Buddha Jayanti and Ubhauli Festival Celebrated Across Nepal

Kathmandu. The holy day of Vaishakh Shukla Purnima, the confluence of the birth, enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana of Gautam Buddha, the pioneer of peace, is being celebrated across the country today with reverence and devotion with various religious and cultural programs. Similarly, the important festival of the Kirat community, 'Ubhauli', which expresses respect for nature and ancestors, is also being celebrated with enthusiasm across the country today.

The Buddha Jayanti, which falls on Vaishakh Shukla Purnima, is believed to spread the message of peace, compassion, tolerance, and righteousness in human life. According to religious belief, on this very day, Siddhartha Gautam, the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya Devi, was born in Lumbini near Kapilvastu. At the age of 29, Siddhartha, who renounced all worldly pleasures in search of knowledge, attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India, and attained Mahaparinirvana in Kushinagar. As all three important events, birth, enlightenment, and nirvana, fall on the same day, it is considered a very holy day by Buddhists.

The Four Noble Truths propounded by Buddha regarding suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering, as well as the teachings of the Eightfold Path (right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration) for its eradication, are considered equally relevant today.

On this occasion, the Newar and Buddhist communities decorate statues of Buddha, take them on processions around the city, offer incense, lamps, flowers, and prasad, and perform bhajans and kirtans. In various monasteries and cultural organizations across the country, including Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, contributions are being made to cultural preservation by showcasing tableaux and dances related to Buddha's life and teachings.

Ubhauli Festival in Honor of Nature and Ancestors

Similarly, the important festival of 'Ubhauli', where the Kirat community expresses faith in nature and respect for ancestors, is being celebrated with reverence and enthusiasm today. This festival is associated with the tradition of people and animals moving towards higher altitudes as winter ends and summer begins. As farming begins around this time, Ubhauli is also seen as connected to the agricultural cycle.

The 'Sakela Dance (Sili)', the main attraction of the festival, vividly reflects nature, seasonal changes, and social life. On this occasion, the Kirat community offers prayers to the earth, ancestors, and nature, conveying a message of environmental conservation. Special programs are organized in areas like Silichung and Haleshi Mahadev, and there is also a tradition of presenting Sakela Sili in various places in the Kathmandu Valley.