DHARAN, May 2: Kirat community’s (Rai, Limbu, Yakha and Sunuwar) one of the important festivals Ubhauli Parba began on Monday. They celebrate the festival by worshipping their kitchen, sacred religious sites and earth. They are also known as the nature worshipper.

The festival is celebrated on Baisakh Purnima according to the Nepali calendar every year with much rejoice. The Limbu community of Dharan-15 greeted each other and danced Chyabrung to mark the festival. Then Rai community celebrated worshipping earth in Durbar at Hang Buddhikarna, Dharan 14. Similarly, Yakha and Sunuwar community too worshipped the earth on the occasion.

Ubhauli is also observed as Sakela Ubhauli in Rai community, Yakwa Tangnam in Limbu community, Yucchyang in Yakha commuity and Phol Shyadar in Sunuwar community.  

Rai community dances sakela at various places for 15 days starting from Baisakh Purnima. People from all age groups participate in the dance with much enthusiasm wearing their traditional dresses.  They dance in the tunes of dhol and jhyamta that indicates the season of farming has arrived.

About the festival, Kamal Rai, district president of Kirat Rai Yayokha shared, “Ubhauli is the festival when the Kirat community worships nature and ancestors wishing for good health, precaution against diseases, happiness and peace in life along with good rain and good harvest. As the Ubhauli begins, people believe that birds like ‘karyang kurung’ and others are fly toward hilly region from plain area.”

Rai mentioned that Ubhauli is celebrated with Sakela dancing program till May 19 where the dancers will visit places such as Itahari, Tarhari, Duhabi among others. He informed that the last day of the festival, the best dance group will be given prize money of Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively at Sakela Park, Dharan-17.