Maghi festival today

Maghe Sankranti, one of the main festivals of the Nepali Hindus, is observed throughout the country today according to age-old tradition.
It is customary to take holy dips at river confluence, perform worship at various shrines and take yam and ‘Chaku’ as special food items on this occasion. Chaku is a sweet prepared from boiled and hardened molasses.
Hindus also observe this day as ‘Makar Sankranti’ as it marks the sun’s journey northwards.
The belief goes that eating such items as ghee and Chaku, sesame seed candy, vegetables and yam and giving them away in charity on this day after taking a holy dip helps one become healthier and attain salvation.
Devotees take holy dips at Devghat, Dolalghat, Baraha Kshetra, Ridi, Triveni and other rivers across the country.
Big religious fairs are held today especially at the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Trishuli rivers at Devghat in Tanahu. The Kankai river in Jhapa is also a famous pilgrimage site. Devotees from various parts of the country throng Devghat and Kankai on the occasion of the Maghe Sankranti.
Gangasagar in India also attracts devotees in large numbers from Nepal on the occasion of Maghe Sankranti.
On the occasion, a fair is organised and the Dipankar Buddha worshipped at the Tilmadhav Narayan Temple in Taumadhitole of Bhaktapur.Likewise, people from the Tharu community observe this festival as the Maghi Festival with great enthusiasm and celebrations. A special delicacy called Khichadi or Maghi prepared by cooking a mixture of black lentil and rice is served on the occasion.

Source: The Rising Nepal, 14 January 2009

Dashain : Gathering and Celebrating Together

Dashain is one of the major festivals celebrated in Nepal. The festival, which falls around the month September-October, is also celebrated all around the world by the Nepalese Diaspora. Since family and relatives gather while worshipping gods and goddess and celebrating the days, the value of the festival has also increased. Family dispersed in due of their works returns to their home during Dashain.

The festival is a blend of Hindu Tantrik and animistic harvest festival traditions. Ghatasthapana is the first days of the festival. "Dashain Ghar", special worship room is set up on this day, where Astha-Matrikas (the 8 tantrik goddesses) and Nava Durgas (the 9 durga goddesses) are worshipped. Barley is sowed on big earthern pots which have a coating of cow dung. These seeds will sprout in ten days. The sprouts, which symbolize a good harvest, will be decoratively placed on the heads of family members later on in the festival as a blessing.

On the seventh day, Fulpaati, the town of Gorkha sends an offering of flowers to Kathmandu. A band associated with the army also plays its music and goes through the old core of Kathmandu.

Day after Saptami is Asthami - the day of sacrifices. Goddess temples all over the Kathmandu Valley receive sacrifices, ranging from goats and buffaloes to ducks and chickens. Blood, symbolic for its fertility, is offered to the goddesses. This meat is taken home, cooked and takes the food as a blest by divinity. This food, after offering to the household gods, is shared amongst the family.

Sacrifices continue on Navami, the ninth day. Families will visit various temples around the Kathmandu Valley. On the tenth day, "Dashami," a mixture of rice, yogurt and vermillion will be prepared by the women. This preparation is known as "Tika". Elders put this on the forehead of youngers to bless them with fertility and abundance in the upcoming year. The red also symbolizes the blood that ties the family together. Elders will give "dakshina", or a small amount of money, to younger relatives at this time. The Tika continues for five days, during which time people also gather to play cards around massive amounts of food and drink.

In several parts of Nepal, Dashain is the only time of the year when people receive a set of new clothing. Likewise, in poorer families, the animal sacrifice was eagerly anticipated since it might be the only animal protein the family would eat all year. This may be true in certain parts of Nepal where food is in low supply, but is less so in the cities. In general, the tradition of sacrifice is lessening with the easy availability of meat for daily consumption, and with the influences of Vaishnav Hindus (who are vegetarian).

Indra Jatra - Festival of Living Goddess

Nepal is well known for its richness in terms of religious diversity, where people having different norms, religions and rituals dwells together respecting each others feelings and cultures. Different cultures have their own fist and festivals, which are being transmitted from generation to generation and their upcoming generation are also getting prepared to continue it. Among all, Indra Jatra is one of the important festivals celebrated by both Hindus and Buddhist. The festival is well known for its classical dances.
On that day, people from all over Nepal, mostly those who live within the Kathmandu Valley, gather at the Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu to observe numerous varieties of traditional dances. The festival is named after Lord Indra - the king of heaven and god of rain. With much rejoicing, singing, dancing and feasting, Indra Jatra continues for eight days. The festival is initiated by founding a long wooden pole in front of the ancient Royal Palace at Hanuman Dhoka in order to propitiate Lord Indra. Classical dancers also assemble at the spot, wearing different kinds of traditional masks and costumes and dancing around the courtyard of Hanuman Dhoka to celebrate Indra's visit.
The living goddess, Kumari, who is considered to be an incarnation of the goddess "Taleju", is another special feature of the festival. On the third day of the festival goddess Kumari is taken out in a procession in a chariot. Along with Chariot of Kumari, the chariots of gods Ganesha and Bhairav are taken around the city for three days. According to Hindu beliefs Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati who has a head of an elephant and Bhairav is another form of Lord Shiva himself.Even the then ruling kings use to pay homage to the Kumari during this period. The festival's many interesting dances, including the Procession of Living Goddess-Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Dasha Avatara masked dances are staged in Kathmandu Durbar Square, near the Kumari Temple. The "Dasha Avatara" refers to the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu who is one of the Hindu's Holy trinity. The excitement of the festival of Indra Jatra comes to an end on the last evening of the festival when the long wooden pole erected on the first day is lowered with religious ceremonies, animal sacrifices and ritual gestures.

GUNLA

Following the arrival of the monsoons and the planting season in the fields, Bhuddists in the Kathmandu Valley observe the Gunla festival. Gunla is a month according to Nepal Era, which falls in the middle of monsoon (August).
The month long event celebrates a 'rains retreat' initiated 25 centuries ago by the Buddha. This is a holy month for Newar Buddhists who celebrate special pujas at Swayambhunath each morning. Whatever the weather may be, devotees visit buddhist monasteries, courtyards and shrines every early morning by playing Gunla Music. Gunla Instruments includes Dhah and Naykhin accompanied by cymbals and shwam.
For one day the Buddhist bahal & Vihar in Kathmandu and Patan display their art treasures and on the same day local people as well as Buddhists come to visit the arts & hold huge procession holding incense and lights in and around the holy Buddhists places. Gunla is a time for prayer, fasting, meditation and religious music.

Reference:
• http://www.royal-mt-trekking.com/festivals.php
• http://www.go2kathmandu.com/fest15.htm
• http://www.geocities.com/newanepal/festival.html

Dashain: Biggest Festival in Nepal

Dashain, the biggest, the longest and the most auspicious festival in Nepal is celebrated in the month Kartik of Bikram Sambat (late September and early October). The festival is celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Through out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood.

Dashain commemorates a great victory of the gods over the wicked demons. One of the victory stories told is the Ramayan, where the lord Ram after a big struggle killed Ravana, the cruel king of demons. According to the story, he got victory only after evoking goddess Durga. The main celebration glorifies the triumph of good over evil and is symbolized by goddess Durga slaying the terrible demon Mahisasur, who had been terrorising the earth in the guise of a brutal water buffalo. The first nine days signify the nine days of ferrous battle between goddess Durga and the demon Mahisasur. The tenth day is the day when Mahisasur was slain and the last five days symbolise the celebration of the victory with the blessing of the goddess. Dashain is celebrated with great rejoice, and goddess Durga is worshiped throughout the kingdom as the divine mother goddess.

People clean their home, beautifully decorate and paint to invite the mother goddess at their home and get blessed the house with good fortune. The festival is also known for reunion of distant and nearby relatives. Thousands of sheep, goats, ducks, chicken and water buffalo are prepared for sacrificing.

The first nine days of Dashain are called Nawa Ratri when tantric rites are conducted. In Nepal the life force is embodied in the divine energy and power of the female, depicted as goddess Durga in her many forms. All goddess who emanated from goddess Durga are known as devis, each with different aspects and powers. In most mother goddess temples a sacred Kalash, carved water jug or multiple handed goddess holding murderous weapons simply represents the deity. During these nine days people pay their homage to the goddess. Mother goddess is the source of life and everything. There is a belief that properly worshipping of the goddess drives to good fortunes while improper treating may cause misfortunes in the life.

The first day of Dashain is Ghatasthapana, which literally means pot establishing. On this day the kalash, (holy water vessel) symbolising goddess Durga often with her image embossed on the side is placed in the prayer room. The kalash is filled with holy water and covered with cowdung on to which seeds are sown. A small rectangular sand block is made and the kalash is put in the centre. The surrounding bed of sand is also seeded with grains. The ghatasthapana ritual is performed at a certain auspicious moment determined by the astrologers. A priest or a household man worships the kalash everyday once in the morning and then in the evening. The kalash and the sand are sprinkled with holy water everyday and it is shielded from direct sunlight. By the tenth day, the seed will have grown to five or six inches long yellow grass. The sacred yellow grass is called 'Jamara'. It is bestowed by the elders atop the heads of those younger to them during the last five days when tika is put on. The jamara is taken as a token of Goddess Durga as well as the elders blessing.

As days passes by regular rituals are observed till the seventh day. The seventh day is called 'Fulpati'. In fulpati, the royal kalash filled with holy water, banana stalks, jamara and sugar cane tied with red cloth is carried by Brahmans on a decorated palanquin. With this the Dashain feasting starts. Day next to Fulpati is Maha Asthami. On this day many orthodox Hindus go on holy fasting. Sacrifices are held in most of the house through out the day. The night of the eighth day is called 'Kal Ratri', the dark night. Hundreds of goats, sheep and buffaloes are sacrificed at the mother goddess temples. The sacrifice continues till dawn. The ninth day of the festival is Nawami. Temples of mother goddess are filled with people from dawn till dusk. Animals mostly black buffaloes are sacrificed to goddess Durga and might and to seek her blessing. On this very day the god Vishwa Karma, the God of creativity is also worshiped. All factories, vehicles, any machinery instruments and anything from which we make a living are worshiped and give sacrifices to get the blessing from goddess Durga for protection for vehicles and their occupants against accidents during the year.

The tenth day is Dashami. On this day younger people make visit to their elders to take tika and jamara from our elders and receive their blessing. The importance of Dasain also lies in the fact that on this day family members from far off and distant relatives come for a visit as well as to receive tika from the head of the family. This function continues for four days. After four days of rushing around and meeting relatives Dashain ends on the full moon day, the fifteenth day, also called 'Kojagrata'. On this day, the Hindu goddess of wealth Laxmi is worshipped.

After Dashain everyone settles back to normal. After receiving the blessing of goddess Durga, people are ready to work and acquire virtue, power and wealth. Dashain thus is not only the longest festival but also the most anticipated one among all the festivals of Nepal.

Reference:

• Karki,A. “Dashain Festival in Nepal”, www.visitnepal.com/nepal_information/dashain.php
• Karki, A. “Dashain”, www.info-nepal.com/society/festivals/dashain.html

Teej

This "Teej" is a small red insect that comes out of the soil during rains. Teej is a fasting festival of women in Nepal that falls on month of Shravan (August). The celebration of this festival is for marital bliss, well being of spouse and children and purification of own body and soul.

Traditionally, the ritual of Teej is obligatory for all Hindu married women and girls who have reached puberty. According to the holy books, the Goddess Parbati fasted and prayed fervently for the great Lord Shiva to become her spouse. Touched by her devotion, he took her for his wife. Since then, Hindu women started to celebrate this festival.

The festival is celebrated for three-days. The first day of Teej is called the "Dar Khane Din". On this day the women, both married and unmarried, assemble at one place and start dancing and singing devotional songs on till midnight. The second day is the fasting day. Some women live without a morsel of food and drops of water while others take liquid and fruit. On the day, they wear red dresses and visit a nearby Shiva temple singing and dancing on the way. A large number of devotees visit to Pashupatinath temple. They perform puja offering flowers, fruits etc to Shiva and Parbati, beseeching their blessing upon the husband and family. The devotees light the oil lamp which should be alight throughout the night. If the light dies away, it could be bad omen.

The third day of the festival is Rishi Panchami. Women perform final ritual of Teej paying homage to various deities and bathe with red mud found on the roots of the sacred datiwan bush, along with its leaves. After it, women are considered absolved from all sins.

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teej
• http://www.nepalhomepage.com/society/festivals/teej.html

Gokarna Aunsi

Father is specially paid lot of reverence as the pillar of strength and support of family on the day of Gokarna Aunsi. The day is also known as Kuse Aunsi. It falls on the dark fortnight in the month August/ September.

On the day, ones children, staying nearer or farther, come with presents and show their gratitude and appreciation for his guidance and teaching in their life. Married daughters visit to their parent's home with delicacies. After the offering of gifts, they touch their father's feet with their foreheads , this act of veneration is done by the sons only , the daughters touch the hand. The ceremony is also known as "looking upon father's face".
People with or without fathers visited to shrine at Gokarna village and worship the Gokarneswor Mahadev, a sacred shrine of lord Shiva , renowned for his singularly close communion with the souls of dead. The fatherless people honour the memory of their fathers and promote welfare of his soul here.

Reference:

• http://www.info-nepal.com/society/festivals/gokarnaaunsi.html
• http://homestaynepal.come/festival.html