MAGHI FERVOR SPREADS IN THARU SETTLEMENTS

काठमाण्डु टुडे २०७० पुष ३० गते ८:४७ मा प्रकाशित

Kanchanpur, Jan. 14: The Tharu settlements in the district are overwhelmed with fervor and enthusiasm with the beginning today of the Maghi festival of the Tharu people. Maghi is taken as a festival promoting social tolerance and bond.

The people of this community have prepared special food item called dhikri meant for the festival. They have also prepared dishes of fish and pork. Dhikri is offered as a Maghi treat to the guests and sisters. This delicacy is prepared a month before the start of the festival. The Tharu people are required to prepare this traditional festival delicacy, whether they are rich or poor.

Every family starts readying fish, pig and other items required for the festival one month in advance. Pigs are slaughtered a day before the start of the month of Magh.

People can be seen busy slaughtering pigs and preparing pork since the morning on this day as slaughtering of pigs is prohibited in the month of Magh. The Tharu people prepare special delicacies of puffed rice, khichadi, sweets from sesame seeds and khariya and distribute it to their relatives and sisters.

On the first day of the festival, all people in the village take bath in rivers, streams and wells near the village. Upon reaching home after the holy bath, they keep rice grains, salt and black lentils at a corner in a separate room.

They then pick up a cusp full of each of these items five times and keep it at a separate place. These items are offered to sisters on the occasion of Maghi. This process is called ‘nishrau kaharna’.

Following this ritual, all members of the family receive tika and blessings from the eldest member of the family. The Tharus call this entire act of receiving tika and blessings from the elders as syaba lagne.

They put white mark of rice flour on their foreheads as tika. The Tharus perform traditional dances as maghauta, chhokra and jhumra , among others, on the occasion of the Maghi.

The Maghi festival is also an opportunity for the people of the Tharu community to forgive and forget and to bury the hatchet.

It is a day for introspection and evaluation. Maghi is also an occasion on which important family and social works as distribution of the family property among brothers and weddings are done.

They also select the tribal head called the badghariya, a new community priest called guruba on the occasion of the Maghi festival. RSS

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