Rana Tharu Community Concludes Holi Celebrations with Traditional 'Khakhadhera Festival'

Kanchanpur. The Rana Tharu community residing in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts are formally bidding farewell to this year's Holi today by celebrating the traditional 'Khakhadhera Festival'. It is a tradition in the Rana Tharu community that Holi, which is celebrated continuously for over a month, concludes with the Khakhadhera festival.

For the Rana Tharu community, Holi is not limited to just playing with colors. This festival is celebrated as a celebration deeply connected to social, religious, and cultural life. Considered the biggest and most important festival of the year, Holi is also seen as a symbol of collective unity, cultural continuity, and religious faith for the community.

In the Rana Tharu community, the Holi festival begins on the day of Magh Shukla Purnima. On that day, the festival commences by placing 'Hori' in the village. Following this, there is a custom of playing Holi only during the night for about a month. This period is known in the Rana Tharu community as 'Jeeundo Holi' (Living Holi).

During the days of Jeeundo Holi, women and men of the village gather all night to sing traditional Holi songs, dance, and present religious stories through songs. Ram Sahay Rana states that this is believed to strengthen religious faith and cultural awareness along with entertainment in the community.

According to him, on the day of Falgun Purnima, the Holika established in the southeast direction of the village is ceremonially burned. The day after Holika Dahan is called 'Tika'. On this day, everyone in the village applies the Tika made from the ashes remaining after the Holi fire. According to the belief in the community, applying the Tika of Holi ash prevents diseases, promotes good health, and grants longevity, says local Ram Sahay.

From the day of Tika, for eight days, there is a custom of playing 'Mari Holi' or 'Dead Holi'. During this period, Holi is played both during the day and at night. The Khakhadhera festival is celebrated on the eighth day of Mari Holi, which is considered the formal conclusion of Holi.

On the day of the Khakhadhera festival, special preparations begin in the village early in the morning. Village elders, Bhalmansa (headmen), Chakars (assistants), and other responsible individuals go door-to-door collecting puja materials. Materials collected for the puja include seven types of grains, earthen pots, pieces of broken clay pots (khapta), pitchers (gagri), small water vessels (lota), cow dung cakes (kandi) made from dried cow dung, lamps (diyo), clay horse idols, and pure water.

According to Ratanlal Rana, a local from Kasaraul, Shuklaphanta Municipality-6, these materials are collectively called 'Satna'. He says, "Materials are collected from every house in the village, which shows that this festival is based on collective participation."

The collected materials are taken to the village crossroads or a designated place and worshipped according to traditional rites. After the puja is completed, there is a custom of breaking earthen pots, khapta, horse idols, diyos, hadiyal (earthen pots), and other materials. Rana Tharu community leader Jagata Rana stated that only specific individuals in the village perform the act of breaking the Khakhadhera. "This act is symbolically considered a ritual to remove negative forces from the village," he said.

According to him, the community has long believed that through this festival, demonic tendencies, diseases, misfortune, and other negative influences are driven away from the village. After the Khakhadhera is broken, the participants return to the village. There is a strict belief that one should not look back while returning. Elders of the Rana Tharu community say that if someone looks back, it is believed to invite misfortune or see evil spirits.

Another important aspect of the Khakhadhera festival is the tradition of asking for 'Phaguwa'. After the puja is completed, the youth and elders of the village go door-to-door asking for Phaguwa. As Phaguwa, the homeowners give cash, grains, or other materials according to their capacity. The collected money is used to organize collective feasts, dances, and cultural programs.

In the evening, the village is filled with a festive atmosphere. Both women and men, adorned in traditional attire and makeup, play Holi, sing songs, and dance. According to the community's belief, the puja and rituals performed during the Khakhadhera festival are believed to ensure good harvests, eliminate diseases, and bring prosperity to the village.

Kripa Ram Rana, former central president of the Nepal Rana Tharu Society, stated that Holi is the most important festival for the Rana Tharu community. "Holi holds special significance in the cultural life of the Rana Tharu community," he said, "especially the Khakhadhera festival works to strengthen the community's unity, customs, and traditions."

According to him, on the day of the Khakhadhera festival, activities such as farming and operating bullock carts are also stopped in the village. He mentioned that the community developed such cultural traditions to maintain social unity while fighting against malaria, epidemics, and natural disasters in the Terai region in the past.

Since the possibility of diseases spreading is higher during the summer season when the heat begins (Lu lagne samaya), the community has maintained the belief of symbolically removing ghosts, diseases, and misfortune from the village through the Khakhadhera festival. Thus, the Khakhadhera festival is established not just as a religious ritual but as an important practice for preserving the community's social unity, cultural identity, and traditional values.

"This festival, celebrated continuously for centuries, has played an important role in keeping the unique culture, traditions, and social life of the Rana Tharu community alive to this day," said former president Rana. Today, on the occasion of the Khakhadhera festival, the Sudurpashchim Province Government has declared a public holiday.