We have heard from our surroundings the story of people who lived in past being nomads and their journey from one place to another in search of food and shelter. Quite interestingly India and its neighbours still possess a community who are into migration based on season.
As winter begins on the day, they migrate to the areas of lower altitude so that they feel warm. Udhauli is a festival celebrated when people migrate from hilly to lower region, whereas Ubhauli, a reverse migration during summer. This process is a continued practice among the community but in specific it is purely a season based cultural concept.
People belonging to Kirant community celebrate the migration in a form of festival. The festival celebrated by Kirants mark two significant aspects. One, beginning of new farming, like harvest and Yugadi festival celebrated in mainstream India. Secondly, their prayers as a calamity defense when migrating.
On the day of the festival, the members of the community join together and share kind words with each other. The traditional dance form of the community is performed along with music. The month-long festival of change of the season also sees the migration of animals along humans.
“In Kirat Rai world festivals like Ubhauli and Udhauli help to bring togetherness, harmony, integration and to have ‘we’ are feeling among the members because the society is dynamic and the population of Kirat Rai world are more mobile. Some of them migrate to lowland temporarily; and some go away from motherland to get recruit themselves in British and Indian Army. Under Kirati community there are 30 tribes which have different languages and identities although the Rais represent one community.
Within Kirat Rai there are 30 clans or subgroups who are with distinct identities and languages and such festival offers as the meeting point for all to share their feelings and emotions in the name of such traditional culture” described research copy of Dr. Bishnu Prasad Dahal, Patan Pragya.
The process of migration, the burden of shifting from one region to another twice a year, in modern era are quite unknown. It is also said that modern day urbanisation and settlement have stopped the traditional movement. But the festival is celebrated marking the season. As a optimistic part, the cultural practice of the festival followed from ancient times based on the season have made human- environment ecological relation better one.