KATHMANDU, Dec 26: People from the Kirat community gathered at Hattiban, Lalitpur, on Tuesday to celebrate the Sakela Udhauli festival.
The festival that begins from the full moon day of Nepali month of Mangshir according to the lunar calendar is observed by worshiping nature and ancestors before harvesting the crops.
Videos to Document Kirat Rai Culture
Udhauli is celebrated on the full moon day of Nepali month of Baisakh during plantation while Udhauli is observed at the time of harvesting of the crops. The harvested crops are offered to the ancestors before consumption.
Apart from the Kirati community, the festival is celebrated by the Limbu, Sunuwar and Yakhya ethnic groups. They assemble in public places and perform traditional Sakela dances in ethnic costumes.
Here are some pictures taken by Republica’s Photojournalist Bijaya Rai.
