Gai Jatra 2007

It was Gai Jatra, one of the other interesting festival, on August 29 2007. This festival is celebrated in the memories of the lost family member during the last year. The word Gai Jatra came from two words Gai (which means Cow) and Jatra (festival). It is also called Saparu in Newari language. The whole city streets are crowded with the parade of the families who have lost a member during the past year parade in a decorated cow around the city. Most of the people send a cow from their house and those who can't find a cow will send their kids dressed up as cows or ascetics and walk in procession along the festival route. Cow has a special place in the Hinduism. It is respected as a god and mostly a given the respect as to a mother. So this day, it is believed that the sacred animal helps departed souls to cross the cosmic ocean in their journey into the after-world.





Humor is another side of the festival. Comic dramas and street shows making fun of government officials are performed. People also roam the city dressed up like lunatics. Newspapers bring out special "mad" editions. From ancient ages people are allowed to demonstrate any critics this day, even when autocracy ruled Nepal.

In Kathmandu, the bereaved families proceed alone the festival route individually whereas in Patan, the participants gather at Durbar Square and then move out together. In Kirtipur, the Jatra starts from the night. Almost every won't sleep at night and on the Gai Jatra night a buffalo is sacrificed outside the Bagh Bhairav Temple. So I felt the Jatra as if it was a night-time Jatra.


The celebration in Bhaktapur is the most interesting one and I personally prefer going there if you want to see the true demonstration of Gai Jatra where there are tall bamboo poles, wrapped in cloth, and toped with horns fashioned of straw are carried around the city in memory of the dead. It seems like the whole city is taking part and all the city streets will be filled with the parade. It might be due to the narrowed streets there but all the city streets are found full on that day.

Janai Purnima (Kwati Punhi) 2007

The season of festival begins and today, August 28 2007, is Janai Purnima. Janai Purnima is the day when most of the Hindus change the janai. Janai is the sacred thread the men wear on their chests. Today is the full moon day and flocks of Brahmins (Hindu priests) can be seen at the holy river banks taking ritual dips in the river and offering ablution to the gods. As a ritual, they then change their holy threads and also tie yellow sacred threads around the wrists of the faithful.

name for this festival iThis day is also important for the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley. Then Newari is Gunhi Punhi. Most of the Newari festivals have special foods to offer. Looking back at the festivals they celebrate, it is not so hard to find out that they celebrate every festival according the foods they produce. All the friends and families gathered around together and offer servings of the foods provided in different season in and they have different festivals for different foods they have. Likewise, the special menu for Gunhi Punhi is Kwati. Hence the day is also called Kwati Punhi, where Kwati is a soup of different beans and Punhi means the full moon day. Lots of Newars do put the yellow sacred threads around the wrists which are to be taken off on the day of Laxmi Puja, another festival in Tihar, about two months after this festival.

In Patan, a richly decorated lingam, the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva, is placed in the middle of the Kumbheswar (Kwonti) pond. This place is located at one of the most popular places in Patan, called Bangalamukhi. It is believed that the pond is to be filled with the water from the holy lake Gosainkunda Lake. There is a well-like place situated there where the people believe that the water comes from the Goshainkunda Lake itself. This day, they have all the water collected in a pond situated nearby the well-like place. In Bhaktapur, a colorful procession known as Jujuya Ghintang-ghishi, a type of king's carnival goes around town in the evening.

Naag Panchami 2007

I again missed the festival of Naag Panchami this year. I even missed to post it in the exact date in this blog of mine. It was on 18th of August this year. This festival also has a great value in Hindu culture and as with most of the festivals it also has a story behind it.

In Hinduism, the Naag (divine serpent) is glorified as the giver of rain. On the day of Naag Panchami, devotees paste pictures of the Naag over their doorways and pay homage. Devotees also throng Taudaha (meaning big pond) which is 6 kilometers to the south of Kathmandu. There they worship Karkotak Naag, the serpent-king. Karkotak moved to this dwelling after Lord Manjushree drained the Kathmandu Valley, which used to be a lake in ages past, by slicing a passage through the hills to make it inhabitable. Nagdaha lake is another distination for pilgrims where they offer worship to the serpent-gods.

So mostly this day you will find most of the houses with posters of Naag over their doorways and the market will be full of sellers of posters of Naag. Temples of Shiva (his ornaments is made of live snakes) can too be seen crowded with devotees. Other views would be people feeding milk to Naag brought by mostly Indian snake handler in their bags.

Gunla 2007

I have been quite busy these days and I don't have much time to go out and participate in this year's festivals. I really miss it but I just cannot help it. All of my friends and family have also been busy so I had been skipping lots of festivals this year. In these two weeks, I missed two of the important festivals, Gunla and Nagpanchami. Well I just have gathered some information about Gunla, and with my experiences throughout the years I lived and enjoyed I am going to write and share it to this blog of mine. I hope you guys will enjoy reading about the festivals of Nepal.

Gunla is the name of the 10th month in the Nepal Era calendar (Newari Calendar). According to Gregorian calendar, Gunla lies on the 14th of August this year (2007). It is a sacred month dedicated to Lord Buddha. The festival commemorates the auspicious "rains retreat" when the Buddha, over 2,500 years ago, led his close disciples into solitary meditation and preached to them the essence of his principles.

Buddhists spend month in prayer and fasting. They visit Swayambhu and other shrines early in the morning accompanied by musical bands. On August 25, groups of devotees make the rounds of monastery courtyards to view Buddha images displayed for the occasion. The Gunla lakhe (masked dancer) enlivens the festival with this street performances.

I have gone to Swayambhu lots of times in that festival in the past. Not only Buddhist but lots of Hindus go to Swayambhu as most of the Hindus of Nepal do pay respect to Buddha as Buddha was once a prince of Newari family. So you will find lots of Newars worshiping and praying to Buddha. This is the time of the year, where you can find Swayambhu crowded with lots of people and devotees of all ages. Mostly you will find lots of young guys and girls, mostly teenagers, wandering around the road going or returning from Swayambhunath temple. On the way back from Swayambhunath, lots of guys and girls stop by one small cheap restaurant where they serve one of the most popular Newari foods for breakfast called Gwaramari (Fulaura in Nepali). I just had to write about Gwaramari as it is one of my favorite food after momo. Well I am sure I will go at least once this month to Swayambhunath temple anyhow. I just love that place.

Gathan-Muga 2007

Amongst a hundreds of festivals in the valley, Gathan-muga festival too carries lots of details and its own importance. The Gathan-muga festival (known variously as Gathemuangal and Ghantakarna) actually represents a ritual detoxification of the city, when evil spirits are banished outside the urban limits. Lots of the street intersections on the day of the festival can be found with effigies erected of the Gathan-muga (as a symbol of demon). In the evening time, a man wearing war-paint type of color all over his body goes out begging for money in his area of the city throughout the different shops and houses. Lots of other children will follow him with some kind of rhyming song used to beg money in the name of god. At the end of the day, the effigy is taken down. The painted man is made to sit on the effigy and the neighborhood kids drag it away to the river near them, mostly Bishnumati River being closet to the valley. In Bhaktapur, the effigy is burnt in the middle of the street.

Being the native of the valley, mostly Newars celebrate this festival. Householders place pots of cooked rice at the crossroads as food for the demons. Another happening ritual is before locking up the house for the night, nails are hammered into the door lintel because it is believed that the spooks and the demons are supposed to be terrified of iron. People also put iron mixed rings into their fingers to keep the spooks and demons away this day.

This festival can be considered as the beginning of all the other ones, as after this festival lots of others will follow. Newars will have lots of festival going on after Gathan-muga festival. Within a week there will be at least 1-2 feasts going on after this festival and each having their own meaning and a different god to be remembered and worshipped. This year Gathan-muga was on the 11th of August.

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