Tanahun, 9 Jan: The sixth Tanahun Indigenous Ethnic Cultural Festival has begun in Damauli, the headquarters of Tanahun district, featuring a shared cultural celebration of more than 13 ethnic groups. On this occasion, over 151 cultural groups have performed tableaus and dances reflecting their unique identities.
Organized by the Nepal Indigenous Ethnic Federation District Coordination Council, Tanahun, this festival started on Thursday at the open ground of Vyas Municipality–3. It has transformed Damauli into a vibrant cultural museum. Dr. Takaraj Gurung, Economic Affairs Minister of Gandaki Province, inaugurated the festival.
A massive cultural procession and exhibition were the main attractions of the festival, with the enthusiastic participation of over 151 groups from more than 13 ethnicities. The venue resonated with the traditional *bhajan*, *chudka*, and dances of communities including Dura, Kusunda, Bote, Darai, Chepang, Magar, Gurung, Newar, Kumal, Tamang, Bhujel, and Brahmin-Chhetri.
According to the festival spokesperson Jeevan Gurung, among the participating groups, the ‘Vyas Nagar Tamu Sudhar Aama Samuha’ from Vyas Municipality–2 secured the first position. The group received a cash prize of 10,000 rupees. Similarly, Magar Sudhar Samaj from Vyas Municipality–1 came second (7,500 rupees), Magar Guthi Samiti came third (5,000 rupees), while Chhangelī Newa Khal and Janbhawana Newa Misa Puch received consolation prizes (2,500 rupees each). The organizers informed that all 151 participating groups were provided an encouragement amount of one thousand rupees.
At the festival site, alongside songs and dances, there was an exhibition showcasing ancestral heritage and traditional houses reflecting the lifestyle of forefathers, including mud houses and ancient agricultural tools. Traditional sample houses of the Magar, Darai, and Kumal communities particularly attracted the attention of the spectators.
According to Captain Som Bahadur Thapa, coordinator of the Cultural House Construction Committee, these houses made of mud, bamboo, and wood contain household items, utensils (*Theki*, *Ghyampa*), and tools that are decades old. Sanam Tamang, coordinator of the festival’s main organizing committee, stated that the purpose of the festival is not just entertainment but also the protection of identity and transferring ancestral culture to the new generation.
Similarly, co-coordinator Siddhanta Garja Magar informed that the revenue collected from the festival will be spent on the construction of a living cultural museum for the indigenous ethnic communities. The festival, which will continue until Magh 5, will feature daily exhibitions of cultural tableaus, handicrafts, and traditional attire of various ethnic groups.
