| Description |
Generally, the people of Limbu. Rai and Sunware (commonly known as Kiratis) celebrate Ubhauli and Udhauli festival. It is believed that there are two phases in one year – that are a Ubauli (Going up) and Udhuali (Going down) While the Ubhauli puja is usually conducted during the month of March and April (belief of onset of summer); Udhauli puja is a celebration of descending of season and is conducted during the month of November indicating the onset of winter season. It is believed that from November the winter season starts where people, birds, and animals migrate from cold regions to warmer regions.
Udhauli and Ubhauli festivals are conducted in two different seasons – one in summer and the other one in winter- of the year. Kiratis are believed to be the worshipers of nature and agriculture being the sustenance of this community, the Kirats celebrate the Udhauli festival to thank Mother Nature for providing them with bountiful harvest during the current season. During the Ubhuali festival, as it marks the time of the year for cultivation, they pray to Mother Nature for timely rain, healthy crops and protection from natural calamities. In short, Ubhauli marks the beginning of cultivation, and Udhauli marks the harvest period.
Although, in the past, Udhuali and Ubhauli festivals were conducted separately, the community today has started conducting these two festivals at one go in the month of March and April, calling this festival as Udhauli Ubhauli Puja. This community festival is conducted at the Diana River. This festival brings together all the people in the limbu community to observe a ritual of praying for a timely rain, good harvest and asking for good harvest at the end of the year.
When: In the past, their ancestors used to celebrate Udhauli and Ubhauli puja in two different seasons (summer and winter) of the year. While Udhauli puja used to be conducted in the months of November and December, Ubhauli Puja was conducted in the months of March and April. However, with modernization and globalization, it has become difficult for the community to gather twice a year, they have started conducting this Udhauli and Ubhauli puja at the same time between March and April Month on any of the suitable days – Fridays and Saturdays, thus called this festival as Udhauli Ubhauli Puja. This festival is performed for a day.
Where: Today, Udhaulu Ubhauli Puja is performed annually by the bank of River Diana. The reason why they perform this puja at the river is they being the worshiper of nature, they believe that the river is clean and is occupied by tutelary deities. People of the community gather together every year to pay homage to their deities, and pray for timely rain, good cultivation and bountiful harvest.
Number of Performers: A paw initiates the festival with the help of one helper. It is said that the helper should be someone who would be able to understand the language of the initiator in a state of trance. The community makes merry, praying simultaneously for a smooth and successful entire crop cycle period starting from sowing seeds to harvest of the crop and protection from natural calamities.
|
| Social and cultural significance |
The community being the strong worshipers of Mother Nature, such a festival allows them to pray for the successful crop cycle and express gratitude for bountiful crops for the previous years. The people also believe that such a festival helps to keep them connected and gives them a reason to reconnect, celebrate and thank Mother Nature for blessing them with a successful crop cycle with bountiful harvest.
Udhaulu Ubhauli Puja is performed annually praying for the successful crop cycle, protection from natural calamities, and expressing gratitude for bountiful crops.
|
| Transmission method |
For this festival, the people of the community in close consultation with the paw fix a convenient date by divination. A day before the festival, all the people of the community will gather to discuss the things required. Generally, the things required for this festival are flowers, rice, incense sticks, drinks such as water, homemade, alcohol, and juices, butter lamp, various colors of cloth pieces, sindoor (traditional vermillion red or orange-red colored cosmetic powder, usually worn by Indian married woman indicated that a woman is married), areca nut, various kinds of candies, sweets, shel-roti, and champaka meto (Oroxylum indica). All these things required for the festival are donated by the people of the community. Rest of the day, the paw who would be already on fast since the morning communicate with his tutelary deity, seeking permission that he is initiating the festival and pray for the successful and smooth festival. All the people of the community father together at the river bank where this festival is to be performed.
On the day of the festival, the paw and the people of the community will move to the river Diana as early as 5am in the morning. The paw will be on fast till the festival is over. Upon reaching the venue, the paw will start drawing the moon, star, and sun with the flour (usually of atta and maida). Altar will also be made with the help of a small bamboo (locally termed as gung ring) and different strips of clothes. They will have four gung ring in particular to place at four corners and have one ngultrum change total of Ngultrum 9 and make 12 birth animals sign with the flour. All the candies, incense and roti will be spread over on banana leaves in front of the altar. While paw chants the prayers, people sit in rows around the altar invoking the deities by asking to be present with them at the festival and protect them from natural calamity and grant them a successful entire crop cycle. When paw is done with his chant, all the family members have to jump over the altar by saying “no harm and ill luck befalls the family and community”. While the female jumps over the altar by spitting three times, male jumps by spitting four times over the altar. While they jump, they also put three various kinds of grains (duana) over the altar. At the end of the ritual, the initiator destroys all the drawings and altar and throws entire things except the money offerings towards the west direction of the river, far away from home, and they head back home towards the end of the day.
|
| Community |
Rai, Limbu and Sunware (commonly known as Kiratis) of Southern Bhutanese communities. |
