Chasok Tangnam (Nwagi) Festival in Urlabari
The Limbu community’s largest cultural festival, Chasok Tangnam (Nwagi), will be celebrated in Urlabari, Morang, for five days. Each year, according to the lunar calendar, the Limbu community marks this festival on Dhanya Purnima as an expression of gratitude to nature.
Schedule and Venue
Kirat Yakthung Chumlung, Urlabari Chair Banu Subba announced that, on the occasion of this year’s Chasok festival, a five-day grand cultural fair and ethnic exhibition will be organized from Mangsir 18 to 22 at Ambari, Urlabari-9.
Significance and Rituals
Banu Subba stated, “Chasok Tangnam is a symbol of our existence, culture, and identity. To ensure the younger generation follows it, we are organizing the program in a special way this year. Developed alongside the agricultural system, in this festival Limbus regard the new grain as sacred and offer it to Tagera Ningwabhuma (the Nature Goddess). During this, natural elements such as water, earth, air, fire, and the sun are worshipped.”
Mundhum Tradition
According to the Limbu Mundhum, the primordial ancestor Sawa Yethang received seeds—such as millet, buckwheat, and kaguno—from Tagera Ningwabhuma, ushering in the agrarian era. Since then, Chasok Tangnam has been observed as a tradition honoring the new harvest.
Chasok puja is performed in each household in the presence of a Fedangma (Limbu priest). Prayers seek permission to eat the new grain and express wishes to remain free from disease and to enjoy a healthy life.
Festival