BHARATPUR (CHITWAN), Sept 8: People belonging to Chepang Community are celebrating Chhonam (Nwagi) festival today. Chhonam is one of the biggest religious festivals of the community and it is celebrated on Bhadau, 22, every year.

A recently held cabinet meeting of Bagmati Province government decided to give a public holiday in three districts of Bagmati Province today on the occasion of Chhonam festival. Public holiday has been given in Chitwan, Makawanpur and Dhading districts today.

The festival is going to be celebrated collectively, said Bagmati Province Secretary of Nepal Chepang Association and ward chairperson of Ichchhakamana rural municipality-6, Laxman Chepang.

The people from Chepang community of Chitwan, Dhading, Makawanpur and Gorkha districts are celebrating the Nwagi festival gathering at Chyangli of Dhading district. They have been observing this festival collectively at the initiative of the Chepang Association for eight years.

"Those who cannot participate in this celebration organized collectively will celebrate at their homes and communities", he mentioned.  

There is a religious belief in the Chepang community that new harvest food grains and fruits should not be eaten without offering to the departed souls.

This festival is also a day for Chepang people to eat new harvest food grains and they celebrate the festival eating delicious foods, said Laxam Chepang.

There is an 84,364 population of Chepang in the country. Around 35,000 Chepangs live in Chitwan district alone.

 
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