Nisdi rural municipality-4, Mityal ward president Santabir Sunari was busy making meat all day on Monday. At home, Sunari's wife was very busy cooking Bara or Batuk. Households gather for Maghe Sankranti food. According to him, Maghe Sankranti festival is celebrated in a special way in the Magar community. "It is customary to meet relatives and feed our daughters," he said, "that's why we are busy as a family. '
Mimshri Bayambu Magar of Nisdi rural municipality-6, Archale was also busy making bara or batuk since morning. Digging yams and Sakharkhand for the Maghe Sankranti festival was also in a hurry. "I am preparing for this because it is our special festival," she said, "so everyone in the village has been busy all day long."
They eat yam, vacur and fish meat in this festival. Besides, khichdi is made by cooking meat, dal, rice and salt together. The lump of that khichadi is given to the father. Dhan Bahadur Khandluk Magar of Galdha said that the Magar community has a tradition of calling their daughters, girlfriends and best friends and eating sweets. In the last week of January, tubers like yam, Sakharkhand, Pindalu etc. are dug. It is customary to burn it on the last night. He said that it is customary to gather in one place on January 1 and eat Magar's special food.
In the Magar community of Palpa, on Maghe Sankranti, it is customary to meet neighbors and relatives to dance Sorthi, Kauda, Maruni, Jhamre. There is a tradition of celebrating for three/four days depending on the place. Maghe Sankranti is the most important festival in the production process, economic life and cultural life of the Magar people, Shanti Thapa Zedi, president of Nepal Magar Association Palpa said. She said that there is a practice of feeding girls and donating as much as possible to preserve the culture of the Magar community.
On Maghe Sankranti, it is customary to feed yam, meat, and batuk to the guests who come to the house. For this, he usually prepares for weeks. Lal Bahadur Bayambu of Nisdi, Archle said that there is a practice of sending the yams that are too much to the forest and home market and asking for money from the sale to celebrate Sankranti. In this season, houses and forest yams are dug.
Dev Bahadur Bayambu of Archale said that the Magar community here has a tradition of presenting art and culture not only in food. The Magar community of the eastern and central parts of the district celebrate Sankranti more in the hills like Tharu's Maghi in the Terai. He said that Maghe Sankranti is the festival of eating Batuk, Tarul, Namya and pork, which showcases art and culture.
In this area, Jhethi, Mahili and Kanchi Sankranti are celebrated by dancing, meeting and having fun. Special celebrations have started in all the Magar settlements of the district since Monday. Fairs are held at different places. Zedi, president of the Magar Association, said that this festival is celebrated as the biggest festival by the Magar community. The Magar community takes this festival as a festival to preserve their culture and tradition.
