Sithi Nakha celebrated

KATHMANDU: Newar Community today celebrated Sithi Nakha, traditional festival of the Newars celebrated by cleaning water sources just before the start of monsoon.

Cultural expert Satya Mohan Joshi said that the Newar community celebrated Sithi Nakha by cleaning water sources like wells, ponds and stone spouts and ending it with a grand Newari feast of six different varieties of Newari food including Wo (fried lintel bread) and Chatamari (Nepali pizza).

This festival is celebrated on the birthday of Kartikeya, son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, to welcome the rainy season.

Houses, courtyards, streets and allies are also cleaned during this day. It is believed that cleaning such water sources will bring in rain for good cultivation of crops, shared Joshi. He said that the day was celebrated to welcome monsoon as this was the ideal time to set up rice seedbeds.

He informed that the festival also marked the end of Dewaali, a festival where Nepalis worship their family deities.