The excitement of traditional fairs and festivals has begun in the hilly districts of Karnali Province. In the hilly districts, fairs and festivals begin from Dashain-Tihar.
A five-day Degree Fair began in Musikot Municipality-5, Rukum West, on Saturday. Musikot Municipality has declared two public holidays, Tuesday and Wednesday, on the occasion of the fair, which runs from Haribodhani Ekadashi to Purnima every year.
According to the temple management committee, nearly one lakh devotees come to the fair every year. ‘There is a huge crowd of devotees who perform pujas for the blessings of food, wealth and sons,’ said committee chairman Lal Bahadur KC. ‘Dances and various cultural tableaus including the endangered Sagaal (lathi), Garuwa, Paesir, Singaru are performed, due to which the fair also carries cultural and mythological significance.’
He said that it is believed that since the temple has a bell from 1641 BS, pujas have been performed and the fair has been held since then. He said that even those who come to celebrate Dashain-Tihar in Rukum West and surrounding districts return only after completing the degree fair, so it also has social significance.
According to him, devotees from Rukum West, Rukum East, Rolpa, Salyan, Jajarkot, Dang, Surkhet and other districts are reaching the degree fair to perform pujas, hold fairs and offer sacrifices. He said that about a thousand goats were sacrificed along with prayers on the occasion of the fair.
The excitement of traditional fairs and festivals has begun in the hilly districts of Karnali Province. Fairs and festivals begin in the hilly districts from Dashain-Tihar. Jajarkot's Ramidanda and Ramala fairs, Dharpani fair, Jhadeu fair, Karkijyula fair, West Rukum's Digre fair, Shankhapipal fair, Tapu fair, Rimna fair and other fairs are famous fairs in the hilly districts.
Cultural expert Purushottam Upadhyay said that festivals such as Mangsir Purnima, Poush 15, Maghe Sankranti, Chaite Dashain and other fairs are also held in the villages of Karnali. ‘Now, fairs are held in every village for about 3/4 months,’ he said. ‘The endangered traditional dances, songs and cultural tableaus shown in these fairs have also helped in passing down various cultures from generation to generation.’
Fairs such as Salyan’s Kumakh Fair and Chhaya Kshetra are also famous in Karnali, while Dailekh’s Dandimadi and Vestada Fairs are also famous. All these fairs are original fairs that have been organized for hundreds of years rather than commercial festivals. Amar Sunar, a leader of Dailekh, said that the excitement of the fair increases when locals from nearby villages present folk dances that reflect their culture.
According to him, Hudke and Deuda are famous in Dailekh, while Deuda, Khyali, Khando, Garra and Tappa dances are popular in Jajarkot.
Local agricultural products such as sugarcane, oranges, apples and other products are sold at the fair, while dishes such as jerry, cell roti and others are prepared, said Yadu Acharya of Rukum Chaurjahari. According to him, a volleyball tournament with prizes worth lakhs of rupees is also organized at the fair to attract the youth. He says that roteping will also be held at the fair.
‘Such fairs have maintained our originality, mutual harmony and brotherhood are also alive,’ he said, ‘Original food, drink and dance are also helping in preserving culture.’
Most of the festivals and fairs in the Himalayan districts of Karnali are also centered on Purnima. There are monasteries (masthas) of deities in most settlements. To please these masthas, fairs and festivals are held on every Purnima. “For us, Mastha Puja is a bigger festival than Dashain-Tihar,” said Purna Bahadur Shahi, the leader of Pachaljharana Rural Municipality in Kalikot. “There are fairs and festivals on all 12 full moons throughout the year, which carry religious, historical, social, and cultural significance.”
