KATHMANDU: The Tharu community is celebrating `Maghi’, the New Year festival with pomp.

This festival is also given different names according to the place. This festival is celebrated in the Terai region for five days from today.

The Tharu community has a tradition of bathing in the reservoir in the morning, worshiping, and going to elders to seek blessings.

The Tharu community believes that people who bathe with sesame seeds, rub sesame oil, give sesame water to one’s father, burn sesame seeds, donate sesame seeds, and eats sesame seeds will not have a prosperous life.

There is a scientific opinion that rubbing sesame oil increases body temperature and reduces cold.

The people of the Tharu community keep a jar of Anadi rice on the last day of Push month to eat on the day of Maghi with pork.

There is also a custom in the Tharu community not to visit the site during Maghi for marriage, travel, and migration.