Tharu community’s traditional Mungrahawa dance faces threat of extinction

Dhangadhi: The Mungrahawa dance of the Tharu community, a traditional performance symbolizing bravery, is on the verge of extinction.

The absence of preservation efforts from the state has increased the risk of this culturally significant dance disappearing. Once widely performed in villages during Dashain and Diwali, the Mungrahawa dance has become rare in recent years. The older generation that once performed it has aged, and the tradition has not been passed on to the younger generation.

Performed with a wooden drum tied to the back and decorated with peacock feathers, the Mungrahawa dance is known for its energetic movements and symbolic meaning. However, its continuity is in jeopardy. Mandariya Bhagiram Chaudhary, the leader of a Mungrahawa dance group from Kharuwakhera, Kailari Rural Municipality-6, expressed concern that the lack of state attention has endangered this cultural heritage. “We have been trying our best to preserve it,” he said. “But without government support, we fear it will disappear one day.”

Currently, only Bhagiram’s team from Kharuwakhera continues to perform the Mungrahawa dance regularly in Kailali. Chaudhary and his group have been keeping the tradition alive since 2042 BS, but he said that the lack of encouragement from authorities has been disheartening.

The dance is performed by both men and women, with a female performer known as Draupadi dancing at the back. In the past, men dressed as women also played the role of Draupadi, though it is now performed by women. Kulraj Chaudhary of Kailari Rural Municipality-6 expressed concern over the decline of this captivating dance, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to preserve it.

Locals say the Mungrahawa dance, inspired by stories from the Mahabharata, symbolizes courage and valor. According to legend, when the Pandavas were in exile, Bhima avenged the humiliation of Draupadi by killing Kichak, a minister of King Virat, with a mace. He later killed Duryodhana of the Kaurava side in a similar way. The Mungrahawa dance is said to depict Bhima’s bravery, performed with a mace in memory of his heroic acts.