CHITWAN:- The Chepang community is celebrating the Nwangi (Tshonam) festival today.
The community celebrates the Tshonam festival as a national and religious festival every year on 22 Bhadau in the Lunar calendar.
Although the festival is celebrated throughout the month of Bhadau, a mass celebration is held on 22 Bhadau by organising various cultural programs. This year, Chepangs from all over the country are gathered in Kalikhola, Ichchakamana Rural Municipality-6, Chitwan, shared Govindaram Chepang, Central President of Nepal Chepang Association.
The festival of Nwangi is celebrated in Chitwan, Makawanpur, Dhading and Gorkha, home to the majority of the Chepang community. There is a religious belief in the Chepang community that new fruits and grains should not be eaten without offering and worshipping the ancestors. Hence, on the day of the Nwangi festival, grains and fruits include rice is offered to the land and in the name of the ancestors, said Govindaram.
According to the National Census 2078, there are 84,364 Chepang people living in Nepal. People from the Chepang community are found living in 26 districts of the country, with the highest in Chitwan.
Govindaram also said that on the occasion of the national festival Nwangi the Bagmati Province government has been giving a public holiday on Bhadra 22 in three districts, namely Chitwan, Makawanpur, and Dhading, since 2079 BS. In addition, Gandaki Rural Municipality of Gorkha has also announced a public holiday today.