SULIKOT: The Gandaki rural municipality in Gorkha has declared a public holiday on Monday to mark the Chhonam festival, a significant cultural event for the highly marginalized Chepang community. The decision was made during a recent executive meeting of the rural municipality.
According to Gandaki rural municipality chairman Deepak Timilsina, the holiday was granted to promote and preserve the important cultural traditions of the Chepang people. During the festival, the community observes their traditional customs and rituals by organizing various cultural programs.
A significant population of the Chepang community resides in various parts of the Gandaki and Sahid Lakhan rural municipalities in Gorkha. In an official notice, the rural municipality stated that this decision is expected to help honor the cultural identity and traditional festivals of the Chepang people.
