लुतो फाल्ने दिन | श्रावण संक्रान्ति | Luto Phalne Din | Shrawan Sankanti | Jumla

#lutofalnedin
लुतो फाल्ने दिन | श्रावण संक्रान्ति | Luto Falne Din | Saaune Sankranti| Karnali | SPN DOCS PODS
Though the Luto Phalne festival sounds strange for the new generation of Nepalis, the festival used to hold a significant position in the lives of rural Nepalis, culture experts observe, highlighting reasons for the celebration.
In the evening of the Saaune Sankranti, people celebrate Luto Phalne festival by worshipping the night god Kandarak in Jumla.
4 parts of the front yard of the house is smeared with either cow or ox dung. Then, two balls of cow dung are made and on them, cucumber flowers are kept. Also, in the smeared part, a taro leaf (karkaloko paat) is kept and over it, green chilli, peach, dropping fig (khanayo) and corn are placed.
After that, two bundles of small and thin bamboo stems are taken to the oven in the kitchen to ignite the fire. From the kitchen, it is brought back and placed beside the two cow dung balls. Then, herbs like mugwort (titepati) mixed with ghee are burnt there.
It is believed that the area from where the burning torch is thrown away up to where it lands comes under one kingdom, traditionally the kingdom of Sinjatpati. Sinja, currently a part of the Jumla district in Karnali, apparently, is the place where the Nepali language and Khas culture originated.
Again, four torches from the kitchen stove are brought outside and thrown on all four directions, chanting “Luto Laija…Luto Laija” (Please take away scabies). Meanwhile, everyone plays drums and bells or even bangs plates and other kitchen utensils to make noise.
Finally, a bundle of locally available herbs such as asparagus is kept under the roof of the house.
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Thank you Bishnu Prasad Acharya, Rameshwor Prasad Acharya, Khageshwor Prasad Acharya and family for the hospitality in Jumla.
Thank you Saroj Katuwal for the stock footages from Jumla.