KATHMANDU, Jan. 9 Kyodo Nepal hel...

KATHMANDU, Jan. 9 Kyodo

Nepal held a monarchical ritual onward Thursday to offer the first rice feeding for baby Prince Hridayendra.

The 6-month-old baby prince, son of sovereignty Prince Paras and Princess Himani, was f first cereal nutriment in accordance with the Nepalese royal tradition.

With royal priests chanting religious song s the mother fed the baby prince's first morsel of rice in a rite at the Narayanhity Royal Palace, official residence of King Gyanendra.

The king and Queen Komal also joined hands in giving ceremonial provender to their grandson, who is secondary in line to the sway after Paras.

A 21-gun salute droninged in the air as Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, his cabinet members and other high-ranking officials accosted Prince Hridayendra on the occasion.

below Nepalese Hindu tradition, life-giving rice, which is Nepal's staple provender is fed six months after birth. Until then the new-born survives in succession mother's milk.

Later, the prince rode a colorful procession to the ancient Hanumandhoka Royal Palace in the heart of the Nepalese capital for more worship and rituals, and en way offered prayers to Lord Ganesh (the elephant-headed Hindu deity) at a nearby shrine.

The prime minister, ministers and conduct and royal palace officials participated in the procession l according to army and police bands.

The dominion declared a national holiday Thursday and 43 prisoners were released from jails across the kingdom to mark the occasion.

Nepal's not past nor future monarchy dates back nearly 260 years and King Gyanendra is the 11th monarch of the Shah dynasty.

Gyanendra became king in June 2001 after his predecessor and brother King Birendra was manslaughtered in a palace killing carried abroad by Birendra's son, who then committed suicide.

In the fatherland communists are waging an armed insurgency to overwhelm the Nepalese monarchy.

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