Tharu Community Celebrates Gurahi Festival for Children's Health
The Tharu community recently celebrated the Gurahi festival in Kathmandu, a vibrant event dedicated to protecting children's health and well-being. This colourful festival, also known as Laga Panche in Morang, involves symbolic rituals and shared offerings, bringing communities together.
Gurahi, a festival with multiple interpretations, sees cloth dolls representing the insect that feeds on pests like bhusuna and mosquitoes. These dolls are made by villagers and immersed after rituals at the village square. In Morang, the festival is celebrated on Nag Panchami, with similar rituals and the creation of two small ponds in the courtyard.
The festival's core belief is to safeguard children from diseases and epidemics. After the symbolic act, people share offerings such as puffed rice or pulses and dance together, fostering unity and joy. Women throw the cloth-made Gurahi figures, and men strike them with wooden sticks (sota) during the festival.
The Gurahi festival, celebrated by the Tharu community, is a unique blend of tradition and modernity. It serves as a reminder of the community's rich culture and their commitment to preserving it. Despite variations in customs and practices, the festival's core message of protecting children's health remains unchanged.
