Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Portland, March 29 (Nepal Oregon News): Nritya Mandala Mahavihara of Portland, USA observed the Falgun Purnima on Sunday, March 28, 2021 by reciting Mahamanjushree Naam Sangiti on the zoom.
Each Purnima is sacred and holy for the Buddhists. Although the Holi festival on the day of Purnima is basically a Hindu tradition, the other two events: Chakan Dyo Jatra and Gurumapa Yat Ja Nakegu events also coincide on the Day of Falgun Purnima. Chakan Dyo and Gurumapa events are related to Newah Vajrayana Buddhism.
Holi festival, the festival of colors, is being celebrated in Nepal enthusiastically and with much fanfare. The festival of colors also heralds the arrival of spring. It is a festival of victory of truth over falsehood, victory of justice over injustice.
In Nepal, Holi is celebrated for eight days from Falgun Shukla Astami to Falgun Shukla Purnima.
As a matter of fact, Holi festival kicks off in Kathmandu only after colorful Chir is erected at an auspicious time on Falgun Shukla Astami at Basantapur Durbar Square.
The Chir is made up of about 30 feet long bamboo. The umbrella-like Chir having cloths of different colors in four directions on the top is erected on the day of Falgun Shukla Astami at Basantapur.
The soldiers of "Guruju Ya Paltan" an olden army unit of Nepal stand guard during the hoisting ceremony of "Chir". Guruju Ya Paltan also fire gun salutes to mark the occasion.
The responsibility of erecting the Chir on Falgun Shukla Astami and cremating the Chir on Falgun Shukla Purnima is bestowed to a Manandhar community of Tanlachhen Dhalsiko from Kathmandu.
Well, Holi is celebrated by the Indian community all over the USA. Last year in 2018 even the Nepalese living in Dallas, Texas celebrated the festival of colors enthusiastically.
Nevertheless, this festival of colors is still not celebrated here in Portland amongst the Newahs like the way we did in Kathmandu.
That is why I am looking back nostalgically to my childhood time at my birth place - Naghal Tole in Kathmandu - when we used to throw balloons full of water and squirt water on the friends.
Right now, while I am wishing all of you - Happy Holi festival, I am listening to evergreen Nepal Bhasa song in YouTube
"Holi Ya Mela Mayaju Mashyula
Abir Bhachasa Chhyanay Tayahu"
Meanwhile, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are abuzz with the Holi festival greetings and Holi related pictures. Going by the social media sites like Facebook, revelers celebrated the festival by smearing Abir on each other's face and throwing water filled balloons.
According to Hindu mythology, celebration of Holi is related to the episodes of Lord Krishna's romances with the Gopinis in Brindavan, India and also related to the legends of demon king Hiranyakashipu, his sister Holika and his son Pralhad.
Demon king Hiranyakashipu was very angered by his son Pralhad's devotion to Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu ordered fire-resistant Holika to run into pyre together with Pralhad in a sinister design to kill Pralhad. But because of devotion to Vishnu, Pralhad was miraculously saved and demoness Holika died.
Also, celebration of Chakan Dyo jatra coincides with the Holi carnival. One of the popular legends has it that a trader named Singha Sartha Bahu from Tham Bahi (Thamel), Kathmandu along with 700 other merchants had gone to Lhasa, Tibet for carrying out business activities there.
Upon completion of the business, they prayed to Godess Karunamaya for safely returning to Kathmandu. Karunamaya told them that a white unicorn will be waiting by the Brahmaputra river. "Sit on it and do not look back for if you do, the female demons will eat you up."
When they were returning to Kathmandu, they had to cross the Brahmaputra river. Female demons disguised as beautiful nymphs enchanted them asked to look back. All of them except Singha Sartha Bahu looked back and were eaten by the female demons.
The Chakan Dyo jatra is celebrated along side with Holi to commemorate the safe arrival of Singha Sartha Bahu from Tibet. Singha Sartha Bahu symbolizes the Chakan Dyo.
The Chakan Dyo jatra is meant for two days. On day one, the Chakan Dyo is displayed for public view at Bhagwan Bahal, Thamel. On day two, the Chakan Dyo is taken around the ancient neighborhood periphery of Thamel.
Holi festival, the festival of colors, is being celebrated in Nepal enthusiastically and with much fanfare. The festival of colors also heralds the arrival of spring. It is a festival of victory of truth over falsehood, victory of justice over injustice.
In Nepal, Holi is celebrated for eight days from Falgun Shukla Astami to Falgun Shukla Purnima.
As a matter of fact, Holi festival kicks off in Kathmandu only after colorful Chir is erected at an auspicious time on Falgun Shukla Astami at Basantapur Durbar Square.
The Chir is made up of about 30 feet long bamboo. The umbrella-like Chir having cloths of different colors in four directions on the top is erected on the day of Falgun Shukla Astami at Basantapur.
The soldiers of "Guruju Ya Paltan" an olden army unit of Nepal stand guard during the hoisting ceremony of "Chir". Guruju Ya Paltan also fire gun salutes to mark the occasion.
The responsibility of erecting the Chir on Falgun Shukla Astami and cremating the Chir on Falgun Shukla Purnima is bestowed to a Manandhar community of Tanlachhen Dhalsiko from Kathmandu.
Well, Holi is celebrated by the Indian community all over the USA. Last year in 2018 even the Nepalese living in Dallas, Texas celebrated the festival of colors enthusiastically.
Nevertheless, this festival of colors is still not celebrated here in Portland amongst the Newahs like the way we did in Kathmandu.
That is why I am looking back nostalgically to my childhood time at my birth place - Naghal Tole in Kathmandu - when we used to throw balloons full of water and squirt water on the friends.
Right now, while I am wishing all of you - Happy Holi festival, I am listening to evergreen Nepal Bhasa song in YouTube
"Holi Ya Mela Mayaju Mashyula
Abir Bhachasa Chhyanay Tayahu"
Meanwhile, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are abuzz with the Holi festival greetings and Holi related pictures. Going by the social media sites like Facebook, revelers celebrated the festival by smearing Abir on each other's face and throwing water filled balloons.
According to Hindu mythology, celebration of Holi is related to the episodes of Lord Krishna's romances with the Gopinis in Brindavan, India and also related to the legends of demon king Hiranyakashipu, his sister Holika and his son Pralhad.
Demon king Hiranyakashipu was very angered by his son Pralhad's devotion to Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu ordered fire-resistant Holika to run into pyre together with Pralhad in a sinister design to kill Pralhad. But because of devotion to Vishnu, Pralhad was miraculously saved and demoness Holika died.
Also, celebration of Chakan Dyo jatra coincides with the Holi carnival. One of the popular legends has it that a trader named Singha Sartha Bahu from Tham Bahi (Thamel), Kathmandu along with 700 other merchants had gone to Lhasa, Tibet for carrying out business activities there.
Upon completion of the business, they prayed to Godess Karunamaya for safely returning to Kathmandu. Karunamaya told them that a white unicorn will be waiting by the Brahmaputra river. "Sit on it and do not look back for if you do, the female demons will eat you up."
When they were returning to Kathmandu, they had to cross the Brahmaputra river. Female demons disguised as beautiful nymphs enchanted them asked to look back. All of them except Singha Sartha Bahu looked back and were eaten by the female demons.
The Chakan Dyo jatra is celebrated along side with Holi to commemorate the safe arrival of Singha Sartha Bahu from Tibet. Singha Sartha Bahu symbolizes the Chakan Dyo.
The Chakan Dyo jatra is meant for two days. On day one, the Chakan Dyo is displayed for public view at Bhagwan Bahal, Thamel. On day two, the Chakan Dyo is taken around the ancient neighborhood periphery of Thamel.
By the way, Singha Sartha Bahu was the brother-in-law of Kesh Chandra who built Itumbaha Mahavihara in Kathmandu.
On the day of Falgun Purnima, the Chir is broken down and taken away to Tundikhel for burning. According to another legend, after the burning of Chir, one Muri of cooked rice is offered to Gurumapa, a ferocious demon who used to abduct children of Kathmandu and ate them.
With order of Itumbahal's Kesh Chandra, Gurumapa was held up and was ordered to stay at Tundikhel for good. In turn, Gurumapa will be offered once every year on the day of Falgun Purnima a huge feast consisting of one Muri cooked rice, cooked meat out of a whole buffalo, Ayla (traditional liquor) and Thwon (traditional white beer). This tradition is still alive and there is a provision of Guthi for this purpose.
Speaking about Holi's pros and cons, this festival plays vital role to promote goodwill among the Nepalese people. Holi is a celebration of fertility, joy, color, love and friendship. Actually, The festival provides an occasion for merry-making. Nepal's festivals have been enhancing goodwill in a diverse society of Nepal by contributing to increasing social unity.
On the day of Falgun Purnima, the Chir is broken down and taken away to Tundikhel for burning. According to another legend, after the burning of Chir, one Muri of cooked rice is offered to Gurumapa, a ferocious demon who used to abduct children of Kathmandu and ate them.
With order of Itumbahal's Kesh Chandra, Gurumapa was held up and was ordered to stay at Tundikhel for good. In turn, Gurumapa will be offered once every year on the day of Falgun Purnima a huge feast consisting of one Muri cooked rice, cooked meat out of a whole buffalo, Ayla (traditional liquor) and Thwon (traditional white beer). This tradition is still alive and there is a provision of Guthi for this purpose.
Speaking about Holi's pros and cons, this festival plays vital role to promote goodwill among the Nepalese people. Holi is a celebration of fertility, joy, color, love and friendship. Actually, The festival provides an occasion for merry-making. Nepal's festivals have been enhancing goodwill in a diverse society of Nepal by contributing to increasing social unity.
But at the same time, increasing incidents of hooliganism during the Holi festival are on the rise. Strict law enforcement is important to curb the growing arbitrary attitude of the youth during the Holi.
Every year police detain hundreds of young people for hooliganism as part of the drive to control arbitrary acts during the festival of Holi. Likewise, hundreds of motorbikes are taken into police control in the Kathmandu valley as youths drive into the streets defying laws during the Holi festival.
(Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in the USA)
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