By Abinash Chaudhary
Dhangadhi, Mar. 20: The month-long Hori festival is in full swing with pomp and pageantry in the Rana and Kathariya Tharu communities of Kailali and Kanchanpur districts.
Rana Tharus celebrate the festival for a month and eight days starting from the full moon day of Magh, according to local leader Narayan Rana. He shared that the community celebrated it by performing the special Hori Dance at night.
The group observes the festival in two phases. The phase before the burning of Holika is called ‘Live Hori’ and the phase after her burning is called ‘Dead Hori,’ Rana informed. “We celebrate Hori with colours and vermillion powder,” he said.
The last day of Hori is also the most important. People eat sweets and various dishes on this day which they called Khakdehra,.
The government of Sudurpashchim also gives a public holiday in the province to mark the occasion.
Rana explained that sisters-in-law invited their brothers-in-law or close friends for feasts during Hori.
The brothers-in-law or friends thus called give money or cosmetics as gifts.
Similarly, Kathariya Tharus also celebrate the festival with equal excitement.
They celebrate it for a month with many customs similar to that of the Rana Tharus.
The Kathariya Tharus have four types of Hori Dance.
According to elders, the first type is the Tharma Hori where only male members of the community dance.
The second type is the Banna Hori where only old men dance. The third type is the dance performed only by women called Michcha Hori and the fourth type is performed by both men and women called the modern Hori.
Rana Tharus and Kathariya Tharus vary in many aspects but have this festival in common.