Jur Sital & Salhesh Phulbari fair
Also known as: जुडशीतल र सलहेस फुलबारी मेला · जुडशीतल · Jude Sheetal · Maithili New Year · Salhesh mela
Baisakh 1 is New Year for Nepal and for Mithila. Maithils celebrate Jur Sital by blessing each other with cool water and eating yesterday's food, while crowds gather at Salhesh Phulbari in Lahan to see a legendary orchid bloom.
As the hot season begins, Jur Sital ('cool and fresh') is about staying cool. Elders sprinkle water on the heads of younger family members as a blessing, people water trees and plants, and food cooked the day before — such as bari and dal-bhat — is eaten cold. Playful water-throwing and mud games follow.
Salhesh Phulbari
On the same days, pilgrims crowd the sacred garden of folk-hero Raja Salhesh in Lahan, Siraha, where an orchid on an old haram tree is believed to bloom only at the New Year. See the place page for the story.
History & key dates
- Every yearSalhesh Phulbari fair at Lahan on Baisakh 1.
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar. Dates shown are approximate — confirm with a Nepali calendar (patro) before you travel.