Kirat people observe Sakela Ubhauli

By Nisha Rai,Dharan, May 13: Sakela Ubhauli, the festival of the Kirat Rai community, began in Dharan on Monday.

 Sakela Ubhauli and Udhauli, celebrated by the Kirat Rai community, are held twice a year. 

The festival is held every year on the full moon day of Baisakh Shukla Purnima. 

Ubhauli or "upward movement," symbolises the seasonal migration of the Kirant people from the lower regions to the higher areas as temperatures rise. 

According to Kirant belief, from Baisakh Shukla Purnima, birds and wild animals begin moving from the lower regions to higher altitudes. It is also said that fish swim toward the riverbanks to escape the rising heat.

On the occasion of Ubhauli 5085, the festival was organised by Kiraya Sunsari on the Hang Buddhi Karna Rai Palace premises in Dharan-14. Various musical performances were also held. 

According to Rajendra Rai, President of Kirat Rai Yayokkha, Sunsari, various linguistic and cultural organisations took initiative to organise this festival. Sakela Ubhauli is a celebration where people worship ‘Simebhume’ and perform the Sakela dance to pray for good times, abundant crops, prosperity, and peace for all living beings.

Additionally, after the newly harvested grain is cooked and brought into the home, offerings are made to the sacred hearth inside the house in honour of the ancestors. The new harvest is then consumed.

This festival, considered a cultural symbol of the Kirat Rai community, is not only celebrated in Nepal but also in countries like India, Hong Kong, the UK, Japan, Singapore, the USA, South Korea, Qatar, and other countries where Rai people reside.

 Rai added that the festival will be officially celebrated in 24 locations within Sunsari.

The festival, which began on Baisakh Purnima, will be celebrated for 15 days.

 It is marked with great joy and enthusiasm in districts like Khotang, Bhojpur, Dhankuta, Udayapur, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbu, Sankhuwasabha, Sunsari, Ilam, Panchthar, Jhapa, Morang, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.

Since 2058 BS, Kirat Rai Yayokkha Sunsari, an ethnic organisation of the Kirat Rai, has been organising a competitive Sakela Sili exhibition at the ward working committee level every year on the occasion of Sakela Ubhauli. 

On May 29, the competitive Sakela Sili exhibition among Kira committees from across Sunsari district will be held at Sakela Cultural Park in Dharan-17.

The winner of the Sakela Sili competition will receive Rs. 40,000, the second-place winner Rs. 30,000, and the third-place winner Rs. 20,000. 

Additionally, cash prizes and certificates will be awarded in 13 categories at both the ward level and inside and outside Dharan. 

In each of these categories, the first-place winner will receive Rs. 7,000, the second Rs. 6,000, and the third Rs. 5,000.

In the Kathmandu Valley, the festival was marked by worshipping at Hattiban and the performance of the traditional 'Sakela' dance at Nakkhipot in Lalitpur.

Some members of the Kirant community also celebrate the Ubhauli festival on Magh 1, the beginning of Uttarayan. Additionally, many observe Ubhauli, another major festival, on the full moon day of Baisakh Shukla. Both festivals hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Kirant Rai people.

During the celebration, community members perform the Sakela dance, mimicking traditional farming activities such as planting, harvesting, weaving, and even the movements of birds.