Yomari Punhi
योमरी पुन्ही
A Newar harvest festival celebrating the completion of the rice harvest. Yomari - a steamed rice-flour dumpling filled with brown sugar, sesame and molasses - is prepared and offered to the deities Annapurna and Kuber before being shared.
When
December
Gregorian (approximate — lunar dates shift yearly)
Nepali month
Mangsir
Bikram Sambat calendar
Duration
1 day
Tourist appeal
Local
Newari · Kathmandu Valley
Yomari Punhi falls on the full moon (Purnima) of Mangsir. The yomari dumpling has a fish-shaped form - 'yo' means 'delicious' and 'mari' means 'bread/dumpling' in Newari. Children walk house-to-house singing yomari songs (similar to trick-or-treat) and receive sweets. The festival is a rare survival of pre-Hindu Newari harvest tradition.
Traditions & rituals
Preparation and offering of yomari dumplings
Children walking house-to-house for yomari gifts
Worship of Annapurna (goddess of food) and Kuber (god of wealth)
What people eat during Yomari Punhi
When does Yomari Punhi fall this year?
Yomari Punhi is observed in the Nepali month of Mangsir, which corresponds to roughly December in the Gregorian calendar. Most Nepali festivals follow the lunar Bikram Sambat calendar, so the precise day moves each year. Use our converter to map any Bikram Sambat date to the Gregorian calendar.
Nepali date converter (BS ⇄ AD) →Yomari Punhi, answered
Common questions about the date, duration and meaning of Yomari Punhi.
When is Yomari Punhi celebrated?+
Yomari Punhi falls in December — the Nepali month of Mangsir in the Bikram Sambat calendar. Because most Nepali festivals follow the lunar calendar, the exact Gregorian dates shift slightly each year.
How long does Yomari Punhi last?+
Yomari Punhi lasts 1 day.
What is the significance of Yomari Punhi?+
A Newar harvest festival celebrating the completion of the rice harvest. Yomari - a steamed rice-flour dumpling filled with brown sugar, sesame and molasses - is prepared and offered to the deities Annapurna and Kuber before being shared.
Who celebrates Yomari Punhi and where?+
Yomari Punhi is primarily a Newari festival, celebrated mainly in the Kathmandu Valley.
What food is eaten during Yomari Punhi?+
Traditional Yomari Punhi foods include Yomari (steamed rice-flour dumpling filled with chaku, sesame and coconut).
Other festivals of Nepal
Sources & data note
Festival dates follow the lunar Bikram Sambat calendar and shift each Gregorian year; the approximate Gregorian months reflect the typical recent range. Cultural details on Yomari Punhi are sourced from the Nepal Tourism Board and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.