Discover Nepal guide

Sakela (Ubhauli & Udhauli)

Learn about Sakela (Ubhauli & Udhauli) through verified cultural context, key facts, regions, traditions and references.

Communities

Kirat Rai community

Regions

Eastern hills; largest gatherings in Khotang, Solukhumbu, Bhojpur and Kathmandu

Calendar

Ubhauli: Baisakh purnima; Udhauli: Mangsir purnima

Season

May & Nov–Dec

Rituals

The Sili dance — thousands moving in concentric circles to the dhol and jhyamta — offerings to nature deities at the Ubhauli (upslope, planting) and Udhauli (downslope, harvest) turns.

Significance

The Kirat calendar's twin festivals of the land: planting and harvest, performed as one enormous communal dance.