Asar 15 Rice Plantation Festival in Nepal

Nepali Actress Sushma Karki celebrating Asar 15

With the arrival of Asar (June/ July), the cloudy-grey sky and greenery surrounding the hills and plains of the Himalayan Kingdom and the realm at its apex in rice plantation is overwhelming. Nepal is an agricultural country and Asar holds the utmost importance for every Nepali as it is the time when farmers plant new seedlings of rice crops in their paddies with the hope of growing quintals of rice by planting kilos.

Depending on the weather, the rice plantation generally begins from the first week of Asar and is considered as a feast or celebration rather than work. Singing Ashare jhyaure geet (monsoon song), splashing each other with muddy water and relishing dahichiura (curd and beaten rice) farmers plant rice with joy and merriment.

The advancement of new farming technology has changed the methods of cultivating rice; it has become easier and faster. The tractor has replaced Kodali (a tool to dig field), water pump has substituted kulos (man-made canal) and the use of insecticides and pesticides and high quality seeds and seedling have helped farmers to get more harvest. This mechanization of rice plantation has been a boon for the farmer and if nature permits the monsoon’s heavy rain brings smiles to the farmers.

Asar has become the month of celebrating rice plantation and this celebration has pulled both foreigners and domestic tourists to be part of the feast. It’s a splash of muddy water and music that bring smiles and happiness to enjoy Asar as a cultural heritage and tradition passed on with glorious legacy.

Asar 15 Special

 

Asar 15, also well known as ropain festival or dahi-chiura khane din, is celebrated mostly by the farmers in Nepal. Ropain in Nepali means rice plantation. The day is very important to the farmers as this day earmarks the day they plant new seedlings of rice crops of the year in their paddies. Nepal is a country exclusively based on agriculture.  The month of Asar is favourable for paddy cultivation due to the rainy season that prevails during this month. The hills and the plains of Nepal are at their zenith in rice plantation. Farmers are very busy in their paddy fields. Farmers, and literally every Nepalese, consider the day as the day for growing quintal by planting kilos. People celebrate the day as the festival. They go to the paddy field, play with the mud and water, plough the field, plants rice and eat beaten rice with yoghurt (dahi-chiura). Asare bhaka or Asare jhyaure geet is the famous folk tune/song that is sung in the paddy fields during rice plantation this month. The day is well marked even in the urban cities at least by taking beaten rice with yoghurt.

1:15 PM