End of Gunla 2007

The day after Gokarna Aunsi (father’s day) is marked as the end of the Gunla for the year. This year it was on 12th of September. I was so busy with my own world and work that this year, I couldn’t be in Swayambhu for the first time in my life. Throughout my years, I have loved going to Swayambhu, and Gunla is the main festival where lots of people go to Swayambhu throughout the month. It is such a shame that I couldn’t manage a single day to visit Swayambhu this year. I had made plans for more than three to four times but due to my tight schedule; I just couldn’t go there this year. I had never thought that I would miss going there this year.

On the last day, a huge crowd will be gathered in Swayambhu throughout the day. Lots of people visit and pay their respect to goddess Harati Ma on this day and the days throughout the months. Throughout the month, lots of people will go there with their own musical bands with full devotion to the deity. Since this is the last day, most of the people will visit the place and you see the Swayambhu hill covered with people from a long distance today. You will see devotees coming and going from the hills throughout the way of Swayambhu. The crowd is just overwhelming and something different to experience. Too bad, I miss it this year. Well I cannot do anything then regret it and hope and pray that I wont miss it next year.

Gokarna Aunsi 2007 – Father’s Day In Nepal

Gokarna Aunsi is the father’s day celebrated in Nepal. Gokarna is a place nearby the Valley and Aunsi means dark moon. This year it was celebrated on 11th of September. We have a special way of celebrating this day. Sons and daughters offer ritual food, sweetmeats, and other gifts to their fathers. The streets are a happy scene of married daughters with loads of goodies making their way to their parent’s houses. Another scenario is the shops selling lots of sweet products. The shopkeeper extends their shops and display varieties of sweet products that sons and daughters offer to their father today.

The father’s day is performed by offering the gifts, and then sons and daughters adore their fathers by bowing to touch their feet with their foreheads. The ceremony is also known as “looking uopon father’s face” in our own language. Those whose fathers are no more mark the day by visiting Gokarna and other sacred spots and worshipping to the deities. There they perform anniversary rituals (sharadhya) in honor of their departed fathers and offer alms of rice, pulses, and coints to the priests and beggars as well.

Krishnastami 2007

In Hinduism, there are lots of them. Hard to believe but truth is that it is considered that there are 33 koti devata (330.000,000 Gods). According to the religion, every god has their own importance and have contributed something to the human being in someway. Most of the gods have their special day when they are specially worshipped. Lord Krishna, the dark god who taught warrior Ajuna the value of Karma in the Bhagwad Gita, was born at midnight on the eighth day of the dark moon of August (28th August this year). So that day is Lord Krishna’s day hence also called Janmastami (where Janma means birth and Astami means 8th day of the month).

The Krishna’s birthday is celebrated with lots of love and devotion by the devotees. Flocks of devotes gather around the Krishna Mandir at Patan Durbar Square on the preceding day. Krishna Mandir of Patan is a monument and was build on 17th century. So the men and women from gather around and sit in the vigil waiting for the midnight hour. Euphoric prayers and incantations fill the air, and small oil lamps are lit as a mark of felicitation and devotion to the deity. The Krishna Mandir will be full of devotees throughout the day where we can find lots of flocks coming and going on paying their respects and homage to the deity. Throughout the Kathmandu Valley, images of Lord Krishna are shown. Some of the images are carried around the city in the procession accompanied by joyous crowds of followers and musical bands.

Dhapasi

I have never been to Dhapasi before. I know it lies outside the Ring Road. So I think it is considered outside the valley, but I am quite unsure about it. One of my dearest friends, Jenisha, had once sent me an email explaining about Dhapasi. It was a gift for me from her to post in this blog of mine. According to her, this article was written to me by one of her friends. I will surely visit the place once and I will write my own review and write my own experience as well. But for the time being, here is what she had written about Dhapasi:

Even with a lot of new buildings being built everywhere, Dhapasi still remains popular for its private planned settlement areas. It owes that to a simple fact that Dhapasi is simply a prettier place to live in than other places like Baneshwor. Except the areas around the ring road, the inner parts are quiet, clean and green ideal for private settlements. These planning areas like, Dhapasi Heights, Shivapuri Planning etc also boost examples of beautiful architecture. The roads are so clean and quiet that it almost feels like Europe at times. Also there is a brand new housing area, Subha Homes, which is quite far from the noise of the city area and has beautiful houses.

With such exclusive places like Hotel Sahansha, Nature Club, Dhapasi is quite a happening place for the fitness buffs. One of the most useful benefits of living in Dhapasi is that it is quite near to one of the well-equipped hospitals, the Teaching Hospital of TU. Even the New Bus Park is quite nearby. Though the place is not much of a commercial centre, with places like Easy Mart, and British Gorkha Shopping Centre nearby people don’t need to go long way to do their shopping. There are so many places in Dhapasi where you can actually sit alone and watch the sun set, and seriously how many places are there where you can actually do that!

Gwaramari – My Breakfast

I don’t usually have heavy breakfast. Well not these days. While in my childhood, I used to have one pound of bread and a cup of tea and run to the school, and that would be my breakfast. For lunch, I would have Wai Wai (Nepal-made noodles) or may be biscuits, or Russian Bread (that’s what my dad calls it. It is made with egg, sugar, and pieces of bread, deeply fried in ghee). Well now all my schedules have changed. Nowadays, I have our Newari food item called Gwaramari. Gwaramari consists of two words, Gwara and mari where gwara means round shaped and mari means bread in Newari. It is made up of flour mixed with some baking powder (soda) and salt and then deeply fried in oil. The taste is just so awesome. It is best when you eat it when it is hot.

Early in the morning, my dad goes out for shopping and getting milk and other breakfast stuffs. For me, he usually brings gwaramari, as he knows I like it as my breakfast. Usually I am online at that time, and some of my friends are just dying to have some gwaramari but they can’t have it as it is not available in their area. Mostly Newari people bake it inside the Kathmandu Valley. Mostly Samir and Manik seems to be crazy for gwaramari as well but since it is not available at their area, they always keep on missing the taste. Lucky me, that I can have it daily, and it is available in lots of places around my house. Someday, I might invite them for gwaramari. The best gwaramari I ever tasted is from Bijeshwori. If anyone should come to Nepal, be sure to go for morning walk to Swayambhu, and nearby in the place called Bijeshwori, you will see one small restaurant where you will clearly see some people cooking gwaramari outside the restaurant. Be sure to have those gwaramari and experience the taste of it that you will never forget.

Nagarkot

Nagarkot is considered as a mini-trek promising a rewarding sunrise view of Mt. Everest and the Eastern Himalayan Range. The journey would basically include local transport to Bhaktapur and from there it is a three to four hours walk up to a place which is called Nagarkot. Accommodations and restaurant are easily available there, as it has been a popular place and lots of tourists as well as different groups of local people also visit the place quite often. On early mornings, before sunrise, you should wake up and make about 150 feet climb to the hillcrest from where you will experience a breathtaking and spectacular view as the morning sun rises, and one by one the mountain peak aglow with the spread that beautiful view you’d never forget.

Well that is what most people experience. I myself haven’t visited the place but I will be there some time for the New Year’s sunrise. Though the place will be crowded with lots of other visitors, I am sure with the heart and passion of viewing the beautiful sunrise, a dawn of New Year, it shall definitely be a worthwhile moment of my life. Till then, my journey to Nagarkot is still pending in my list.

Mata-ya 2007 (Festival Of Lights)

I haven't been following the regular blog posting for the days of the festivals these days as I have been mostly indoors these days. I have one of my best friends, Smreeti Nakarmi, who went to that festivals and I had asked her to write her own personal views of her journey to this procession. So here are the details that she send me of her procession of one of the most popular festival in Patan area called Mata-ya. It was on 31 August 2007 this year. Below are the details written by her own.

Mata-ya is derived from combination of two different words “Mata” which means light and “Yatra” means journey. According to the Nepali calendar, Mata-ya is celebrated on the month of Bhadra two days after Janai Purnima. Mata-ya is renown by Srinveri or Nekoo Jatra. Many people from different areas come to Patan to watch this festival whereas many worshipers come here to worship to different chaitya (Buddhist shrine) and chowk (Buddhist courtyard) as well.

I also went to Mata-ya this year. I really got the chance to visit Patan areas and four big chatyas of the Patan city. At about 4 a.m. me n my friends came out and went to a place called Nagbahal from where the queue begins with a big crowd to start the procession. I met lots of friends over there who were going for this long journey. I was so much excited that day. I walked 16 hours on that day. Mata-ya procession is carried out for the peace for our ancestors. Mata-ya is celebrated once a year so it is our popular festival of Patan city. There is a very interesting story about the origin of this festival. It goes like, once Shakyamuni Gautama was in deep penance to attain nirvana. The Maras, jealous of unique penance, appeared disgusting themselves in different forms to Buddha. Some of them were in fierce-looking demon and some in Apsara (angel) forms and so on. They made him every possible attempt to reduce him but all in vain. Eventually Shakyamuni Gautama overcame the Maras and Buddha became the enlighten one. Then every soon Maras come to confess their sins to Lord Buddha and worship him with great honor. In other to make this great day, as many believe this festival come in to existence. Everyone (devotees) offer kapur, butter, lamps, money, rice, grains, incense, foods, as they wish. Me and my friends offer kapur for every chaitya. Small children come their with a nanglo (a big round-shaped instrument, mostly used to filter stones from the raw rice) and we give them what we have to offer. Visiting four main chaitya and reaching to same destiny where we started will end Mata-ya of the year.