Today is also Kwati Punhi (Purnima) and frog-feeding day. Newa: It has long been a habit for the community to feed the frogs in their individual rice fields.
In Newa: Community Nepa: are the valley’s indigenous people who were the first to establish agricultural civilization by claiming the land. The monsoon rain system is linked to this agricultural civilization, as crops are brought in from Jestha through Ashar and grains are brought in near Kartik-Mangsir. The Newa: Community appears to have succeeded in building pre-Vedic civilization by maintaining supremacy in the Nepa Valley at least 3,500 years ago. The habit of feeding rice to frogs is one of the most prominent cultural traditions related with the monsoon rain system.
Crop damage from insects and grasshoppers is a potential after planting in Ashar. The frog is an insect-eating species that protects farmers from crop loss by eating insects. As a result, it’s possible that the tradition of feeding rice to frogs began because of these characteristics. The habit of feeding rice to frogs is the subject of a well-known legend, which is depicted here.