Sakela

Sakela, also spelled Sakewa or Sakela Puja, is one of the principal traditional festivals of the Kirati peoples of Nepal and adjacent regions, notably the Limbu, Yakha, Sunuwar, and related communities. The festival centers on gratitude to nature and ancestral spirits and marks the agricultural cycle, particularly the harvest season.

During Sakela, communities gather in open spaces or temple precincts to perform the Sakela dance, a processional group dance led by a priest or elder who recites prayers and chants. Participants, dressed in traditional attire, form lines or circles and move to rhythmic drums and songs that celebrate unity, sustenance, and communal solidarity. Offerings such as agricultural produce, grains, and in some communities rice beer may be presented to deities and ancestors.

The observance is characterized by a shared feast, communal singing, and the distribution of food to attendees. While the core elements—dance, prayers, offerings—are common, practices vary by community and locality. The date is set according to the lunar calendar and regional agricultural timing, so Sakela is celebrated at different times in different places, often as part of a broader set of Kiranti rituals.

Geographically, Sakela is most strongly associated with eastern Nepal’s hill communities but is also observed by Kirati-descended groups in parts of northern India, including Sikkim and Darjeeling, as well as by diaspora communities abroad. It stands as an enduring expression of Kirati identity and traditional religion, alongside other rites and festivals.