Maghe Sankranti
Maghe Sankranti is celebrated on the first day of month Magh. This festival is also called Makar Sankranti. Month Magh marks the coming of new festivals and ceremonies. It also marks mid of winter in Nepal. In this festival, people take ritual bath in holy rivers. The bath is taken notably at auspicious river locations. Some of the rivers include River Bagmati in Sankhamul, Devghat near Chitwan valley, Ridi, The Sachi Tirtha at Trivenighat in Panauti. People of Newari community massage their body and head with Sesame oil. Newar people call this festival Ghya chaku sahlu. Special foods are cooked in this festival. Till ko ladoo (Brown Sesame seed Fudge), Chakku (Molasys), Ghee (Clarified Butter). Spinich and Yam’s curry is cooked as Maghe Shankranti’s special food. It is believed that massaging the body with Sesame oil and eating these foods helps us become healthier and keep us warmer during the cold weather.
This is the biggest festival of the Tharu community. They call this festival maghi. Tharus mark this festival as end of winter and beginning of warmer days. Family members gather together to celebrate. Tharu community of Kailali, Kanchanpur, Banke, Bardiya and Dang districts celebrate this festival as the New Year. People are seen busy buying pigs, boars, ducks and hens to celebrate this festival. They make liquor for this occasion.
Biggest festival of the Tharu community, celebrate this festival as the New Year
StoryImages
A Merchant of Bhadgaun(Baktapur) was doing a good business. He had good sale of sesame, but he was never out of stock. He had no idea why he never ran out of stock. Then he searched for the clue. Cleaning the stock pile he found the idol of Lord Vishnu beneath the seeds. After that the idol is being worshiped as Til Madhav idol. It is believed that worshiping the idol would bring supply of food, prosperity and wealth to Bhakatapur.
