The Chepang community is celebrating its national and religious festival Nwangi (Chhonam) today. Every year on September 7 (Bhadra 22 in the Nepali calendar), the community marks the occasion collectively with cultural programs and gatherings.
Although Nwangi is observed throughout the month of Bhadra, the main celebration takes place on the 22nd, when members gather for rituals and festivities. This year, Chepangs from across the country have gathered in Kalikhola, Ichchhyakamana Rural Municipality–6, Chitwan, according to Govindram Chepang, central chairperson of the Nepal Chepang Association.
He said the festival is celebrated in rotation every year in the districts with significant Chepang populations—Chitwan, Makwanpur, Dhading, and Gorkha. Those unable to attend the main event observe the festival in their homes and local communities. While September 7 is the collective celebration, Chepang clans (there are 64 in total) also celebrate Nwangi on different days throughout the month, often beginning from the full moon.
According to tradition, new crops and fruits cannot be eaten without first offering them to ancestors and deities. On Nwangi, Chepangs offer Ghaiya rice, millet, yam, and other fresh produce to the land and their forefathers. The festival also marks the day of eating newly harvested crops.
During the rituals, Chepang shamans (Jhankri/Pande) beat drums and sacrifice chickens. The day is observed with leisure, inviting relatives, enjoying feasts, dancing, singing, and sharing joys and sorrows. Nwangi is closely tied to the lifestyle and culture of the Chepang people.
According to the 2021 National Census, the Chepang population in Nepal is 84,364, residing across 26 districts. Chitwan has the highest Chepang population at 35,637, followed by Makwanpur (23,650), Dhading (17,160), and Gorkha (4,268).
Since 2022, the Bagmati Province government has declared a public holiday on September 7 in Chitwan, Makwanpur, and Dhading to mark the national festival. Similarly, Gandaki Rural Municipality in Gorkha has also been declaring a holiday.
While Chepangs have long celebrated Nwangi within households and communities, the practice of marking it collectively on September 7 began in 2006 under the leadership of the Nepal Chepang Association.
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