On November 11, 2023, the 139th birth anniversary of Nepal’s 16th luminary, Phalgunanda Lingden, was celebrated in the United Kingdom.
The Kirat Religion and Literary Upliftment Association UK organized an event to commemorate the birth anniversary with Chasok Tangnam rituals. Chasok Tangnam is a ritual performed before the start of harvesting rice from Paddy field. The first phase of the rituals took place in Kirat Mundhum.
The second phase was an official program for the National Luminary’s birth anniversary. The program’s chief guest was Mrs. Roshan Khanal, Deputy Chief of Mission/Counselor of the Nepal Embassy in London. She expressed her respect and gratitude to Mahaguru Phalgunanda, emphasizing that he was a great social reformer in Nepal, particularly within the Kirat community. Among the Kirat communities are several tribes such as Limbu, Rai, Yakkha, Sunuwar, Dhimal, Jirel, Surel, and Hayu, who were disadvantaged before Mahaguru Phalgunanda’s reforms. Phalgunanda addressed issues like uncontrolled alcohol consumption, violent behavior, and drug abuse while promoting reading and writing within the society.
In recognition of Phalgunanda’s contributions, the Nepal government issued a postal stamp in 1993 and declared him the 16th National Luminary of Nepal in 2009. Phalgunanda was born on November 10, 1885, and passed away on April 4, 1949. Born in the eastern part of Nepal, he briefly served in the Gurkha army before becoming a spiritual and social reformer. He established almost a dozen temples called “manghim,” meaning God’s house. Phalgunanda founded the Satyahang/Kirat religion, which is now the fourth-largest religion in Nepal, constituting 3.17% of the population in 2021.
The program featured a few religious group dances with participants dressed in religious attire. The event was moderated by the Secretary, Lal Bahadur Lingden, and a brief recount of Mahaguru Phalgunanda’s life was presented by Vice President Mrs. Nanda Chemjong. Addresses were also given by Mr. Jurendra Khajum, Mr. Bhola Bikram Rai, and Rajendra Khimding. The program was chaired by President Ram Singthebe.
The annual marking of National Luminary Phalgunanda Day has been a tradition of the Kirat Religion and Literary Upliftment Association UK since its establishment in 2009. This association collaborates with the central committee of Nepal and the current mystic power guru, Aatmananda Lingden, in Ilam, Nepal.
