Waling, 8 May: Young people of Waling in Syangja district organized Sati Ghatu dance, a cultural dance of the Gurung community. The dance is particularly performed for 3 days by girls who are not menstruated.
It began on the full moon day of the Nepali month of Baisakh and concluded on Sunday. The youth are working to ensure that the Sati Ghatu dance remains an important part of the cultural heritage of the Gurungs.
Deuraj Gurung, president of the local Shivamitra Tamu Yuwa Pariwar, said that the beginning and end of the dance are particularly fascinating. While the Sati Ghatu is a traditional dance of the Gurung community, it is not in practice in many places in recent times.
During the performance of Sati Ghatu, it is customary to avoid undertaking any significant work in the village. Before the dance commences, the local community performs worship ceremonies dedicated to their deities in all directions of the village.
The Sati Ghatu dance is performed by girls who have fastened for 3 days, consuming only one meal per day and that too only after 12 noon. This annual dance is held on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. The dance concludes by making an offering of animals and performing a puja on a nearby hill.
