Udhauli
| Udhauli | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observed by | Kirat community |
| Type | Animist |
| Observances | Prayers and religious rituals |
Udhauli is the annual festival celebrated by Kirat community of eastern Nepal marking the migration of animals and birds downwards to low altitude towards warmer regions as the winter hits their homeland.[1][2]
Every year on the Marga Sukla Purnima, there falls Udhauli Parva or Festival of Kirats and Yomari Punhi of Newars. Along with these two, the jyapus in the country has also declare the day as the “Jyapu Day“.
Udhauli festival is celebrated by all Kirati people. It is believed that from this day the winter season starts. So people, birds and animal migrate from cold regions to warmer regions. This kind of migration occurs twice in a year. The celebration of migrating downwards during this season is called “Udhauli (उधौली)” and the celebration of migrating upwards during the season of Baisakh (April or May) is called Ubhauli (उभौली).
Kirati people perform a special kind of dance called “Sakela” in this event playing various musical instruments like Dhol, Jhyamta etc. and wearing “Chhit ko Guneu” (specially patterened cloth) by Kirati women. This event of Kirati people has also been stated in Mundhum (holy book of Kirati people). This event is also called “Bhumi Puja” (Worship of Land) where Kirati people worship mother nature asking for good cultivation of crops during the season of April and thanking the god for giving good crops during this current season.