I had prepared this presentation for the academic presentation for my Masters Studies in Travel & Tourism. I am talking about SAKELA-a culture of Kirati mainly Rai community.The presentationtalks about culture with Identity.

1. Presented By:
Ms.Leela Sangpang Rai
MTTM,4th Sem
NCTTM,2016

2.  What is Sakela?
 Significance of Sakela
 Myths of Sakela Celebration
 How is Sakela performed?
 What does dance steps resemble?
 Sakela at the present

3.  Sakela is the main festival of Kirat(generally
Rais) which is celebrated twice a year
distinguished by two names Ubhauli and Udhauli
according to Kirat Holy book(MUNDUM).
 Sakela Ubhauli is celebrated during Baisakh
Purnima (full moon day in the month of Baishak)
and Sakela Udhauli is celebrated during the full
moon day in the month of Mangsir.

4.  Kirats are believed to be worshipers of Mother Nature. The Sakela
celebration is a prayer to Mother Nature for healthy crops and protection
from natural calamities.
 The festival is also known as "Bhumi Puja".
 Starting on Baisakh Purnima, SakelaUbhauli is celebrated for 15 days in
Baisakh (April/May) marking the beginning of the farming year.
 Sakela Udhauli during Mangsir (November/December)which is harvest
season, is their way of giving thanks to nature for providing them with a
good harvest.
 The sili, style of the dance moves, reflects the different aspects of
human life and our relationship with nature.
 It has been tradition that young boys and girls comes to participate in
Sakela in order to meet each other and find their love.

6.  According to Kirat Mythology, it is said that before the marriage of Sumnima andParuhang,
Paruhang lived in Heaven. One day he saw beautiful girl named Sumnima walking in the earth
and fell in love with her. He made a beautiful comb and gifted it to Sumnima. They both got
married.
 After Sumnima gave birth to four children Paruhang left his family to live in the hut on the
bank of Dudhkoshi River and did not return for a long time. One day while searching for food
Sumnima found a creeper. She tasted the creeper and found it to be full of power and
happiness. She then made a Buti out of it. The buti has high power. Whenever anybody put the
buti on he/she used to talk only truth.
 One day all of sudden Paruhang came back. He tried to console Sumnima but she did not
believe him. So in order to get truth from him Sumnima asked him to put on the buti. With the
help of Buti Sumnima knew that Paruhang was looking at the heaven and earth from the top of
Chomolongma (Mt. Everest). She also knew that he was meditating and visited entire universe.
 Paruhang promised not to leave her again, which made Sumnima dance with joy.
 The dance of Sumnima became the great Sakela Dance. To protect this tradition people dance
to find their true love of their life.

7.  Sakela is performed by Kirats wearing their
traditional attires from all ages dancing
together in a large circle.

Chulapuja
rituals
• Worship of Chula at home by kirat priest(Nakchhong)
• Performs a sacrificial rite over a sacred place known as Sakela
Than,which is usually under a sacred tree.
Start of
SakelaDance
•After the completion of rituals,sakela dance is started by the priest himeslf or
the actual group of Sakela dance.
•Male & female leaders known as Silimangpa & Silimangma respectively
controls the siliof the dance while other dancers imitate them.
Dance steps
•The beating of Dhol(Drum) & Jhyamtas accompany different silies
guided by Silimangpa & Silimangma.
•All the dancers form a large circle and dance joyously around it.

9.  The dance have steps similar to the steps of
 Ducks (hans),
 River bird (dhobi chara),
 Black Bird (Kalchuda),
 Deer (Mirga),
 Musk deer (kasturi mirga) and other animals.
 Nakchhong, the main guy, narrates the mundhum
and tells all the stories through dancing these steps
and reciting how their ancestors travelled through
Dudh Koshi, Sun Koshi, and Tama Koshi and finally
settled in the bank of Bhote Koshi River.

10.  The Sakela dance has become very popular in the
cities of Nepal particularly among the younger
generation.
 Kirat Rai celebrating this festival widely outside of
Nepal as well specially in Sikkim, Hong Kong, United
Kingdom, Australia and United States.
 However, the real flavour of the dance can only be
seen in the eastern hills of Nepal. This interest in
Sakela has helped to spread the Nepali culture all
across the world.
 Sakela is also celebrated in a grand way at
Tundhikhel,Nakhipot,Lalitpur.

11.  SAKELA is the biggest festival of Kirats which
is observed by Kirats throughout the world as
well as non-Kirats.
 It is the worship of nature and mother earth.
 It is the moment of joy of finding the beloved
ones.
 One can observe:
-Cultural group dance
-Sakela sili dance
-Religious rituals
-Family meetings,relatives meetings