To honor Nilasari Meche, a historical figure who has been forgotten, and to preserve the Meche community’s language, culture, literature, and arts, a “Nilasari Festival” has started in Mechinagar.
Despite being an important historical figure, Nilasari had fallen into obscurity. The festival seeks to promote the rich heritage of the Meche community and rediscover her legacy.
The festival was officially opened Monday in Jorsimal, Mechinagar-7, by Mechinagar Mayor Gopal Budhathoki, who expressed the hope that it would aid in the discovery of it’s past and promote cultural preservation.
The festival, which runs until Baisakh 29 (early May), will include talks by specialists in Meche literature, culture, and language. According to Sanjay Meche, secretary of the organizing Jorsimal Meche Community Development Committee, there will also be traditional exhibits, cultural performances, and regional cuisine on display.
The majority of the 5,193 Meche people live in the Jhapa district, more precisely in the municipalities of Mechinagar and Haldibari, according to committee chairman Sundar Meche.
Historians claim that Nilasari Meche was the wife of Jung Bahadur Rana, a well-known Nepali king of the 19th century. Ujir Singh Meche, who resided in Dhulabari, Mechinagar, was her father. She reportedly caught the eye of Jung Bahadur, who married her while hunting near the Mechi River.
Mechinagar is still home to Nilasari’s fourth-generation descendants. With participation from Meche communities in India and Nepal, the festival aims to promote Meche heritage and pay tribute to her memory.
