Sama-Chakewa celebrations begin in Mahottari

Celebrations for Sama-Chakewa have started alongside the large Chhath festival across the Mithilanchal region. During the second day of Chhath, known as Kharna, girls gathered fertile soil from nearby ponds and fields to carry back home. This soil is used to shape the idols central to the Sama-Chakewa observance. A local resident from Jaleshwar Municipality-4 explained that the occasion represents affection between brothers and sisters, sharing similarities with Bhai Tika and Raksha Bandhan. Participants traditionally sing cultural songs while offering local rice flakes, locally called sitha, as food to the crafted figures. The observance runs concurrently with the prominent regional traditions of the Mithilanchal area. Families and young participants engage in these customs yearly as part of the broader seasonal calendar of festivities, marking deep-rooted cultural connections among community members.