People preparing for low-key festivity

TIKAPUR, OCTOBER 19

The festival season has already knocked on the doors and the greatest festival, Dashain, has begun. In normal times, there would be much fervour and gaiety among people during this season. But this year it is different due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Khema Sharma’s house at Baghmara, Tikapur Municipality, would have been decorated, daubed with red and white clay to welcome Dashain festival. This time, Khema says she is not so enthusiastic about celebrating the festival.

“Time is all-powerful. We have to follow the time and situation.

In the present situation, there is fear of coronavirus infection everywhere,”

Sharma explained her lack of enthusiasm with regard to the festival this time around.

She said her family and neighbours plan to celebrate the festival in a low-key manner this time by adopting health safety measures.

“We will perform the rituals associated with the festival indoors.

We will do away with slaughtering goat, visiting family members and relatives to receive ‘tika’ and ‘jamara’ this time,” she said, adding that health safety rather than festivity was a more important consideration during the present time of the pandemic.

Like Sharma, there is no enthusiasm and festival fervour in her village as in the past years. There would be an air of festivity in the entire settlement a week before the 10-day Dashain festival commenced.

People would be busy decorating their houses, cleaning the surroundings, managing all the things needed for the festival and shopping. The festive mood would have been highlighted by singing and dancing in the evenings.

Bir Bahadur Magar of Bipatpur, Tikapur, reminiscences: “The whole village would be in festive mood during Dashain.

All those people who had gone outside the districts and abroad would return home.

However, this year, even those who returned home months before Dashain due to the lockdown have left the village for India and other destinations to earning a living after running out of money.”

Aarati BK of Rajbara, Bhajani Municipality, agrees that there is not much enthusiasm about celebrating the festival in her area.

“There used to be a lot of fervour and gaiety during Dashain.

This is lacking this year.

All the people are fear they will contract coronavirus. People have even stopped talking to their neighbours,” she described the general mood in the settlement. She is also not going to her maternal home for tika and jamara this Dashain.

Especially, the Tharu settlements would be abuzz with activities during the Dashain.

These days, the Tharu settlements are also quiet and without festive activities. There would be a lot of ethnic dances and singing and drama and skits would be organised in the Tharu settlements in the past and people from neighbouring areas would flock to see these. But this year, there is no such activity.

“The Tharu people would perform the Sakhiya, Badka, Mungrauha, and Jhumra, among other ethnic dances accompanied by singing.

There are no such dances in Tharu settlements this year due to fear of coronavirus,”

Rajaram Chaudhari of Tikapur said.

There is less movement of people and activities even in the towns. The lockdown has reduced economic activities to a large extent.

“There was lockdown for many months. People do not have enough money for shopping and celebrating the festivals.

They do not have work.

These are the reasons why there is no festive mood among the people,” said Kamala Rawal of Tikapur.