INTERNATIONAL: Hundreds of pop culture fans have gathered at a comic and fantasy festival in Nepal's capital Kathmandu on New years’day, 1 January.

The annual cosplay festival “Otaku Jatra” has started in 2010 and has been growing over the years, bringing together pop culture elements such as anime and comic in one single platform, according to organiser Abhinav Das Shrestha.

Cosplay, which has originated in Japan, is a combination of the words “costume” and “play.” In cosplay, people dress mainly as characters from Japanese anime, as well as graphic manga novels and video games.

There has been the growing popularity of cosplay festivals in recent years. Cosplay fans gather at a growing number of festivals around the world to show off their elaborate costumes, the products of hours of loving work, and enjoy their shared passion.

At Sunday's festival in Kathmandu, participants took pictures with their favourite cosplayers and got their faces painted.

A participant says It's a very awesome feeling because since her childhood, she has been looking at them through the screen but when she saw them in real life it kind of feels like she is living her dream.

The purpose of this event is to target all pop culture lovers while showcasing science fiction/fantasy, horror, film/television, anime-manga, comic books, video games, animation, toys, webcomics and related pop culture. Originated from the youth of Nepal with various backgrounds.

The goal is to share and exhibit the passions of the youth to unite the community through a world of arts, music, games, and books. It is designed to provide an environment where people can network with their peers to relatable real-life work experiences. It gives up-and-coming Nepali writers, artists, and creators an opportunity to explore and share their passion for Japanese/American media and pop culture.

^{PHOTO: COSPLAYERS POSING WITH VISITORS / COSPLAYERS AT EVENT / SOUNDBITES FROM EVENT ORGANISER / SOUNDBITE FROM PARTICIPANT}