Dagaura Chaudhary Community Celebrates Atwari Festival with Great Fervor in Western Terai

The Dagaura Chaudhary community in the Western Terai region is celebrating the traditional Atwari festival with great enthusiasm today. This age-old festival, observed by the Dagaura Chaudhary people in Dang, Banke, Bardia, Kailali, and Kanchanpur districts, is known for fostering mutual goodwill, unity, and strengthening community bonds.

Atwari, celebrated after the monsoon farming season, features elaborate ceremonies, cultural performances, and feasting. The community gathers at various junctions in their settlements to enjoy cultural programs and indulge in special delicacies, particularly those made from the ‘Andi’ species of rice.

Some of the indigenous delicacies consumed during the festival include khurma, phulauri, khariya, ghongi, geta tina, acchi tina, and surik sikar. A notable culinary custom is the preparation of “Agrasan,” a dish reserved for daughters and sisters, which is offered on the second day of the two-day festival.

The Atwari festival, which falls on the first Sunday of Bhadra Shuklapaksha following Shree Krishna Janmaastami, is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of the community. The Dagaura Chaudhary people trace the origins of this festival back to the Vedic era, celebrating the bravery of Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers, during their exile in the forest following the Mahabharata battle.

It is also believed that the ‘Badkimar,’ or the time for reading out stories from the Mahabharata epic, begins on the day of the Atwari festival.

In recognition of this vibrant cultural tradition, the Sudurpaschim Provincial government has declared a public holiday across the province today.