Traditional Rice Planting Festival Celebrated in Sindhuli

Sindhuli. A traditional rice planting festival was celebrated in Marin Rural Municipality of Sindhuli by plowing with 20 pairs of oxen and buffaloes. The program organized by the rural municipality saw enthusiastic participation from the local indigenous communities of Majhi, Magar, Newar, and Tamang. With the development of modern agriculture and the increasing use of tractors in farming, plowing with so many pairs of oxen in one place has become rare nowadays. The rural municipality itself actively organized this program to preserve its unique culture and continue the tradition. During the planting, about 5 ropanis of land were planted with paddy by the planters singing Asare songs. This traditional style of planting has revived memories of the older generation and provided an opportunity for the new generation to observe their culture. Along with rice planting, participants also engaged in various recreational activities such as playing in the mud, smearing mud on each other, singing Asare songs, and tug-of-war. In Nepal, every year on Asar 15th, National Paddy Day and the festival of eating curd and beaten rice is celebrated with great enthusiasm. The rice planting that begins with the monsoon is considered an important link to agricultural production, food security, and Nepali agricultural culture.

Photo: Nishchal Raj Gautam/Nepal Photo Library