Maghe Sankranti: Solstice Festival of Nepal

Makar Sankranti, also known as Maghe Sankranti, is a Nepalese festival that marks the end of the winter solstice in the month of Paush. In the Vikram Sambat or Yele calendar, it falls on the first of Magh. The 15th of January in the year 2022 is Maghe Sankranti. In comparison to the winter month of Poush, the celebration is seen as the start of warmer days. It is believed that the sun will begin to shift toward the northern hemisphere on this day. It is a solstice festival celebrated in Nepal.

During this event, Hindu devotees bathe in Nepal’s auspicious and religious rivers. Shankamul on the Bagmati River, Gandaki/Narayani River in the Triveni, Devghat in Chitwan, Ridi on the Kaligandaki, and Dolalghat on the Sunkoshi in the Koshi River basin are some of Nepal’s significant holy river places. People pray to Lord Vishnu, perform Pujas, and read the Bhagwad Gita, the Hindu holy book.

Makar Sankranti is believed to mark the start of a new holy season, which ended with the arrival of winter. It signifies the end of an inauspicious period of time that commenced around the middle of December. It is said that beginning on Makar sankranti day, any auspicious and sacred rite can be performed. This day ushers in a new era of longer and warmer days. Simply put, Makar Sankranti marks the end of winter and the start of spring, as well as the harvest season.

Selling Til Laddu (Sesame Sweets) in Ason Market

In the first of Magh, families get together and share food. During this joyous occasion, they share Til (Sesame) Laddoo, Ghee, Chaku (Jaggery), Yam, and Sweet Potatoes. The priest wishes everyone in the family good health and a brighter future. The Nepalese Brahmins and Chhetris commemorate Magh by inviting their married daughters and close relatives to their homes and providing them with special feasts and best wishes.

Maghe Sankranti Festival’s Stories

Maghe Shankranti has mythology linked with it. A Bhadgaun (now Baktapur) merchant was doing a booming business. He sold a lot of sesame, yet he never ran out of supply. He looked for the sign. He discovered the Lord Vishnu Idol beneath the seeds while cleaning the stockpile. After that, the Idol is worshipped as Til Madhav Idol. The idol is said to provide food, prosperity, and fortune to Bhaktapur if it is worshipped.

According to Hindu tradition, some religious books mention the significance of Maghe Sankranti. According to the Mahabharata, Bhisma Pitamaha, who possesses enormous power and has been granted the ability to control his death, chose this day to die. The Hindu epic Mahabharat is the world’s largest epic ever written. This is the day Bhisma discovered the words of wisdom of life and death while resting in the bed of arrows all shot by Arjun. Those who die on this day are said to achieve Moksha or escape from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

Maghe Sankranti is significant because it encourages family and community bonding. In Nepal, the joyful celebration is held on this day in high regard. Huge religious merits among many ethnic cultures commemorate Maghe Sankranti in their unique fashion. From one neighborhood to the next, the delicacies differ. The cultural aspect is also included.

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August 4, 2020

Gai Jatra: “The Festival To Commemorate The Dead”

Gai Jatra also referred to as Festival of Cows/The Festival Of Commemoration Of The Dead, is one among the foremost important festivals in Nepal. Mostly this festival falls in Nepali Bhadra month (August to September in Solar Calendar) and continues for eight days. This year Gai Jatra is on August 4th, 2020. Gai Puja is especially held by the Newar community in Kathmandu valley to commemorate the dead within the last year. However, different from the other memorial ceremony within the world, Nepali Gai Jatra is widely known as a cheerful carnival. During this interesting festival, you will have the prospect to experience Nepali traditional singing, stick dancing, unique comedy, etc.

History Of The Festival

Pratap Malla lost his extremely youthful child. His significant other, the sovereign was in incredible wretchedness. The ruler was extremely disillusioned to see the state of his sovereign. Rulers after millions attempt couldn’t make a sovereign grin. Pratap Malla declared that any individual who could make the sovereign chuckle would be remunerated sufficiently.

Pratap Malla requested to bring the dairy animals parade before the pitiful sovereign. At that point, individuals attempted their best with various outfits and funny acts. The move and parade at long last gave the sovereign grin all over. The grin right now was brief however the parade gave the sovereign a major help. She realized that there are a few passing in the city during the period and she isn’t the only one. Demise is the characteristic marvel and nobody has control over it.

Subsequently, from the day King Pratap Malla began the custom of dairy animals parade with young men with various amusing makeups in clever outfits. The young men even put tails and makeup like monkeys and Hanuman walk however the city street to show individuals that the passing is a reality in life and each one needs to confront it one day. The Gai Jatra custom gradually formed into doing funny acts including jokes, parodies, jokes, and parody in the Gai Jatra days.

After the dairy animals parade is finished, toward the evening, everybody participates in another convention wherein the members spruce up and wear veils. There additionally individuals appreciate the minutes with tunes, jokes, jokes, and humor until late at night.

Gai Jatra is a celebration which empowers individuals to acknowledge the truth of death and to set oneself up for the post-existence. It mends the despondency and distress, in any event, a bit, when individuals see the cow ownership and acknowledge individuals bite the dust, and we are not the only one in the nation who lost our friends and family.

How is it celebrated?

As indicated by the old legend of Hinduism, Yama, the God of Death, would send the dark crows to monitor the passageway to the paradise on this day. Simply outside the entryway, a huge number of spirits are holding back to acknowledge Yama’s appointed authority and their rebirth is completely controlled by the benefits they have earned. In folklore, the way to paradise is incredibly hard to follow and the perished still needs to go over the consuming waterway. Most Nepalese accept that if their family members could get the cowstail, the excursion to paradise would turn out to be a lot simpler. Furthermore, the entryway of paradise is just open to the dead for just a single day in the year. Thus, every family who has lost friends and family during the most recent year must partake in this terrific dairy animal parade in Kathmandu.

In the early morning, nearby Newars give a shower to the dairy animals, particularly cleaning their tails. At that point, the cows are designed with red Tika and wonderful festoons. After those ceremonies, the dairy animal parades start to march around the entire Kathmandu valley. On the off chance that the dairy animals aren’t accessible, little youngsters will take on the appearance of bovines to petition God for the dead. During the rowdy walks, they will intentionally stroll through the sanctuaries, the sculptures of the divine beings, and other consecrated spots. At the point when the processions cruise by, numerous individuals will offer the food, blessing, and negligible money to the dairy animal proprietors and the cow-like young men. It’s accepted that this sort of giving will acquire them good karma the next day.

Behind the bovine parades and little fellows is the upbeat ensemble. You’ll see more seasoned men enjoy their own universes and serenade strict psalms overwhelmingly. And afterward here comes the love group. As a matter of fact, it’s extremely hard for you to tell the walkers from the motorcades. Around then, the tight boulevards are stuffed with individuals, and all the countenances are loaded up with bliss and truthfulness.

Obviously, the music band is an imperative part of the celebration of bovines. What’s more, the musical instruments differ from Nepalese conventional drum to western trumpet and present-day gadgets. It’s said that happy music can pacify the God of Anger, yet in addition frighten the shades of malice off. With drums thumping and cymbals conflicting, Gai Jatra arrives at its peak.

Lastly, Gai Jatra is a customary celebration for Newari and wins in the three antiquated urban areas in Nepal, to be specific, Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. The subtleties of the festival might be unique, however, the center of the celebration of dairy animals is actually the equivalent. On the off chance that you are arranging a visit to Nepal from August to September, Gai Jatra is something you shouldn’t miss. Partaking in the cow parade will let you draw nearer contact with nearby Nepalese and find out about the Nepal celebration culture. If it’s not too much trouble don’t hesitate to reach us for additional information about Nepal.

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020

Janai Purnima: “The Sacred Thread Festival”

“The beginning of Nepal’s festival season is marked by the sacred thread changing and healthy nine -bean soup preparing festivity i.e Janai Purnima.”

Janai Purnima is considered “The Sacred Thread Festival”. The yearly celebration is held on the full moon day in the month of Shrawan. The individuals known as ‘Taghadharis’, bearers of the holy thread called Janai, take a bath in the nearest river or pond early in the morning and change the Janai given by their priest. Especially the men belonging to the Brahmins and Chhetris community change their Janai as usual annually during this festival. Devotees also tie a sacred thread around their wrist on this day, which they believe purifies the soul and protect the body from evil. During this festive season, Gosaikunda is very famous as many Hindus across the country flock there in large numbers to participate in an annual fair. This festival also celebrates the day of commemorating the bond of love and affection between brothers and sisters and is known as Rakshya Bandhan. It is mostly celebrated in Terai Region as “Rakshya Bandhan” and is scattered celebrated in the valleys of Nepal.

Here in Nepal, a festival is accompanied by a special dish otherwise it won’t be as lively as it should be. Especially on this day, the people of the Newar community prepare a special nine-bean soup, traditionally known as Kwasi, and have it as part of their meal. And the festival is also known as “Kwati Purnima” or “Gunu Punhi” among the Newar community. The soup, according to Newar elders, provided much-needed warmth to the farmers, who spent the monsoon summer shin-deep in muddy water, planting crops in the fields.

LEGEND BEHIND THE ORIGINS OF THE FESTIVAL

There are several history and myths about the celebration of Raksha Bandhan. Some of them are:

The first myth goes like this:- After Lord Vishnu had defeated and won all the three worlds from the demon, King Bali. Lord Vishnu being the generous and kind being granted a wish of Bali to stay with him in his palace, but Lord Vishnu’s wife Goddess Lakshmi did not like the palace. So, Goddess Lakshmi went to Bali and tied a rakhi which then made him her brother. In return Bali asked what gift she wanted, then she asked him to free Vishnu from the request that he lives in Bali’s palace. Bali also not being able to defy his sister’s wish and granted her wish.
There’s another legend entailing the war between Gods and Demons. Lord Indra is the deity of the sky, rain, and thunderbolts were disgraced by the demon, King Bali. Then after this incident Lord Indra’s wife, Sachi went to Lord Vishnu and asked for his help. He gave her a holy bracelet made of cotton thread which she tied that holy thread around the wrist of Indra and blessed with her prayers for his victory. Then Lord Indra defeated the demon king Bali. This was the inspiration for the holy thread having protective powers.
This another legend relates to India and goes back to the time when Alexander the Great invaded India in 326 BCE. As the legend says the wife of Alexander the Great, Roxana sent a sacred thread to Porus, the king of Kaikeya kingdom, requesting him not to harm her husband in battle. King Porus respected the importance and significance of rakhi and wore the rakhi. During the battle of Hydaspes, King Porus managed to stop himself from killing Alexander personally when he saw the rakhi on his wrist.