Sama Chakeva
सामा चकेवा
October 20, 2026 – October 26, 2026 · Kartik, 2083 (Kartik Shashthi to Kartik Purnima) BS
Approximate — confirm closer to your travel datesEastern Terai (Mithila region)
Plan a trip around Sama ChakevaHistory & origin
The Sama-Chakeva legend, part of the wider Mithila oral folk tradition, tells of the goddess Krishna's daughter Sama, wrongly accused of misconduct and cursed to become a bird, until her brother's persistent devotion and a sage's intervention transform her back — the festival's clay bird figures represent this transformation and the sibling bond at its center.
How it’s celebrated
Girls and women craft clay figures of Sama, Chakeva and various birds, singing traditional Maithili folk songs each evening that narrate episodes of the legend, with the cycle beginning the day after Kartik Shashthi and concluding on Kartik Purnima with a symbolic 'send-off' of Sama's figure to represent her return to her husband's home.
Tips for visitors
A distinctly Maithili tradition centered on storytelling through song and craft — most visible in Nepal's eastern Terai and Mithila region communities.
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