People from the Thakali community of Thini village in lower Mustang have geared up for the traditional ‘falo’ celebration, which is all set to start on Saturday.

Hundreds of locals from the Thakali and other communities and tourists will attend the two-day ‘falo’ celebration, also known as Thini Bhadau.

“Falo is one of the major festivals of our community,” said Niraj Thakali, a local from Gharapjhong Rural Municipality-5, Mustang. “This festival marks the end of the cultivation season and the start of winter.”

Thakali is one of the oldest cultures having its own traditions, festivals, language, literature and cuisine, among others.

According to Aaita Bahadur Thakali, the village head, the festival starts after the youths worship the god with pure flowers plucked from Mesokhando hill, which is close to Nilgiri mountain.

Young boys and girls will perform traditional yak dance, jhankri dance, Tamang-shya, yoddha dance and Tungna dance during the celebrations. Local singers and artists will perform musical concerts in the evening.

They also play traditional archery games, which used to be an important skill for Thakali people in Mustang for hunting and safety.

The festival is being organised jointly by the community and local governments. Local communities have set up funds to organise the celebration.

Thakalis are one of the indigenous communities mostly from the Tibeto-Burman group. Locals say that the festival is organised every year during the August-September period.

“By continuing the celebration, we want to protect local culture, and keep traditions alive for new generations,” said Thakali. The festival draws not only domestic tourists but also foreign travellers.