Nashar-Thal

Summer is the rainy season in the Velunai Desert, when the annual monsoons blow in off the sea. All the residents of Khaldai celebrate the rite of Nashar-Thal, the Floodkindling, known also Naratalu in old Kalundi, to welcome them. This ancient Kalun festival has since spread to all of Khaldai. In Tabeshi, especially, the start of the rains signals the beginning of both the irrigation of the fields, and the festival season. It is a festival of fertility and renewal, a time of preparing the soil and a time of casting off old arguments and grudges. It is a time of second chances.   Tabeshi is home to the major temple of Okarun, the god of monsoon storms. This floating city, heart of the old Kalun people, hosts the largest and most well known Nashar-Thal festival along the Teshuran River. It has become a site of pilgrimage among the faithful, and people will save up for years to make the trip. Even members of the Mahada customarily attend - not the ruling elders, but the younger folks who want to partake in the weeks-long festivities.   The ritual itself would be simple enough if not for the use of Sharum fruit to induce the spiritually euphoric trance known as Neshara. It is a rite of communal drumming and dance to welcome the life-giving rains back. Afterward, the parties begin, with feasting and music for days. Dried flower petals from the last harvest are thrown by participants. Traditional sweets like Qazhar Figs, Sunfire Cakes, and tangy, sweet Julbahr slices are sold by vendors alongside the usual street food offerings. This sense of celebration and jubilance will extend throughout the three week rainy period.