Dashain(Mohani)

Dashain is the greatest festival in Nepal as it is celebrated by almost all the people in Nepal with rejoice. Though it is a Hindu festival, all other religions have this festival in their own description. The first day is Ghatasthapana(nalaswa pigu).

MataYaa

I have not been much to Patan(Lalitpur) in festival time. This is one of the lucky ones that I could visit. Mataya(Light procession) is similar to Gai Jatra, not in presentation but in ideology. This is a procession for the dear and near ones who have died that year. The main reason for this procession is to show the path to the dead relative with the light being used and guide them wherever they are.

Bahi dya swa wanegu(July/August)

On the same day of Gai Jatra, the buddhist folks celebrate Bahi dya(God in the courtyard) swa wanegu(visit). This is a special day for the buddhist newars especially those who go for a month long procession to Swayambhu and play Dha Baja daily for a month. The sacred month Gunla is the month when you can see people and devotees visiting Buddhist chaityas and shrines daily and fasting meat, alcohol and any other addictive things and do not commit any crime. This is the month for salvation.

The 12th day is the day when they go to visit Dipankar Buddha, guru of Gautam Buddha, light of Asia, in different courtyards in the capital. The main reason for this is an interest for research. But people love to visit such sites in procession and play their music Dha bajan. This is the time for knowing the new place as well as visit the place once a year or to boast about their musical talent to the other people. This is the time to showcase the cultural richness of the Buddhist Newars. There are about 16 bahas(courtyards where Shakyas and Vajracharyas reside) in Kathmandu valley. These are the place where Dipankar Buddha is presented once a year on this day. So better know the time when you visit Nepal.

Gai Jatra

The festival of "Gai Jatra", the procession of cows, is generally celebrated in the Nepalese month of Bhadra (August-September). The festival is one of the most popular festivals in Nepal. The festival is celebrated with the belief that cow, (taken as goddess Laxmi as well) help the decised soul to cross the baitarni river(the border between heaven and earth). However, the ironical sessions have become synonym to Gai Jatra festival and came into tradition in the medieval period of Nepal during the reign of Malla Kings. This is the time to forget the sorrow of losing near ones by different acts. The comedians take this as their opportunity to show their talent as well.

In terms of historical evidences, once when King Pratap Malla lost his son, his wife, the queen remained dumbstruck. The king was very sad to see the condition of his beloved queen. The king, in spite of his several efforts, could not lessen the grief of his wife. By all means he wanted to see little smile on the lips of his sweetheart. He announced that someone who ever made the queen laugh would be rewarded adequately. And so came the parody and comedy on this sad day and the king ensued a tradition of including jokes, satires,mockery and lampoon in the Gai Jatra days which is still continued till date.

Gunhu Punhi

Gunhu Punhi is one of the most significant festivals of the Newars which lasts for 9 days. First day, known as Gunhu Punhi, the Newars drink broth consisting of spouted mixed cereals. Everyone gets doro, a protection cord tied in one's wrist from the brahmans. On this day, food is offered for the frogs in farms, which is known as Byanja Nakegu. Saparu is the second day of Gunhu Punhi. On this day people, whose family member died in that year, dressed up as cows parade in the town. It is believed that cows help the departed soul to enter the heaven easily. Other remarkable thing is humor and satire presented on this day. Last day of Gunhu Punhi is Krishnastami, birth anniversary of lord Krishna, an incarnation of lord Vishnu. Various dances in various parts of the valley are performed in between.

Nag Panchami

Nāg Panchamī (Devanagari: नाग पंचमी) is a festival during which religious Hindus worship either images of or live Nāgas (cobras) on the fifth day after Amavasya of the month of Shraavana.

According to the scriptures, Lord Krishna had conquered Naga Kālia and put an end to his evil deeds on Nāga Panchamī. It is believed that the Kathmandu valley used to be a vast lake. When human beings started to drain the lake to make space for settlements, Nagas became enraged. To protect themselves against the wrath of Nagas, people gave the latter certain areas as pilgrimage destinations, restoring thus harmony in nature. (These nagas were allowed to live in Nag Daha located now at Lalitpur district in the valley.)

According to other scriptures, a king used his Tantric powers to force Nagas to return to the land rains which they had taken away. The Nagas gave in to the king’s Tantric power, but in recognition of their power to control rains, the king established Naga Panchami festival.

During the festival, Nepalese traditionally post pictures of Nagas above the doors of their homes to ward off evil spirits, offer prayers to Nagas, and place food items such as milk and honey in their fields for Nagas. A few men wearing demon masks dance in the streets as a part of a ritual. Hindus in Nepal have their own legends surrounding Nagas, which lead them to celebrate Nāga Panchamī on a large scale. (source: Wikipedia)

But on this day some families worship Simha God instead of naga. Simhas are believed to be protectors from nagas.If there is a picture of lion in the household then snakes donot disturb you, a belief in these household. This is a belief in Bajrayan, tantric buddhism.(also see www.nepaljournal.tumblr.com)

Ghanta Karna : (June -July)

Ghanta Karna is one of the festivals of Nepal, also known as 'Gathamuga'. It is said that Gathamuga

is the male festival

and the beginning of festival for that year as lot of festivals follow after this festival. This festival is a relic of the be!ief in demonolatry by the people of the Valley. Ghanta Karna, a demon and other evil spirits are propitiated and exercised on this day. An effigy made of green reeds is erected at all the main cross-roads of the town in the day. A person is painted in all kinds of colour till he looks like a grotesque figure representing the demon Ghanta Karna. This symbolic demon goes begging in the locality. At the end of the day he is dragged to a river on the green reeds symbolising the driving away of the demon from the locality. This also signifies that not a single person can cast off evil from the society but it can be done in community level. This gives the message of unity.

गुंला पर्ब

गुंला धर्मं बौद्ध धर्मं मानेयाईपिंसं न्यायेकीगु नख ख । बौध अनुयायिपिं सकलें थुगु ला यात बिशेष महत्व बिया बौद्ध देगले चाह्युवनेगु याई । गुंला भगवान बुद्ध यात देछ्यागु पबित्र ला ख । थ्वो बर्खा मास ख अले बुईबुई सिनाज्या क्वचैगु ई । थ्वो हे इले गुंला पर्ब न्ह्याई । गुंला पर्ब भगवान बुद्ध थमस्या हे न्ह्याका थकुगु धाई । थ्वो ई ख ध्यान च्वनेगु, अपसं च्वनेगु, प्रार्थना याय्गु अले गुंला बाजं व बौद्ध भजन न्यानेगु।

Kathmandu

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and the most developed city in the whole country of Nepal. Kathmandu, the dream of many Nepalese is one of the historically and culturally rich city. The history of Nepal is dated as history of Kathmandu valley as this was the original Nepal valley. The name was used as the name of the country after unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the then king of Gorkha. The culture florished before the Shah dynasty. But during the Shah dynasty the rulers were busy in unification and could not value the culture of the place. They were too busy to give time for such rejoices that the people cherished. Hence the downfall in the terms of cultural richness gradually resulted in the present state where most of the rituals that the Nepalese performed degraded. There was no new things as there was no interest from the government and constant intervention resulted in the bad image of culture towards the general people. This can be cured still if proper awareness and research is conducted. Lets hope it all lasts for a long time as Lord Buddha has said "Nothing lasts for ever".

SWONIGA: THE UNISON OF THREE CULTURE RICH DISTRICTS

The Kathmandu Valley or Swoniga is the one of the culture rich place in Nepal. Nepal, the country of diversity, is the only country where you can find such diversity in such small area. The country is small and the valley consisting the capital is smaller. The diversity is so great here, that you will find no other place in the world that has so much cultural enrichment. The valley consists of mainly three districts:

1) Kathmandu (Yen)

2) Lalitpur (Yala) and

3) Bhaktapur (Khwopa)

All the places of the valley have their own importance and specialities.