With the growing notion of preserving one’s culture in order to secure one’s identity, the various communities are digging up their respective histories to redefine the stories and importance related to several festivals. And Maghe Sankranti falls among them.
Culture expert Anil Chitrakar informs that the sun begins to move north from the first day of Magh, bringing warmer days. Thus, for most Nepali communities, the day marks the change in season from winter to summer, and is celebrated as New Year.
Although the day indicates the coming of warmer days, it is also the coldest day of the year. Not only Hindu Brahmans and Chettris but also indigenous communities such as Kirants, Magars, Tharus and others consume food items with heat-generating properties such as tarul (yam), sakhar-khanda (sweet potato), chaku (refined molass), sesame laddoos (balls) and other tubers and condiments to deal with coldness.
Newars commemorate Maghe Sankranti as “Ghyo-Chaku Sanun” and enjoy the aforementioned foods. The sub-cultures within the Newar society celebrate the day in different manners. Take for instance, Chandra Devi Shrestha’s case.
Originally from Satungal, a Newar settlement 13 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu, Chandra, now 74, shares, “Usually, Newari women take chaku and ghee (clarified butter) during their post-delivery period to regain their vitality. Men, on the other hand, don’t have any such occasions to taste these food items. “So, on this day sons are also fed these delicacies,” Says Chandra.
Her daughter-in-law Pratibha Shrestha adds, “Family elders massage young ones with sesame oil mixed in black lentils and bless them to be strong like black lentils and at the same time have softness like oil.”
Like in most cases, there is a legend behind the use and consumption of sesame oil on this particular day. Legend has it that a merchant in Bhaktapur, noticing that his sesame stock did not decrease despite his flourishing business, looked into his stock.
To his surprise, he discovered a Madhav Narayan idol hidden in the stock, and ever since, the locals have massaged the idol with sesame oil and offer sweetened balls on the day.
Chandra’s family has been celebrating Maghe Sankranti by consuming sesame laddoos, Palungko Saag (green leaf spinach), dried fish, garlic with baji (beaten rice) along with chakku and ghee.
“When I was young, I heard we could buy 100 bunches of Palungko Saag for one Rupee in Patan, which was served during our bhoj (feast) on the Sankranti,” recalls Chandra.
While this particular subgroup of the Newar community dedicates the day to their sons, Magars worship their daughters on this auspicious day.
Married daughters and their families are invited to their parental homes for festivities and are even worshipped, for instance, in Rolpa in mid-western Nepal. They are fed yam, sel, sesame laddoos and khichari (mixture of rice and lentils) and are also presented with money.
It is believed that the custom of inviting married daughters and sisters came into practice as there were no means of communication before.
“Remembering their ancestor Karpake, a legendary figure who lived during 900 A.D in Maikot of Rukum, Magars celebrate this day as Karpake Parba,” says Toran Pun, a resident of Pokhara.
For the Tharu community, the day marks the beginning of a new year. Known as Maghi to them, it is of special importance as major household decisions are made on this day.
Tika Ram Chaudhary, 62, the central advisor of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha, highlights some of the works carried out on this day. “On Maghi day, community leaders and heads of families were appointed; monetary transactions settled with landlords; and decisions made to send a family member as Kamalari or Kamaiya to the local landlords, all in order to stabilize the family condition.”
The culture of electing leaders is still in practice in Bardiya, Kailali, Dang and Kanchanpur districts where Tharus have large habitats.
“The system of bonded labors was banned by the government nine years ago. Thus, Maghi is also celebrated as Mukti or Swatantra Diwas (Emancipation Day),” informs Tika Ram.
The preparation for Maghi starts two days before. “As part of the celebration, both men and women beat rice traditionally on the eve of Maghi,” adds Tika Ram. Traditional dances such as Dhumaru and Dhamar are performed all night long.
Early in the morning, men and women take holy bath. Playing their instruments, men visit river confluences to take holy dips whereas women prefer nearby wells and streams. A grand feast is organized on the day, and groups of dancers and singers visit different houses of the community.
“People renew their relationship even with someone they are in conflict with,” says Tika Ram. And gifts, according to the capability of the family, are allocated for the daughters.
At the end of the day, Bakheri takes place where family heads meet and plan for the coming year.
“Bakheri decides the new venture needed for the community and who to mobilize the new projects, such as building new irrigational system or temples, or if anyone needs help in construction of a house,” informs Tika Ram.
Maghe Sankranti also marks the new beginning for Kirantis. According to the Yele calendar, this year is the Kiranti year 5070.
“It’s a tradition that people prep up for the new cultivation and buy new oxen to plough their fields,” informs Tirtha Raj Rai.
The day commemorates the traditional lifestyle of Magars and Kirants as hunters and gatherers. Kandamool, wild yam, which is believed to be the ancestral food of these groups, is the main delicacy of the day.
In addition, the observation of the usual rituals on this occasion, this year’s Makar Mela, which takes place every 12 years, is taking place in Panauti of Kavre Distirict. The longest solar eclipse post-1992, which will last for over 11 minutes, has also coincided with this day this year, making the day more holy.
Analyzing the myths and lore surrounding the celebrations of Maghe Sankranti, this occasion is more than what meets the eyes and mouths. And as different communities present their own takes, one thing that is strikingly common is the consumption of tarul (yam) by all Nepalis in this festival.
“It’s difficult to confirm, but yam is the source of the birth control pill, and the way we have allocated a day to eat this is probably to make sure we don’t eat it everyday.
“Tall tale?” asks Anil Chitrakar.
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