Photos: Farmers in Nepal celebrate rice planting day with special feasts and festivities

Festival marked by planting paddy, playing in the mud and singing traditional songs

Published: July 05, 2023 10:12 AP

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Kathmandu: Thousands of farmers and their families across Nepal celebrated an annual paddy festival by planting rice, splashing in the muddy fields and enjoying a special feast. Image Credit: Reuters

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The farmers were joined by other villagers, visitors from the cities and tourists visiting the Himalayan nation. Image Credit: Reuters

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Rice is a staple food for millions of Nepalese and the crop is generally planted once a year in July and harvested about four months later. Image Credit: AFP

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Farmers and their families sang traditional songs to welcome the rain that is needed for the rice to grow and thanked the gods for sending the precipitation on time. Image Credit: Reuters

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After planting lines of rice, they splashed in the muddy fields, smeared each other with mud and sand, and danced more before culminating the celebration with a feast. Image Credit: Reuters

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The day is also known as “dahi chiura” for the yogurt and beaten rice that comprises one of the main dishes eaten during the feast. Image Credit: AFP

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Elsewhere in the country, people ate yogurt and puffed rice with mangos and bananas to mark the day at home. Image Credit: AFP

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The government has declared National Paddy Day a holiday and tried to encourage people to continue or return to farming rice, as many increasingly look to take up other professions. Image Credit: AFP

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'National Paddy Day', also called Asar Pandra, marks the start of the annual rice planting season Image Credit: AP

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Children play in the mud in a paddy field at Bahunbesi, Nuwakot District, 30 miles North from Kathmandu. Image Credit: AP

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