President extends Udhauli greetings

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 15: President Ramchandra Paudel has extended his best wishes to all Nepalis living home and abroad on the occasion of Udhauli, the major festival of the Kirat community. 

In his message, the President said Nepal is a garden of diverse ethnicities and cultures, noting that festivals like Udhauli play a vital role in weaving together the country’s cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity. 

Stating that Udhauli is celebrated primarily by the Kirat communities, including Rai, Limbu, Sunuwar, and Yakkha, he said the festival is marked by wearing traditional attire, with public gatherings, and communal Sakela dances accompanied by various cultural events. 

“The festival signifies the seasonal migration of people, animals, and birds from the highlands to the lower valleys as winter sets in,” he said. 

He further said, “During Udhauli, newly harvested crops are offered to ancestors in thanksgiving, along with prayers to the land for continued fertility. 

The Kirat community’s intrinsic connection to nature is evident in the rituals and traditions of the festival.”

President Paudel highlighted how such practices contribute to fostering mutual harmony among Nepal’s diverse ethnic groups while promoting familial, communal, and societal unity. 

These celebrations strengthen social harmony, foster national unity, and reinforce the shared identity of being Nepali.

President Paudel also remarked on the festival’s importance in illuminating the interdependent relationship between human life and nature. 

He expressed confidence that Udhauli would enhance mutual harmony, tolerance, and fraternity within Nepal’s diverse society, thereby contributing to the consolidation of national unity.