
Today, in Basantapur, a special ceremony called “Chir” was held to mark the beginning of the Fagu or Holi festival. This festival officially starts in the Kathmandu Valley and all across Nepal when the Manandhar community sets up the Chir. The Chir is a bamboo pole decorated with colorful pieces of cloth arranged in three layers at the top.
According to a local named Tirthalal Tandukar, setting up the Chir signals the start of the colorful festival, and people in Kathmandu show their respect to it.
After the Holi festival is over, people will take the colorful cloth pieces from the Chir and keep them in their homes believing it will bring them good luck. The Chir will be taken down and the cloth pieces will be scattered in a local area called Tundikhel.
This year, the festival will be celebrated on March 24 in hilly areas, including the Kathmandu Valley, and on March 25 in the Terai/Madhesh region.