Education Minister Dhaniram Poudel inaugurated the International Watercolor Festival amid a function in the Capital on Thursday. 

The festival being held at the Nepal Art Council in Babarmahal has on display different arts and paintings of 156 artists from 39 countries including 65 from Nepal. 

The artists from India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Spain, Australia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Finland, Greece, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus and Singapore are taking part in the festival. 

The festival, organised by International Watercolor Society Nepal Chapter, will last until November 10, according to the organiser. 

Inaugurating the festival, Minister Poudel expressed his confidence that such programmes would contribute to the promotion of art and culture and pledged to provide possible support from the government for organising such events in future. 

Narayan Bahadur Gurung, chairperson of the International Watercolor Society Nepal Chapter, said two on-site art workshops would be organised 

in Kathmandu and Ghandruk of Pokhara as part of the festival.