Chepang community celebrating Chonam (Nwagi) today

Govindram Chepang, the central president of Nepal Chepang Association, informed that Chonam Festival is going to be celebrated collectively this year as in previous years. This time they are going to celebrate Nachganari festival in Gandaki Rural Municipality-6 Tomandanda of Gorkha. tell Last year, Dhading Gajuri Rural Municipality-5 Changli gathered together to celebrate Nwagi.

President Chepang says that the national festival Nwagi is celebrated on August 22 every year in Chitwan, Makwanpur, Dhading and Gorkha, where there is a majority of Chepang.

According to him, Nwagi has been celebrated collectively as a festival since the year 2063 at the initiative of Chepang Association. Although they have been celebrating Nwagi collectively on August 22, according to their clan, the Chepang community has a tradition of celebrating Nwagi for a whole month from the full moon of August.

In the Chepang community, it is believed that one should not eat new fruits and vegetables without worshiping the ancestors. On the day of Nwagi festival, grains and fruits such as Ghaiya paddy rice, kauno, pindalu and other fruits are offered to the ancestors. This festival is also considered as the day when Chepang starts eating new grains.

In Nwagi, Chepang Jhankri (Pande) sacrifices a chicken by banging a drum. On this day, the Chepang community enjoys doing nothing. It is customary to invite relatives and have a group feast.

According to the National Census 2078, there are 84 thousand 364 Chepang people in Nepal. 35,637 Chepang people live in Chitwan alone. Meanwhile, there are 23,650 Chepang residents in Makwanpur, 17,160 in Dhading and 4,268 in Gorkha. Chairman Chepang said that Chepang community resides in 26 districts.

On the occasion of Nwagi, the national festival of Chepangs, the Wagmati state government has been giving a public holiday on August 22 in three districts of Chitwan, Makwanpur and Dhadingari since 2079.