{{Short description|Hindu festival of Mithila region}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox holiday | holiday_name = Saama Chakeva | type = Hindu | image = Sama Chakeva Sarlahi 2.jpg | caption = Sama Chakeva being celebrated in Sarlahi district of Madhesh Province, Nepal | official_name = | nickname = Saama Khela | observedby = Maithils and Tharu people (India & Nepal) | litcolor = | longtype = Cultural, historical, religious | significance = Bond between siblings | begins = The day after Kartik Shashthi | ends = Kartik Purnima | date = | scheduling = | duration = 7 days | frequency = | date2013 = 10–17 November | date2014 = 06 November | date2015 = | date2016 = }}
'''Saama Chakeba''' is a Hindu festival, originating from the Mithila region<ref>{{Cite web |title=पर्यावरण रक्षा का संदेश देता सामा चकवा |url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/west-champaran-environment-saving-message-from-sama-chakwa-15004805.html |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=Dainik Jagran |language=hi}}</ref> of the Indian subcontinent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=यस्तो छ सामा-चकेवा पर्वको पौराणिक कथा र महत्व |url=https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2019/10/807175 |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=Online Khabar |language=ne}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=बेतिया: भाई-बहन के अटूट प्रेम का प्रतीक सामा-चकेवा पर्व का समापन |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/hindi/bihar/state/w-champaran/festival-sama-chakeva-end-in-bettiah/bh20201130132549006 |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=ETV Bharat News}}</ref> It is a festival of unity. It is celebrated in November and commences when birds begin their migration from the Himalayas to the plains of India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bihar's Sama Chakeva Festival: Celebrating Sibling Love & Migratory Birds |url=https://www.jhajistore.com/blogs/news/bihar-sama-chakeva-festival-celebrating-sibling-love-migratory-birds?srsltid=AfmBOoojiL4IPHznRD2Oi2x5imURy5OL-Dj0Jcd57MB1LzYC5lmMHm99 }}</ref> According to the ''Hindustan Times'', the festival, which includes folk theater and song, celebrates the love between brothers and sisters and is based on a legend recounted in the Puranas. It is celebrated by Maithils & Tharu people of India and Nepal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tharu people celebrating Sama-Chakeva festival in Nepal |url=https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/in-pictures-tharu-people-celebrate-sama-chakeva-festival/ |access-date=8 November 2022 |website=Republica}}</ref>
An interesting aspect of Sama Chakeva is its environmental message. The festival coincides with the seasonal migration of birds from the Himalayas to the plains, and the clay bird idols are a tribute to these migratory birds. This reflects the Maithili people’s deep respect for nature and highlights the interconnectedness of all living beings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sama Chakeva festival and its connection to Maithili identity |website=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/mithila-note/sama-chakeva-festival-and-its-connection-to-maithili-identity/ }}</ref>
== Mythological significance == It tells the story of Sama, a daughter of Krishna who had been falsely accused of wrongdoing. Her father punished her by turning her into a bird, but the love and sacrifice of her brother eventually allowed her to regain human form. It is a story passed down through generations, forming an essential part of the cultural fabric of Mithila.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-08 |title=Sama-Chakeva festival begins from Friday |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/sama-chakeva-festival-begins-from-today |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=The Himalayan Times}}</ref>
== Celebration == The celebration starts on the night of Chhath puja. This is the 7th day of the month of Kartik. Young, mostly unmarried girls assemble near the ghats of chhath with a basket containing small idols of sama and chakeva, candles, kohl, clay made daily use appliances etc. at night.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sama Chakeva festival begins in Mithilanchal |url=https://english.makalukhabar.com/2021/11/29893/ |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=English.MakaluKhabar.com |language=en-US |archive-date=24 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124142858/https://english.makalukhabar.com/2021/11/29893/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The statuettes carried by the girls comprise, ''Shama, Chakeva, Chugala, Jhailwala'' (cymbalist), ''Mirdangiya'' (drummer), ''Brindavan'', a wild fowl, a bumblebee and a dog, the characters of the Shama Chakeva festival. thumb|Shama and her companions They sing traditional songs, perform rituals like making kohl, and exchanging baskets. This celebration continues till Kartik Purnima. On the auspicious occasion of Kartik Purnima, girls take a dip in river and the idols of Sama and Chakeva are immersed in the river.<ref>Bishnu K Jha, (2 [http://www.hindustantimes.com/patna/mithila-s-submerged-in-sama-chakeva-celebrations/story-yeEeRXFEx5y6nZWkhTqN7K.html ila's submerged in Sama-Chakeva celebrations"]. ''Hindustan Times''. Retrieved 8 November 2017.</ref><ref>Sunita Pant Bansal (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=fQB3Fkc3Tl4C&pg=PA71 ''Encyclopaedia of India''], pp. 71-72. Smriti Books, {{ISBN|8187967714}}</ref> thumb|Idols of Sama and Chakeba <gallery> File:Sama Chakeba Performed by Maithils.webp|Celebration by Maithils File:Sama Chakeva Sarlahi 1.jpg|Women celebrating Sama Chakeba File:Sama Chakeba celebrated by tharu peoples of Mithila.jpg|Celebration by Tharu people of Mithila </gallery>
== Traditional Songs / Geet == thumb|An Eastern Tharu folk song sung during Shama Chakeva festival while giving 'ashik' or blessing to brothers. '''<nowiki>''Tohe Badka Bhaiya ho''</nowiki>'''
'''<nowiki>''Sama Khele Chalali''</nowiki>'''
'''<nowiki>''Chugala Koṭhi Chhaur Bhaiya Koṭhi Chaur''</nowiki>'''
'''<nowiki>''Jotala Kheta Me Baisih He''</nowiki>'''
'''<nowiki>''Sama Khele Geliyai ge Bahini''</nowiki>'''
''and Many more...''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Folk songs, chanted while sisters burn Chugala, revive the captivating heritage of Mithila. |url=https://www.jhajistore.com/blogs/news/bihar-sama-chakeva-festival-celebrating-sibling-love-migratory-birds?srsltid=AfmBOooOzmV8a8YehoEKah0WmDsxhVsfcbbweg8NUSpcawIZkG-GDgpA }}</ref>
=== Cultural significance and rituals === Sama Chakeva is not only a celebration of the bond between siblings, but also reflects the broader cultural identity and traditional artistry of the Mithila region. During the festival, women and young girls craft clay figurines of Sama, Chakeva, and other characters like Chugla, trees, and birds. These figures are placed in colorful bamboo baskets and carried through open fields or courtyards while participants sing traditional Maithili folk songs. The immersion of the idols in rivers or ponds on Kartik Purnima signifies the farewell of Sama and the hope for her return in the next year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sama Chakeva: A Unique Maithili Festival of Sibling Love and Nature Conservation |url=https://biharsay.com/2024/11/15/sama-chakeva-a-unique-maithili-festival-of-sibling-love-and-nature-conservation/ |access-date=2025-12-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sama Chakeva - Symbol of Brother & Sister Love |url=https://www.bodhibihar.com/sama-chakeva-symbol-of-brother-sister-love/ |access-date=2025-12-17}}</ref>
The festival also serves as a tribute to migratory birds, marking their seasonal movement from the Himalayas to the Gangetic plains. The clay bird figures symbolize respect for nature and Mithila’s deep connection with the environment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Festivals of Mithila |url=https://csts.org.in/festivals-of-mithila/ |access-date=2025-12-17}}</ref>
In some parts of the region, rituals during Sama Chakeva include symbolic acts such as burning the moustache of Chugla — representing the destruction of slander and evil — and offering special food to brothers such as chiura, dahi, and jaggery during Faarbhari.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vibrancy of Sama Chakeva festival in Mithilanchal |url=https://english.makalukhabar.com/2024/11/218229/ |access-date=2025-12-17}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Tharu festivals Category:Hindu festivals in Nepal Category:Hindu festivals in Mithila Category:Culture of Madhesh Category:Traditions involving siblings Category:Festivals in Bihar