Sakela, Udhauli and Ubhauli of Kiratis

Today is the Udhauli festival of all Kirati people. It is believed that from this day the winter season starts. So people, birds and animal migrate from cold regions to warmer regions. This kind of migration occurs twice in a year. The celebration of migrating downwards during this season is called "Udhauli (उधौली)" and the celebration of migrating upwards during the season of Baisakh (April or May) is called "Ubhauli (उभौली)".

Kirati people performs a speacial kind of dance called "Sakela" in this event playing various muscial instruments like Dhol, Jhyamta etc and wearing "Chhit ko Guneu" (specially patterened cloth) by Kirati women. This event of Kirati people has also been stated in Mundhum (holy book of Kirati people). This event is also called "Bhumi Puja" (Worship of Land) where Kirati people worship mother nature asking for good cultivation of crops during the season of April and thanking the god for giving good crops during this current season.

The legend of the celebration of Sakela as stated in Wikipedia is as follows:

The celebration is connected to many myths. According to the Kirat Mythology, it is said that before the marriage of Sumnima and Paruhang, Paruhang used to live in the heaven .One day, he saw beautiful Sumnima on the earth and fell in love. He made a beautiful comb, sent it to Sumnima who wished wed him.

Four children were born of them after marriage. But Paruhang left Sumnima in a hut on the bank of Dudhkoshi River and did not return for long time. One day, she saw a creeper on a stone while she was in search of food for her children. She tasted the creeper and it was full of power and happiness. She brought the creeper and made Buti, an intoxicating religious garland, and kept it safe. The Buti inspired everybody who saw it to tell the truth of her/his life. Paruhang returned suddenly. He tried to counsel angry Sumnima. She gave the Buti to Paruhang. This immediately made him glad and he started to tell what he had done. He had spent the time looking at the heaven and the earth from the top of Chomolongma (Mt. Everest ). He also said her that he had meditated, and visited the whole universe. Paruhang promised not to leave her, which made Sumnima dance with joy. It is believed the dance is the 'Sakela Dance'. For this reason, tradition is also that young boys and girls comes to participate this dancing festival to meet each other and find their love.

तपैहरुलाई यो चाड कस्तो लाग्छ ? कमेन्ट गरेर आफ्नो बिचार दिनुहोस । हैप्पी सकेला....!!

World Indigenous Day 2008 celebrated

Gone 9th August was the most remarkable day for the indigenous people (IPs) all over the world. Here in Nepal many different IPs related organizations including our Lohorung Yakhkhama Yuyong (Lohorung Women Organization) also took part in that event. LYY has exhibited food stall and Dhaka cloths at Dasarath Stadium during the event period of three days. That day was the last day of a week long event where many different types of games such as Badminton, Traditional Archery etc were held.
The final day started from a rally at Khulamanch, Ratnapark where many indigenous peoples gathered before setting off. NGO-Federation of Nepalese Indigegnous Nationalities (NGO-FONIN) had been organizing "Singnature Campaign". Finally about two kilometers long cloth signatured by different people of the Kathmandu valley were asked to carry by the people taking part in that rally. It was really a unique and fun experience for me to help them to ask different people at the roadside for asking to do signature and distributing pamplates.

The rally enden at Dasarath Stadium where many political leaders gave speech about indigenous peoples including the speaker of the current house of representative Mr. Subash Nembang.