On January 19, 2019, the Bhutanese Nepali Communities of Texas has observed the Maghe Sankranti Celebration in Fort Worth Texas organized by the Bhutanese Magar Association of Fort Worth Texas. According to the Nepali calendar (Lunar calendar), the festival Maghe Sankranti, also called Makar Sankranti, was on January 15, 2019, but it’s followers and believers around the world practiced it for whole week before and after the specific day.
About one thousand people attended and enjoyed the Magar cultural dance, Nepali typical food, Magar traditional dress and other traditional cultural activities performances presented in the Maghe Sankranti Celebration. The event was chaired by Mr. DB Thapa, the President of the Magar Association of Fort Worth Texas, and Mr. Denjom (Sampang) Rai, the President of United Bhutanese Communities of Texas, was the Chief Guest of the event.
The celebration was inaugurated by Magar Lama monk, Prem Magar from Houston. The event was attended by special guests from the communities, including community leaders and intellectuals viz., A.K. Rana Sampang, Santa Lama, Indra Adhikari, LB Subba, Yadhu Khatri, Prakash Koirala and many other invited guests. There were participants and spectators from different cities of Texas.
Similarly, on January 20, 2019, the Kirat Society Texas for Religion & Culture celebrated and observed Maghe Sankranti, in Dallas Texas as one of the oldest festivals of Kiratis. The Birthday of Iman Singh Chemjong (Iman Xin Chemjong) was also observed with Birthday celebration of present Kirat MahaGuruAama, Muhigum Angsimamang Samba Pabitrahang Lingden, in the same program.
This festival ‘Maghe Sankranti’ means the first day of Magh month in the Nepali calendar (Lunar calendar). The first day of the Magh month is being celebrated as a festival all over Nepal and abroad by eating a special dish for the day. In Kirati communities, it is considered the new year. They usually eat various roots like sweet potato, taro root, peanuts and other edible vegetables that grow under the ground. Many sources have reported that the Yele Sambat (Kirat year) 5079 starts on January 15, 2019, but according to Indigenous Voice, the Yele year 3798 start from January 15, 2019.
According to sources, this festival Makar Sankranti is celebrated and observed around the world by Hindu and Kirati communities including Magar, Rai, Limbu, Newar, Tharu, and more. In Newari, the festival is called as ‘Ghyo Chaku Sallnhu’. The seniors help juniors in applying mild-hot edible oil to their heads. Tharu Community observes this festival as the Maghi with much fanfare and gaiety for five days.
According to Web reports, to celebrate the festival, devotees take holy dips in rivers and ponds, and worship various gods and eat various delicacies like ghee, yam, khichadi and sweets like chaku and sweets made of sesame and molasses. A special delicacy prepared by mixing black gram and rice with hot spices and ghee known as Khichadi is also served on the day.
According to astrological chart, the Makar Sankranti festival has a special significance as the sun enters into the northern hemisphere after this day. On the day, the sun moves from the tropic of Sagittarius to the tropic of Capricorn. People believe that the days get longer from the day. But, according to science, the days actually start get longer on December 21. According to religious texts, ‘Bhabisya Puran’ and ‘Dharma Sindhu’ the devotees get special blessings and will get robust body if they observe the festival as per the rituals.
The festival also has significance in the view of Ayurveda and medical science. Food items that are taken on this day are the sources of balance diet which increase the immunity power of the body. A large number of devotees gather in Devghat, Barahchhetra, Ridi, Panauti, Dolalghat and Kankai in Nepal and Prayag and Gangasagar in India, to celebrate the festival. The people take a holy bath and perform Sharaddha on the day. Every year, in all those places, huge melas (fairs) were organized on this festival.
In the same month of January, the Birthday of Iman Singh Chemjong was also observed in Dallas by Kirat community as it is observed around the world. He is a Limbu historian, writer, linguist, folklorist and philosopher of Nepal. Chemjong devoted his entire life to studying and documenting various facets of Kiranti tradition and culture at a time when such activities were frowned upon and even punished by the Nepalese ruling elite as being subversive and “anti-national”. Chemjong’s research into, and publication of, a Kiranti history and culture challenged perceptions of the Nepalese official doctrine that showcased Nepal as a Hindu cultural monolith devoid of alternative narratives. 
Just two weeks before, the Bhutanese communities of Dallas Fort Worth had observed a historic Losar Celebration organized by the Bhutanese Gurung Community of Fort Worth Texas, in the same location.
Similarly, few weeks before these events, the Bhutanese communities of DFW also had observed the Christmas celebration with Bhutanese Nepali Churches in the cities. On December 22, 2018, the Eternal Life Church and Immanuel Bhutanese Church had organized a grand Christmas Celebration in Fort Worth, and the Impact Generation Church had organized similar grand Christmas Celebration in Dallas. These all community activities indicate that the Bhutanese Nepali communities in Texas have grown much stronger and are much awakened towards their community identities, cultures and leadership developments.
