GHAI JATRA (FESTIVAL)

                                               CELEBRATING GHAI JATRA

Gai Jatra is a festival celebrated by the Newar community every year since the malla period. We see newars celebrating this festival in different cities where there is strong pesence of newars. Now a days we see other community also particiapting in this festival. It is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. This festival comes just a day after Janai Purnima and this year it is held on 29^th of the Sarwan (aug 14). The festival commemorates the death of people during the span of a year. Gai Jatra is a healthy festival which enables the people to accept the reality of death and to prepare oneself for the life after death. The festival of cows is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal.

Every family who lost their member goes to participate in this festival. They bring children or some time adult also with resemblance of Radha Krishna or give those funny looks or resemblance of cow, yogi and other Hindu idol. Some family brings the real cow too.

In Kathmandu the festival is held around Basantapur, in Bhaktpaur around the hole Bhaktapur city and in Lalitpur they go around the Patan Durbar Square.

In this year’s Gai Jatra, I hope to experienced new things. I will first visit Basantapur and go to bhaktpaur to watch this Jatra. There were groups of people who were actively working to clean the streets and making people aware of recycling the waste products. In my opinion such programs are more effective to inform people about general issue like recycling in such festivals as many people come to participate and to watch festivals.

LALITPUR / PATAN DURBAR

                                           LALITPUR / PATAN DURBAR

Patan or Lalitpur is a city of fine arts. It is situated about 5 km south-east of kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Lalitpur is an ancient little city that is jam-packed with interesting history and heritage, epitomized by the Buddhist monuments and Hindu temples. The diversity of the medieval culture that allowed both Hinduism and Buddhism to flourish has left a rich legacy of impressive sightseeing in this city for today's visitors.

Patan Durbar Square

Lalitpur attracts many tourist each year. Of all the activities available to do in Lalitpur, you will more than likely end up in a historical building, museum or temple at one time or another. Lalitpur's museums are genuine worth the visit, when visiting one of them you can be sure to get a better understanding of the history of the Buddhism and Hinduism cultures. Some other places that draw much attention include places such as,

The Patan Durbar Square

The Patan Durbar Square is situated in the heart of the city. It is the focus of visitor's attraction. The Square is full of ancient palaces, temples and shrines, noted for their exquisite carvings. The Patan Durbar square consists of three main chowks, the Central Mul Cowk, Sundaru Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk. The Sundari Chowk holds in its centre a masterpiece of stone architecture, the Royal bath called Tushahity. This Square is definitely worth a visit.

The Ashokan Stupas

The Ashokan Stupas comprises of four ancient stupas popularly believed to have been built in 250 B.C. by Emperor Ahoka at the four corners of Patan.

The four stupas are situated in Pulchowk, Lagankhel, Ebahi and in Teta respectively. These stupas give evidence to the city's ancient religious importance.

Lalitpur also has a zoo which is very popular with tourist families. The zoo is situated at Jawalakhel and has many animals, birds and reptiles, mostly representing the Himalayan fauna. It also has a beautiful pond that was built in the 17 century A.D

NEWARI FOOD

                                                   NEWARI FOOD ITEMS

It was so delicious and testy try it

......

NAAG PANCHAMI

                                                        NAAG PANCHAMI

Nag Panchami/ Nagara Panchami/ Nagpanchmi.

Nag panchami is celebrated on 5th day of bright half of Shravan month (Shrawan Shukla Panchami). In this year 2009, Nag panchami will be celebrated on Sunday 26th of July.

Naga is the word for snake in Sanskrit and this day is called Nagapanchami because snakes are worshiped on this day. According to astrology, Snake god is the lord of 5th day of a Hindu month, so it is considered to be the day meant for snakes. Garud Puran says that statues of snakes should be placed on both sides of the house on this day and Maha-naags like Ananta etc. should be worshiped.

According to Skand Puran’s Nagar Khand, all desires come true if one worships the snakes of Chamatkarpur. Narad Puran says one should observe fast on Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to avoid snakebite. It also suggests later that snakes should also be worshiped on Bhadrapad Krishna Panchami , fast should be observed and all family members should feed milk to snakes.

One time food should be taken on prior date 4th (Chaturthi) and complete fasting should be done on 5th (Panchami). On this day, draw five snakes using turmeric and sandalwood ink with the pen of silver, gold, wood or clay, and worship them with Kheer, Panchamrit, Dhoop, incense sticks, Naivedya and lotus flower etc. After the rituals, feed dishes like Kheer and laddu to Brahmins. One should not dig any surface on the day of Nagapanchami.

To worship snake god, make the snake of a rope and tie seven knots in it. Then place it on a wooden bench. Worship the deity with turmeric, rice and flowers etc. and offer the mixture of milk, ghee and sugar to the holy deity.

Sing hymns after worship and offer the mixture of milk, honey and some sugar to snake by putting it in front of any snake burrow. Take a little soil from there and draw the picture of a snake on the corner walls of home. Listen the story of Nagapanchami at the end.

Nepali Festival "Teej"

 

                                                    Nepali Festival "Teej"

"Teej" the fasting festival for women. Generally it takes place in August or early September. This festival is celebrate for three-day and that combines sumptuous feasts as well as rigid fasting. Through this religious fasting, Hindu women pray for marital bliss, well being of their spouse and children and purification of their own body and soul.

Traditionally, the ritual of Teej is obligatory for all Hindu married women and girls who have reached puberty. Exception is made for the ones who are ill or physically unfit. In such circumstances, a priest performs the rites. 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. Goddess Parbati, in gratitude sent her emissary to preach and disseminate this religious fasting among mortal women, promising prosperity and longevity with their family. Thus was born the festival of Teej.

The first day of Teej is called the "Dar Khane Din". On this day the women, both married and unmarried, assemble at one place, in their finest attires and start dancing and singing devotional songs. Admist all this, the grand feast takes place. The jollity often goes on till midnight, after which the 24 - hour fast commences. Some women without a morsel of food or drops of water while others take liquid and fruit.

Gaily dressed women can be seen dancing and singing on the street leading to Shiva temples. But the main activities take place around the Pashupatinath temple where women circumambulate the Lingam, the phallic symbol of the lord, offering flowers, sweets and coins. The main puja (religious ceremony) takes place with offerings of flowers, fruits etc made to Shiva and Parbati, beseeching their blessing upon the husband and family. The important part of the puja is the oil lamp which should be alight throughout the night for it is bad omen if it dies away.

The third day of the festival is Rishi Panchami. After the completion of the previous day's puja, women pay homage to various deities and bathe with red mud found on the roots of the sacred Datiwan bush, along with its leaves. This act of purification is the final ritual of Teej, after which women are considered absolved from all sins. The recent years have witnessed alteration in the rituals, especially concerning the severity, but its essence remains. No matter how agonizing the fast may be Nepalese women have and will always continue to have faith in the austerities of Teej.

INDRA JATRA<FESTIVAL>

                                    INDRA JATRA<FESTIVAL>

It is a well known fact that Hinduism and Buddhism are the two major religions of Nepal, each having it's own rules and rituals. However, like most festivals of Nepal, both Hindus and Buddhist unite to celebrate the festival of Indra Jatra. This festival is celebrated by both Hindus and Buddhists with great enthusiasm. It is also believed that Indra Jatra is a festival of classical dances. It is on this very day when one is able to observe numerous varieties of traditional dances. The festival is named after Lord Indra who is known as the god of rain and also as the king of heaven.The festival of Indra Jatra continues for eight days with much rejoicing, singing, dancing and feasting. People from all over Nepal, mostly those who live within the Kathmandu Valley, gather at the Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu. The first day of the festival is viewed by a large number of people. On that day, a long wooden pole is erected in front of the ancient Royal Palace at Hanuman Dhoka, in order to propitiate Lord Indra, the"god of rain". 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.On the third day of the festival of Indra Jatra, the living goddess Kumari is taken out in a procession in a chariot. "Kumari", the "living goddess", is considered to be an incarnation of the goddess"Taleju". Chariots of Kumari, 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.The king of Nepal, the only Hindu king in the world, also pays 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.People of Kathamandu also celebrate indra jatra.The people of Kathmandu celebrate the religious festival of Indra Jatra remembering Lord Indra, the god of rain. Indra Jatra is also called Yandya in Newari culture. this This festival was started by Lichhavi king Gunkamadev in Kaligat Sambat 3822. In Nepalese culture Indra is a very important god.Indra Jatra begins every year from the day of the fortnight Dwadasi Bhadra month to Aswin Krishna Chaturdasi sthat is it is a eight day long festival. On the first day of Indra Jatra a pole known as Linga or Yasingh with a flag on the top is erected at Hanuman Dhoka area. This thirty-six feet long wooden pole is chosen with great care from the Nala forest in Kavre district east of Kathmandu. According to traditional beliefs, Indra had received this flag from Lord Vishnu for protection. It is said that Indra’s mother needed parijat, a type of flower, for some religious ritual so Indra disguised as a human being came to the earth to fetch them. But, he was recognised when he was to steal the flowers so the people caught him and tied him with ropes the statue of which is still worshipped in Maru Tole in Kathmandu. This image is also put on display with others in different parts of the city during Indra Jatra festival. Indra Jatra is a very interesting festival because for the whole week people enjoy various traditional dances and witness the chariot of Goddess Kumari, Lord Ganesh and Lord Bhairav being pulled through the older parts of the Kathmandu city. A day has been added to the original seven days of celebration and on that day known as Nanicha yaa the chariots are pulled through Naradevi, Nhyokha, Ason, Indrachwok and Hanuman Dhoka. This extra day of chariot pulling was introduced by king Jaya Prakash Malla in 1765 B.S. In Indra Chowk, the famous Akash Bhairava bust is displayed and it is decorated with flowers. This Akash Bhairava’s head is related to the Mahabharata story. Some believe it to be the head of the first Kirat King Yalamber. In Indra Chowk, every night different groups gather and sing bhajans and hymns.During Indra Jatra, there are a variety of performances including the dances of Sawa Bhakku Bhairav from Halchowk, Lakhes from Majipat, Devi Nach and Yeravat hathi (Pulukisi) from Naradevi, Mahakali and Kathi Maka Nach from Bhaktapur. All the dances take place around Hanuman Dhoka area. The Dasavatar or the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu is also staged every night. The first day of the festival is also observed by the Newars as a day to remember the family members who passed away during the past year by offering small oil lamps along a traditional route covering all the parts of the oldcity. It is believed to have been started during the reign of Mahendra Malla.The Linga (Yasingh) is pulled down signalling the end of Indra Jatra festival. It is taken to the confluence of Bagmati and Bishnumati in Teku to be put to rest.. The end of the Indra Jatra festival heralds the beginning of Dashain and Tihar celebrated with great enthusiasm not only in the Kathmandu Valley but throughout the country.

BUDDHANILKANTHA TEMPLE

                              BUDDHANILKANTHA TEMPLE 

Deep below at the base of the Shivapuri Hill within the Kathmandu Valley on the northern end, lies the mystical Buddhanilkantha Temple, meaning “old blue-throat”, just 9 km away from the main city. It is at this location that you will find one of the three images of the deity Lord Vishnu or in full Vishnu (Narayan) Jalasayana which is regarded by the local people as the principal deity. It is with the sacredness of this particular god that a deep-seated belief was created by King Pratap Malla through a prophetic dream. It was his strong belief and fear that should the King of Nepal visit the Buddhanilkantha temple, death would be imminent upon his departure. The two other images of the deity which were carved during the same time lie at two particular destinations: the Balaju Gardens where public viewing can take place and the beautiful Royal Palace in Kathmandu. It is here at Budhanilkantha Temple, however, that public viewing is not permitted. The Deity of Lord Vishnu lies prominently at 5 meters in length inside a tank 13 meters long giving the impression of floating. It is thought that the Deity is approximately 1500 years old and is believed to have been sculpted during the Licchavi period, around about the 7th or 8th century. A fascinating feature of the Lord Vishnu Deity is his large frame carved out of a single block of stone, black in nature and foreign to the valley planes. When described he embodies many fascinating features and all symbolic in their own right. But it is through the four hands that you will find four symbols of Vishnu which are the: chakra or disc, conch-shell, lotus flower and the club. His legs are crossed with his sleeping body resting on the coils of Ananta: the cosmic serpent and his 11 hooded heads. It is alleged in times past that a farmer and his wife occupied a farm in this area and while cultivating the land they struck the Deity and immediately afterwards blood began to filter from the ground and thus the lost deity of Budhanilkantha was recovered and placed in its rightful position. It is a common practice for the Hindus to walk down to Vishnu’s feet to touch them but it is forbidden for foreign visitors to do the same. Budhanilkantha has become the site on which Haribondhini Ekadashi takes place during late October or the beginning of November. It is the principle festival for the year in celebration of the awakening of Lord Vishnu from his long sleep; a notable time for thousands of people. Today the formidable temple of Budhanilkantha, interestingly enough, even provides a guest house, unthought-of till now.This is famous temple of nepal.

SWAMBHUNATH TEMPLE

                                                    Swambhu nath temple

According to Swayambhu Puran, the entire Kathmandu valley was once filled with an enormous lake, out of which grew a mystical Lotus. The valley came to be known as Swayambhu, meaning 'Self-Created' or 'Self-Existent'. The Bodhistava Manjushri had a vision of the lotus at Swayambhu and traveled there to worship it. In order to make the site more accessible to human pilgrims, Manjushri cut a gorge through the mountains surrounding the valley. The water drained out of the lake, leaving the valley in which Kathmandu now lies. The lotus was transformed into a hill and the flower become the Swayambhunath stupa.

The Swayambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, there is something painted which looks like the nose - but is the Nepali symbol of 'unity', in the main Nepali language dialect. There are also shops, restaurants and hostels. The site has two access points: a long stairway, claimed to have 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform of the temple, which is from the top of the hill to the east; and a car road around the hill from the south leading to the southwest entrance. The first sight on reaching the top of the stairway is the Vajra. Tsultrim Allione describes the experience:

RIVERS OF NEPAL

Rivers of Nepal

Nepal's rivers can be broadly divided into three categories in accordance with their origins. The first category comprises the three main river systems of the country-the Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali river systems, all of them originating from glaciers and snow-fed lakes.
The Koshi river system consists of the Tamor, Arun, Dudhkoshi, Likhu, Tamakoshi, Sunkoshi and Indravati rivers. Of these, the Arun and Sunkoshi originate in Tibet. The confluence of these rivers is at Tribeni (near Dharan) in Sagarmatha Zone. Flowing for almost 10kms through a narrow gorge before entering the plains, the "Sapta Kosi" or he "Koshi" swollen with the waters of the seven riversÕ finally merges into the Ganges.
The Gandaki river system in central Nepal consists of the Kaligandaki, Budhigandaki, Marsyanghi, Trishuli, Seti, Madi and Daraundi rivers. The Kaligandaki is the longest river and the Trishuli, the main tributary of this system.
The Kaligandaki originates in Mustang and converges with the Trishuli at Deoghat in Chitwan. The river is then called the Narayani and goes on to meet the Ganges. The Karnali river system in western Nepal consists of the Humla Karnali, Mugu Karnali, Seti and Bheri rivers and is the longest river system in the country. The Humla Karnali, which rises in Tibet, is the main tributary. After entering India, this river assumes the name Gogra.
Rivers like the Mechi, Mahakali, Bagmati, Kamala, Rapti, etc., most of which have their origin in the Mahabharat range, constitute the rivers of the second category. The Bagmati, which rises at Bagdwar and drains out through the Chobhar gorge, is the principal river of the Katmandu Valley.
Streams and rivulets originating mostly from the Chure hills make up the third category; these rivers rely on monsoon rains and are otherwise dry.

PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE

PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE, NEPAL

PASHUPATINATH TEMPLEPashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. It is not known for certain when Pashupatinath Temple was founded. But according to Nepal Mahatmaya and Himvatkhanda,one day Lord Shiva grew tired of his palace atop Mt. Kailash and so went in search of a place where he could escape to. He discovered Kathmandu Valley and, without telling anyone, he ran away from his palace and came to live in the Valley. He gained great fame there as Pashupati, Lord of the Animals, before the other gods discovered his hiding place and came to fetch him. He disguised himself as a majestic                                                                                                                     

HANUMAN DHOKA

The square is the complex of palaces, courtyards and temples that are built between the 12th and the 18th centuries by the ancient Malla Kings of Nepal. It is the social, religious and urban focal point of the city. Taleju Temple, Kal Bhairab (God of Destruction), Nautalle Durbar, Coronation Nasal Chowk, the Gaddi Baithak, the statue of King Pratap Malla, the Big Bell, Big Drum and the Jagnnath Temple...

ABOUT NEPAL

Nepal is one of the richest country in the world, in the terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitude variation. The elevation of the country ranges from 60m above sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8848 m, all within a distance of 150 km resulting into climatic conditions from Sub-tropical to Arctic.

Location:	Situated between Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China in the north and India in the South, East and West.
Area:	147,181 Sq. Km.
Longitude:	80° 4’ and 88°12’ East.
Capital:	Kathmandu
Population:	23.1 million
People:	Nepal has more than 101 ethnic groups and 92 spoken languages
Language:	Nepali is the official language of Nepal. However, English is understood and spoken by majority of people in Kathmandu valley and other major cities.
Political-System:	Multiparty Democracy
Time:	5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 15 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time
National Bird:	Impean Pheasant (Danfe)
National Flower:	Rhododendron- Arboreum (Lali Gurans)
Religion:	Main religion in Nepal is Hinduism. However Buddhism, Islam and Christian religions are followed by some people. All religions even in minority have co-existed amicably in Nepal for ages.
Vegetation:	Most outstanding bio-diversity in the world, ranging from sub-tropical Rain-forests to Alpine deserts