Udhauli parva is an annual event observed on the night of the full moon in the month of Mangsir, which this year falls on December 8. The eighth month of the Nepali calendar, ‘Mangsir,’ corresponds to December in the Gregorian calendar. This celebration celebrates the change of seasons and the arrival of winter, when birds migrate to warmer climates. The Kirant community, where this event is most extensively observed, celebrates this festival in appreciation to Mother Earth for the harvest of the land, and it is marked by traditional dance, singing, and offering thanks for nature’s gifts.
HISTORY OF UDHAULI PARVA
Udhauli parva is based on the Kirat mythology of a god of the sun falling in love with the god of the earth. Paruhang, the god of the sun, fell in love with the beauty of Sumnina, goddess of the land. He was so struck by her that he gifted Sumnina a beautiful comb and proposed marriage. She accepted, and thus the heavens and the earth were joined in marriage and lived together in bliss — until Paruhang disappeared without warning one day.
Sumnina worried about her missing husband for several days. But despite her sadness, she still had her children to love and care for. So while foraging for food in the forest to feed her children, she found a creeper plant that would give her power, happiness, strength, and the urge to speak the truth if she ate it. Believing that these feelings could help others, she made the plant into a Buti (traditional talisman) that people could wear. This talisman helped many to find peace and happiness in their lives, and she was content with that, although she still missed her husband greatly.
After several days, Paruhang returned to Sumnina. Upon wearing the talisman that makes one speak the truth, Paruhang told Sumnina that he had been meditating and visiting the entire universe while seated atop Mt. Everest. Despite all the wonders he had seen and experienced, he still returned home to her and their family and promised that he would never leave again — as if the universe itself could not measure up to his beloved wife and children.
Hearing this, Sumnina danced for joy. Today, this dance is performed at the festival and is known as the Sakela dance. Young girls and boys perform this dance to find love like the kind between Paruhang and Sumnina.
