KATHMANDU: Udhauli, the second most important festival for the Kirat community, is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country today.
The festival, which begins on the full moon of the Nepali month Mangshir, is a time to honor nature and ancestors before the harvest.
It also marks the season when humans, animals, and birds move from the highlands to the lowlands due to the cold weather.
The Kirat people come together in an organized way to celebrate and exchange good wishes.
According to the Mundhum, the religious text of the Kirat community, time is divided into two parts—Udhauli and Ubhauli—based on farming cycles.
Ubhauli is celebrated on the full moon of Nepali month Baisakh during planting season, while Udhauli is observed at harvest time.
Before consuming the harvested crops, they are offered to the ancestors.
Besides the Kirat community, the festival is also celebrated by the Limbu, Sunuwar, and Yakhya ethnic groups, who gather in public spaces to perform traditional Sakela dances in their ethnic attire.
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