By Bishnu Prasad Pokharel,Damak, June 8: Preparations have been made for the two-day cultural festival at Damak in Jhapa to highlight the art and culture of the marginalised indigenous communities of Dhimal and Santhal living in eastern Nepal.
First Citizen Dhimal Management Committee and Nepal Indigenous Santhal Utthan Association of Damak will jointly organise the cultural festival on Saturday and Sunday.
Tej Bahadur Dhimal, President of the First Citizen Dhimal Management Committee, said that the festival is being organised to protect and promote the art and culture of Dhimal and Santhal tribes with the support of Koshi Provincial Government.
The festival cannot be organised in an open space as it is a rainy season. Necessary preparations have been started to observe it at a party palace in Ward No. 8. Cultural dances, ornaments and costumes of Dhimal and Santhal people will be showcased in the festival.
According to Karna Hemram, President of Santhal Utthan Association of Damak, arrangements have been made to display the original food items and taste them. He said that food items of other castes would also be displayed at the festival.
According to Ratna Dhimal, secretary of the Committee, a traditional Dhol dance competition of Dhimals will also be performed at the festival. Dhimal informed that the competition was being organised to promote the beating of drums.
The Rising Nepal