Phagu of the Tharu community of Chitwan: Samat yesterday, Dhurheri today

Even when the colors did not come, the Tharu community used to celebrate Phagu. The tradition of celebrating Fagu by blowing the ashes of Samat and applying tika has been going on since time immemorial, said Kari Mahato, a leader of the Tharu community and the former president of the Tharu journalist society Chitwan. The Tharu community is a tribal people living in the plains of Chitwan. Phagu festival is celebrated by the Tharus with special gaiety and enthusiasm.

On Sunday evening, Dinesh, Samip and Naresh Chaudhary of Ratnagar's Tharu-dominated village Bachhuli started making prasad for Samat. Small rotis cooked in ghee with coconut and chokda pieces and clove sukmel powder in wheat flour is a special offering of Samat. Young people were preparing Samat near Brahmathan in the eastern direction of Bachhuli. After burying green bamboo linga, it was covered with mustard pipe (gatte) and made like a cave.

The June full moon was covered with light clouds. While the moon was moving up, the village brother Mahto came playing the drum - 'Horia, horia horia, ho rang jaisa hori'. Sahodara also started the Holi song by playing dholak. Dukhwa Mahato, a 40-year-old local, also joined in with the 55-year-old brother, playing drums to match his voice and rhythm. When Samat was ready, Khilendraraj Chaudhary entered to worship.

We are going to call for the safety of the village. It is worshiped throughout the village for good health and safety. Pooja is done by keeping bread, eggs and chicken," said Khilendra. He said that people come in the morning to dig out the eggs laid during the puja. Khilendra says that Phagu is considered by the Tharu community as a festival to forget the anger and hostility of the year and start friendship.

Even though Samat is interpreted as the burning of Holi, Kari Mahato has a different opinion. Samat is considered as the day when falsehood was defeated. But there is another story different from the burning of Holi in the Tharu community. This incident occurs in the story of Jitbahan, which is heard during the Jitiya festival celebrated by the Tharu. There is a story about who fulfilled the faith and method when the sister named Chilho and sister named Kharjiti fasted," said Kari.

Kari Mahato says that Chilho and Siero decided to give a fire test to see who fasted faithfully and Samat is a symbol of this. You can't get rid of it even after washing it. On the third day there is also a custom of dancing and fun. Vasudev Chaudhary, a former teacher, former central advisor of Tharu Kalyankari Sabha and current councillor, Tharu leader Vasudev Chaudhary of Bachhuli says that it is customary for the Tharus of Chitwan to start a new business on the third day of Phagu.

'In the old custom, it was a custom to do business with the fortune of Faupurnima. Even those living in the landlord's house used to move after Phagupurnima. It used to be believed that a new business and a new day started after the excitement of Fagu," said Basudev Chaudhary. The third day of Phagu is called Chaitwari. Kari Mahato says that this is also the welcome of spring season.

Chitwan is a Tharu-dominated district. According to Dipesh Chaudhary, President of Tharu Journalist Association Chitwan, the preparation of Phagu starts after Shivratri. Fagu is celebrated by going from village to village, singing Holi songs and dancing. Deepesh says that the old leaders used to start teaching the new ones to play dholak dhamfu immediately after Shivratri. But there is not much enthusiasm like before.

According to the 2078 census, 10 percent of the total population of Chitwan are Tharus. The Tharus are in the third position after the hill Brahmins and Kshetris. In terms of population in Chitwan, which has seven municipalities, Tharus are the first in Khairhani and Madi municipalities and second in Ratnanagar municipality. Lalit Chaudhary, president of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha Chitwan, said that Phagu is also part of the festivals celebrated by Tharus with special joy.