Yomari Punhi Festival: Celebrating the Rice Harvest in Nepal
Want to know what is Yomari Punhi in Nepal? Here is everything you need to know about Nepal’s festival celebrating the rice harvest season!
The Yomari Punhi festival in Nepal may not be as big as Dashain or Tihar, but nevertheless it is a nice festival especially if you like the Yomari dessert. I remember the first time I had Yomari, for some reason it tasted strange but it has since then become one of my favourite desserts in Nepal.
So then, what is the Yomari Punhi? The Yomari Punhi is a festival in Nepal that celebrates the end of the rice harvest season. Rice is planted at the beginning of monsoon season in Nepal, then by October-November the rice is harvested.
Yomari Punhi is a holiday mainly celebrated by the Newari community in the Kathmandu Valley. During the festival, people worship Annapurna (goddess of grains) and other deities for a good rice harvest season.
The Yomari Punhi festival is also celebrated by preparing and eating a lot of Yomari. Yomari is a dessert made out of rice flour in the shape of a fish and it is filled with molasses or condensed milk.
Yomari Punhi in Nepal
What is Yomari Punhi?
The Yomari Punhi is a festival in Nepal that celebrates the end of the rice harvest season in Nepal. Rice is planted at the beginning of monsoon season in Nepal, then by October-November the rice is harvested.
Yomari Punhi is a holiday mainly celebrated by the Newari community in the Kathmandu Valley. During the festival, people worship Annapurna (goddess of grains) and other deities for a good rice harvest season.
Yomari Punhi History
It is said that a Newari couple experimented with rice flour and molasses in Panauti in the 6th century. They ultimately came up with the steamed dessert of yomari which became popular.
It is believed that the Goddess Annapurna visited Panauti in disguise and liked the yomari so much that she granted wealth to the couple.
Since then, people offer their first rice harvest in the form of yomari to deities to thank them for the harvest and also to bring them wealth.
When is Yomari Punhi Celebrated?
As the rice harvest season usually comes to an end by the end of November, the Yomari Punhi festival comes after that. Nepal follows the lunar calendar, so the dates of holidays change every year.
‘Punhi’ means ‘full moon day’, so ‘Yomari Punhi’ is a festival that is celebrated on the full moon day. It usually falls on a day in December. In 2024, the Yomari Punhi festival is celebrated on 15 December.
🎆 Check out the full list of festivals and public holidays in Nepal here!
Yomari Dessert
Yomari got its name as in Newari language ‘yo’ means ‘love/favourite’ and ‘mari’ means ‘bread’. Thus, yomari means ‘favourite bread’.
Yomari is a steamed dessert made out of rice flour. It is made in the shape of a fish and is traditionally filled with molasses (chaku) inside. In recent years, it has also become popular to prepare the Yomari with condensed milk (khuwa) inside.
Celebrating Yomari Punhi Festival in Nepal
Eating Lots of Yomari
During this time, lots of restaurants are selling Yomari. Check out some of the Newari restaurants in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur or Patan for the tastiest Yomari.
See the Worshipping Ceremonies
In the Kathmandu Valley, people perform worship ceremonies to Goddess Annapurna (the goddess of grains) for the rice harvest.
Festivals in Nepal
Nepal is known for its many festivals and holidays and October-November is usually the main holiday season in Nepal. The dates of Nepali holidays change every year as Nepal uses the lunar calendar.
Two of the biggest festivals in Nepal are Dashain and Tihar which are usually celebrated around October-November.
Dashain Festival
Dashain is the biggest festival in Nepal. It’s importance is best described as the “Nepali Christmas” when people travel home to be with their families.
Dashain is 15-days long and usually falls on the end of September or mid-October.
Tihar Festival
Tihar is the festival of lights and is the second biggest festival in Nepal. It is dedicated to Goddess Laxmi. It is celebrated by decorating the houses by fairy lights, making rangoli and celebrating the relationships between brothers and sisters.
🎆 Check the festival and holiday calendar for Nepal here!
Hamro Patro: Nepali Mobile App to Check Holidays
Hamro Patro is a Nepali mobile app that you can use to check the public holidays. Although the app is mainly in Nepali, if you check the calendar section, it is partially in English.
All the national holidays are marked in red letter, so it will help you spot the days of public holidays and the corresponding festival.
Newari Food in Nepal
Yomari is a Newari dessert and the Newari cuisine is very tasty and popular in Nepal.
The Newari dishes are typically very spicy and include a lot of meat. Buffalo meat is the most popular choice for Newari dishes but you can also find it made out of chicken or pork. The best places to try Newari food in Nepal are in Bhakpatur, Patan, Kathmandu or Kirtipur.
Apart from the Yomari, some of the most popular Newari dishes include the samay baji, choila, bara, chatamari and juju dhau (king curd).
The Samay Baji is like a Newari lunch set, similar to that of the Nepali thali (dal bhat). It includes beaten rice, choila (if you pick the version with meat), bara (Newari lentil pancake), eggs and vegetables.
Choila is typically made out of buff meat, although it is also possible to get it with chicken, pork or even duck. The meat is smoked until it becomes very soft.
Bara is like a lentil pancake. It is made out of lentils and you can get it in various versions: plain, with eggs or minced meat on top. You can also get a mixed bara that includes both minced meat and eggs.
Chatamari is also called the “Newari pizza” as it looks almost like a pizza. The base is made out of rice flour and the toppings include veggetables, eggs and minced meat.
The Juju Dhau (King Curd) is a sweet, Newari dessert made out of yogurt, famously prepared in Bhaktapur.
Newari Restaurants
The Kathmandu Valley has some great Newari restaurants where you can try Newari food. Some of the best Newari restaurants are:
1. Harati Newari Restaurant: Located in Nayabazaar, it is close to Thamel. They have a wide-range of menu including bara, chatamari, choila, samay baji and more!
2. Newa Lahana: Newa Lahana has 2 branches one in Bhaktapur: Newa Lahana and one in Kirtipur: Newa Lahana. Newa Lahana restaurants are set up in traditional Newari settings and it is a nice place to come with friends and try as many different Newari dishes as you can.
3. Nandini Newari Food Court: is located near the Patan Durbar Square and the best Newari dishes to try here are the yomari and choila.
Check out my full list of the best Newari food and Newari restaurants here!
FAQs: Yomari Punhi Festival in Nepal
Why is Yomari Punhi celebrated?
The Yomari Punhi festival celebrates the end of the rice harvest season in Nepal. Rice is planted at the beginning of monsoon season in Nepal, then by October-November the rice is harvested.
Yomari Punhi is a holiday mainly celebrated by the Newari community in the Kathmandu Valley. During the festival, people worship Annapurna (goddess of grains) and other deities for a good rice harvest season.
What is Yomari in the Newari language?
Yomari got its name as in Newari language ‘yo’ means ‘favourite’ and ‘mari’ means ‘bread’. Thus, ‘yomari’ means ‘favourite bread’.
Is Yomari vegetarian or non-vegetarian?
Yomari is a vegetarian dessert made of rice flour and molasses.
Why is Yomari eaten?
The Yomari Punhi festival celebrates the end of the rice harvest season in Nepal. During the Yomari Punhi festival many places prepare Yomari and the day is celebrated by eating Yomari.
What is the main ingredient in Yomari?
The main ingredient in the Yomari is rice flour. It is made in the shape of a fish and is traditionally filled with molasses (chaku) inside. In recent years, it has also become popular to prepare the Yomari with condensed milk (khuwa) inside.
Is Yomari a dessert?
Yes, Yomari is a dessert. It is a Newari dessert made of rice flour and traditionally filled with molasses. Recently, it has also become popular to fill the Yomari with condensed milk.
Conclusion
The Yomari Punhi is a festival in Nepal that celebrates the end of the rice harvest season in Nepal. Rice is planted at the beginning of monsoon season in Nepal, then by October-November the rice is harvested.
Yomari Punhi is a holiday mainly celebrated by the Newari community in the Kathmandu Valley. During the festival, people worship Annapurna (goddess of grains) and other deities for a good rice harvest season.
The Yomari Punhi festival is also celebrated by preparing and eating a lot of Yomari. Yomari is a dessert made out of rice flour in the shape of a fish. It is filled with molasses or condensed milk.
