Diwali gaining popularity among Tharu tribals

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, November 12

The Diwali is celebrated throughout Kumaon with zest and zeal. The tribal Tharu community in Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts of the Kumaon region, which used to celebrate the occasion as the day of last rites for their deceased family members, have now abandoned the old tradition and started celebrating it as the festival of lights.

“In Tharu community traditions, this day used to be observed as a day of sorrow and they used to offer a “roti” to the deceased family member. However, with the passage of time, traditions have changed and Tharu people have started celebrating the day as Diwali,” said Dr Prem Singh Rana, a senior member of the community and MLA from Nanakmatta.

According to the Tharu traditions, the amavasya of Diwali is Shardaiya Amavasya, which falls in the sequence of the amavasya of Shard Paksha. “Our community used to remember those dead family members, who had not been offered ‘Shradda’ due to some unavoidable reasons, in the Pitar Paksha in September and observe the Diwali amavasya as the day of the last rites to these departed loved ones,” said Rana.

According to senior members of the Tharu society, now, people celebrate the amavasya as the festival of lights, enjoy sweets and burst crackers. “Like other changes that the Tharu society has undergone in the last 40 years, the tradition of festivals has also changed,” said Gopal Singh Rana, a former MLA from the community.