King attends Nepal's chariot-fest

Kathmandu (Nepal): King Gyanendra appeared in public on Friday for the first time after announcing the restoration of Parliament in Nepal.

The occasion was the last day of Machhendranath Chariot festival.

In line with age-old traditions, the king attended the ceremony where the traditional vest called Bhoto was exhibited showing that the material is still with the King.

However, a mere 500 metres from the royal palace, the Maoists held a massive rally - the first in over three years.

Thousands of people marched in from the suburbs to take part in the rally. People put up posters of Prachanda, the elusive Maoist chief, though the leader himself did not come to the rally.

The demonstration was peaceful following the ceasefire declared in April.