The celebrations are planned on a grand scale beginning with the traditional #bullfight, as every year. Marking the festival day, the country is going to see exciting bullfighting events across different areas.

The bullfighting event will be seen in Nuwakot and Dhading districts, adjoining the Kathmandu valley, as the major highlight of the #MagheSankranti2020 celebrations in Nepal.

Hundreds of public are going to be seen in Taruka village of Nuwakot district to watch the joyful event.

The local sport has its origin in Taruka village and has been played since some 200 years ago in the 19^th century.

Bullfight in Nepal is different from those in other parts of the world! #NepaliBullFight event includes both bulls and oxen, where they will be fighting continuously for nearly an hour period.

Ethnic appearances by the women of Tharu and Magar communities are going to be other highlights of the day.

‘Maghe Sankranti’ – The Auspicious Day

Maghe Sankranti, which falls on the first day of the Nepali month of Magh as per the lunar calendar, marks the transition of Sun into the Hindu zodiac sign called Makara (Capricorn), putting an end to winter and welcoming the other seasons of the year followed by summer.

As per the tradition, Nepali Hindus visit various holy shrines and rivers to observe traditional pujas and Makar Snan (holy river bath) at the confluence of major rivers on this auspicious day.

While the confluence of the holy Kali Gandaki and Trishuli rivers in Devghat hold great significance, devotees also take holy dips at various other rivers such as Dolalghat, Devghat, Ridi, Triveni and Baraha Kshetra, among others across the country.

A large number of people from Sunsari, Ilam, Morang, Saptari, Siraha, and Jhapa districts and a good number of people from various places of India gathered at Kankai River for Makar Snan, the tradition that is observed every year.

Culture and Tradition for Wellbeing

Marking the celebration as the start of New Year, Nepal’s Tharu community people will visit the Kathmandu Valley’s open ground Tundikhel (to commemorate Maghe Sankranti, the community’s biggest festival).

Meanwhile, the Newar Community also celebrates the festival as Ghyo Chaku Sanlhu with delicious dishes like ghee, chaku and remembering their beloved and departed souls.

As per the tradition, the elders apply a little amount of oil to the younger ones who then proceed for holy dip in sacred rivers. It is believed that sharing and eating ghee and chaku, vegetables and yam and sesame seed candy on the festival day adds to a healthy life.

Another special delicious item, a mixture of black gram and rice with hot spices and ghee, called Khichadi is also served on this auspicious festival day. On the occasion, national leaders President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli extended their best wishes to the global Nepali community.

Grand Celebrations

In 2019, a three-day-long fair was held in Gulmi at the pilgrimage site of Ridi of Ruru area at a place, a
tri-junction of Gulmi, Syangja and Palpa districts.

Meanwhile, another big religious fair was also celebrated in Devghat of Chitwan district with thousands of participants gathering at Devghat Dham for taking holy dip and observing the festival rituals.

Tharu community people also gathered at Tundikhel on a larger scale to mark the festival celebrations. Dressed in cultural attire, the community performed various cultural and religious dance shows at the event.

A Special Attraction

The traditional bullfight is one most famous animal sports event played as part of the Maghe Sankranti celebrations across Nepal and India. Commemorating the start of Magh and holy Sankranti festival, traditional bullfight sports event will be held across Nepal on January 15, 2020.

While Magh is also celebrated as the feast of molasses, Nepal’s mountainous district Nuwakot looks at it in a different way.

Marking the start of the Magh, the country observes the annual bullfighting event, a traditional animal sport that dates back to more than 225 years.

“This is the tradition which we (farmers) have continued for years. We have been herding the bulls and the government has been giving allowance to buy the tractors. However, we are not getting any sort of help or aid despite preserving the tradition for long,” says Bhoj Bahadur Bhandari, a participant of this traditional bull sport.

This annual bull-taming festival in Nepal is similar to that of the most-famous Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu of India and the Spanish Bullfight.

Apart from being a tradition, this unique bullfighting event is also adding to the promotion of Nepal tourism.

NepaliSansar team wishes all “Very Happy Maghe Sankranti”.

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So why was there so much objection over a bill that hadn’t even been implemented?

The Guthi Bill 2075 proposed by Nepal Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal aimed to:

• Nationalize all guthis – public and private
• Consolidate all the acts and amendments related to guthis
• Replace the Guthi Sansthan – a government authority accountable for all guthis in the country
• Regulate all religious sites

Guthi Bill- History

The guthis are synonymous to the Newar community inhabiting the Kathmandu Valley. Guthis or trusts are social organizations that fulfill religious and socio-economic responsibilities through funds collected from cultivation of leased land.

Trustees who manage guthis are usually members of a common lineage or family.

Since the fifth century, guthis in Nepal use tilled land to generate revenue for maintaining public shelters and temples, organizing chariot processions, providing fellowship for youth and other religious activity.

During the course of Nepal’s history, guthis were exploited by the state and its rulers. They used guthi property for personal or state use, including the construction of government buildings, hospitals, Rana-era palaces and hospitals.

Guthi Bill Nepal 2019 Provisions

Since the Guthi bill of Nepal was introduced, it received a lot of opposition from various ethnic groups, especially the Newar community.

According to Newars, the proposed Guthi bill was being used to erode culture and erase the identity of various indigenous communities.

The Guthi bill in Nepal proposed the following provisions:

• According to Article 26 of the Nepali constitution, the bill violates the constitutional rights of Nepali citizens, which states that every religious denomination has the right to operate and protect its religious sites and guthis
• Section 23 and 24 of the Guthi Bill gives the concerned authority control over all rights and responsibilities of the guthi, which includes trustee rights, previous documentation and agreements including court orders.
• Guthi Bill section 4 states that all private guthis should be nationalized, which guthi trustees say is insensitive and disregards the different guthis and their functions in the Newar society. Private guthis are controlled and run by family members of the same lineage, with no interference from outsiders.

The Guthi Sansthan

This is not the first attempt to nationalize Guthis. Earlier in 1964, the government formed the current-day Guthi Sansthan to nationalize all guthi land. However, public opposition at the time was limited and was easily suppressed.

Once the government nationalized all the Guthi land, the Sansthan drew its income from leasing land to individuals and industries or by building business complexes for rent. This income was also partly devoted to conducting festivals and rituals.

Today, the Guthi Sansthan owns 1.45 million ropanis of land and has 2,335 public guthis under its control.

In the present day, guthis are in a sorry state as they bear severe financial burden to fulfill their responsibilities including holding Kathmandu Valley’s large scale jatras.

Restricted funds affect several guthi responsibilities such as maintenance of various heritage sites, promotion of religious and cultural performance arts and provision of fellowships for young people in the community.

This list also includes the special Kartik Nach organized in Patan Durbar Square’s Dabali, which is possible only with donations from locals and private institutions.

Guthi Bill Protest

These are some of the reasons why Newars are displaying agitation over the bill. They are also concerned that the introduction of the Guthi bill could erode the Sanathan Hindu tradition.

During the third week of June 2019, 50,000 people held a rally at Kathmandu’s Maitighar Mandala to protest the government’s move.

This demonstration only added to the streak of protests since the Rato Machindranath procession ended on June 09, 2019. People staged agitation in Bhaktapur and Lalitpur as well.

Agitators stated that implementation of the bill would pave way for government authorities and society’s influential embezzling thousands of hectares of guthis land.

Lawmakers Divided on Guthi Bill

Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties were divided over the introduction of the Guthi Bill.

NCP Lawmakers supported the bill stating that the bill would manage the Guthi system better and it was aimed at revising all guthi laws. They also said that the document was being introduced to address Guthi-holders demands.

On the other hand, lawmakers from opposition parties said that the bill would damage ancient Guthi tradition. Main opposition party, Nepal Congress lawmakers urged the government to withdraw the bill and replace it with a new one.

PM Oli on Guthi Bill

PM KP Sharma Oli who returned from his nine-day trip to Europe said that he is ready to improve the bill if there are any provisions that affect culture. This is the government of people and they are respected as God.

“Nothing can be hundred percent perfect. If there require any improvement, the government is ready to do so,” said PM Oli.

He also said that there were exploitations in many places on account of the Guthi Bill.

This is not the right time for agitation and protest, rather a time for cooperation and partnership. It is not appropriate to get involved in petty issues.

“Since I have already arrived, I will look everything. If there are some weakness committed knowingly or unknowingly, we will improve,” said PM Oli.

Finally, Government Withdraws Guthi Bill 2019

Aryal submitted a proposal on annulment of the Guthi bill from the National Assembly on June 18, 2019, after succumbing to pressure from all sides.

“A resolution has been expressed on behalf the government that it will not waver an inch to work in deference to the spirit and sentiment linked with ‘our religion, customs, values, and heritages like temples and shrines,” Aryal said.

The Minister added that the government had no intention to harm or hurt the religion and culture, as well as the spirit and sentiment of guthis in various communities, while addressing lawmakers at the discussion on Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation’ of Appropriations Bill, 2076.

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People across the country are performing the Govardhan Puja rituals and are worshipping the ‘ox’. As part of the rituals, they recreate the Govardhan Parbat using cow dung.

According to the legend, the Hindu deity Sri Krishna lifted the Govardhan Parbat with his hand to shelter the people of Gokul from incessant rain.

It was believed that Indira, the God of rain was angered and consequently caused the torrential rain.

Nepalis show their reverence to ox or ‘goru’ on this day as it is a very useful animal for agricultural works, Nepal’s primary occupation.

Mha Pooja
The Newar community in Nepal celebrates the Mha pooja, which also falls on the Newari New Year in the Nepal Sambat calendar. Mha Pooja translates to ‘self-worship’ or worshipping one’s soul.

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Indra Jatra, an eight-day long famous Nepali Hindu festival, began yesterday amidst the huge presence of devotees praying the king of Gods and rain-god, Indra.

Marking the first day of the festival, celebrated in reverence to Indra, devotees erected the sacred Indradhoj lingo in Hanumandhoka in Basantapur Darbar Square of Kathmandu Valley waving a flag named after the lord.

The lingo-erection procession went on amidst huge public presence. The lingo, brought to Hanumandhoka all the way from a jungle in Bhaktapur, was erected with the help of Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and locals.

As part of celebrations, devotees made dance performances on the streets of Kathmandu. Devotees, dressed in Lakhe costumes and masks, performed Nepal’s one of the famous dances called Lakhe dances.

According to Nepali lunar calendar, Indra Jatra usually falls on the fourth day of the waxing moon in the month of Bhadra, and is celebrated to mark the victory of gods over demons to release Jayanta, the son of Lord Indra.

This festival is majorly celebrated among Newari communities following Hinduism and Buddhism.

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Devotees celebrate the festival offering early morning prayers at Buddhist temples, reciting scriptures and playing Gunla music. Devotees believe this is the month in which Lord Buddha had got enlightened.

As a part of the festival, different traditional musical instruments, called Gunla in Newari, are played across various areas of Kathmandu. Devotees form groups and go on pilgrimage to various Buddhist temples.

Changunarayan, Swoyambhunath, Bangalamukhi, Shova, Bijeshwori, Bhagwati, Janabahal, Maruganesh and Suryabinayak are some of the famous places that are visited as part of the pilgrimage.

Devotees visit Dattatraya temples on Nag Panchami, Janai Purnima and Krishna Janmasthami.

According to Hari Ram Joshi, the cultural expert, Gunla festival is celebrated in the ninth month of the Nepal Sambat calendar. “From the full moon day of the ninth month of Nepal Sambat, the festival is celebrated for a month,” says Joshi.

As part of the festival,  a special ceremony called Bahidyah Bwayegu is performed, where large images of Dipankura Buddha and Paubha paintings are displayed at sacred courtyards.

The practice of observing the festival came from the concept of rains retreat during Buddha’s time, where monks remained at a place and taught dharma.

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