Kathmandu, 7 September: The Chepang community is celebrating the Nwangi (Chhonam) festival today. The community has been celebrating the Nwangi festival collectively every year on 7 September as a national and religious festival.
Although the Nwangi festival is celebrated throughout the month of Bhadra, people have been celebrating it by gathering collectively on the 22nd and organizing various cultural programs. This year, Chepangs from all over the country are going to gather at one place in Kalikhola, Ichchakamana Rural Municipality-6, Chitwan, informed Govinda Ram Chepang, central president of the Nepal Chepang Association.
According to him, the national festival Nwangi is celebrated as a festival every year on 7 September or Bhadra 22 Nepali calendar in Chitwan, Makawanpur, Dhading and Gorkha, where the Chepang are in the majority. Those who cannot participate in the festival celebrate it in their homes and neighborhoods. Although Nwangi is celebrated collectively on Bhadau 22, the Chepang community has a tradition of celebrating Nwangi throughout the month of Bhadau according to their clan. He said, “We have been celebrating Nwangi nationally on Bhadau 22. There are also different clans in our caste. According to their clans, it is celebrated from the full moon of Bhadau to the entire month of Bhadau.” According to him, there are 64 clans of the Chepang caste.
In the Chepang community, there is a religious belief that new fruits and grains should not be eaten without offering and worshiping the ancestors. On the day of Nwangi festival, grains and fruits including rice, kauno, pindalu, etc. are offered to the land and ancestors. He said that this festival is also the day when the Chepang eat new grain.
On Nwangi, the Chepang Jhankri (Pande) sacrifices a chicken while beating a drum. On this day, the Chepang community does not do any work and enjoys themselves. They invite relatives and friends to have a group feast, dance, sing and share joys and sorrows. Nwangi is a festival linked to the lifestyle and culture of the Chepang community.
According to the National Census 2078, there are 84,364 Chepang people in Nepal. People of the Chepang community are found living in 26 districts. In Chitwan alone, the number of Chepang people is 35,637. This is followed by Makawanpur with 23,650, Dhading with 17,160 and Gorkha with 4,268, according to the Census 2078 data. Chairman Chepang said that since 2079 BS, the Bagmati Province government has been declaring a public holiday on Bhadra 22 in three districts – Chitwan, Makawanpur, and Dhading – on the occasion of the Chepangs’ national festival, Nwangi. In addition, Gandaki Rural Municipality of Gorkha has also been declaring a public holiday.
The Chepang community has been celebrating the Nwangi festival as a national festival in their homes and neighborhoods since 2063 BS under the leadership of the Nepal Chepang Association.
