha Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the closure order or on the future of the festival.
