The day is spent in Nepal, primarily in the Newa community , commemorating the festival Sithi Nakha, which acts as a foreshadowing of the impending rainy season. Here are some important details regarding the celebration, which honors Kumar, the Kathmandu Valley‘s rain baby.
Sithi Nakha is the first rain of the season, just before the monsoon rains arrive in full force. Kumar, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Paravati and the quintessential “Rain Baby” for the Nepalese people, celebrates his birthday on the same day.
One of the many Sithi Nakha traditions is cleaning water spouts.
The valley grows progressively dry before the monsoons arrive, and many public pools and water gathering spouts reach their lowest levels. Cleaning these public pools in preparation for the monsoons is a part of the Sithi Nakha ceremony.
On Sithi Nakha, Newari meals such as “Wo (व:) ” (a Lentil cake made up of 4(Four) distinct Lentil types) and Chatamari (चटमरी)(Pan-fried bread prepared from Rice Flour) are served as a special dish. The lentils (Split Black Gram, Split Green Gram, Split Red Lentil, and Small Pea) are soaked overnight by the females, while the cleaning supplies are prepared earlier in the day by the male members.
