Udhauli Festival: Kirat Communities' Winter Celebration

Udhauli Festival

• Udhauli is a festival celebrated by the Kirat communities, including Sunuwar, Limbu, Thami, Yakkha, and Khambu Rai, in Nepal, India, and other countries.
• The festival marks the migration of people from high-elevation areas to low-elevation regions during the winter season.
• It is a time for the Kirat people to offer thanks to mother nature for a good harvest.

Celebrations and Traditions

• The Udhauli festival is celebrated by all Kirat people, and it is believed to mark the beginning of the winter season.
• People, birds, and animals migrate from cold regions to warmer regions during this time.
• The festival is mainly celebrated in the eastern region of Nepal.
• The Sakewa or Sakela dance is a popular tradition during the festival, performed in a circle with the beat of drums and cymbals.

Sakela Dance

• The Sakela dance is an exotic dance that originated from the lifestyle of animals and their behaviors.
• Each tribe of Kirat communities performs their own dance steps according to their sub-clans.
• The dance is a way to respect mother earth and appreciate nature's gifts to humans.
• The dance steps depict how civilization began and how the Kirat people learned to live in harmony with animals and birds.

Destinations and Significance

• The main destinations for the Sakela dance are Dharan, Dhankuta, Pathari, Kanepokhari, and Kerabari.
• The Udhauli festival and the Sakela dance are mentioned in the Mundhum, the holy book of the Kirat people.