Festival - Sama-Chakeva

Sama-Chakeva is a celebration that is done with the advent of colorful birds. During winter, the birds migrate from the Himalayas towards the plains.

Sama-Chakeva is particularly celebrated in Mithila. Mithilanchal dedicates this festival to the celebration of the brother-sister relationship. It displays the tradition of this region as well as the art of making idols.

Sama-Chakeva represent a pair of birds and the festival starts by welcoming them. Women make clay idols of different birds and decorate them in traditional ways.

Different rituals are performed and the festival gleefully ends with the “vidai” of Sama and with a wish that these birds return to Mithila the following year

Sama-Chakeva is associated with the Sama songs, which are very popular among the young girls of Mithila. Sama-Chakeva is an interesting festival that starts on the seventh day of the bright half of Kartik, which coincides with the month of November, and ends on Kartik Purnima.

The Sama songs describe the tragic story of Sama. It originates from the Padma and the Skanda Puranas. The story is that a wicked Shudra made a false allegation that Sama had illicit connections with an ascetic. Sama’s father Krishna got furious and cursed her to become a bird.

Does anybody know what happened next?

Sama was emancipated with the help of her brother Samba on the day of Kartik Purnima. Vrindavan and Saptarshi attested her virtue. Sama’s husband was Chakeva or Charuvaktra.
The festival is celebrated throughout Mithila with great enthusiasm.

Clay toys are made on this occasion, and characters are represented by them. The last day is sad when Sama is believed to leave the life of a bird and start for his husband’s abode. Songs, that ridicule the slanderer and praise the brother, are called Sama songs. A very interesting game is played where plenty of songs and actions are exhibited.