By Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Portland, June 10, (Nepal Oregon News):Today is Sithi Nakha, a big cultural festival of the Newah people,
that falls on the sixth day of the waxing moon in the month of Tachhala Thwo, Nepal Sambat 1141, a lunar calendar. Sithi Nakha is a popular Newah festival that is celebrated right before the start of Monsoon season in Nepal.
During the Dharani recitation in the zoom today, Guru Prajwal Vajracharya of Portland's Nritya Mandala Mahavihara also delivered a short talk on the culture and traditions of Sithi Nakha.
Stating that Newah people observe Sithi Nakha by eating Wo mari on this day, Guru Prajwal said that three different kinds of Wo mari were prepared by him for limited number of participants.
Newah people living in Nepal as well as living in different countries of the world celebrate Sithi Nakha by cooking and eating "Wo" mari (Fried lentil pancake).
Meanwhile, Newah Cultural Society of Alberta (NCSA), Canada organized a special cultural event at Duggan Community Hall in Edmonton on June 16, 2018 to celebrate the Sithi Nakha and Bungdyah Jatra whereas Newah Organization of America (NOA) Seattle Chapter observed the Sithi Nakha in community level by organizing a picnic.
Our family in Portland, USA also celebrates Sithi Nakha every year by making "Wo" mari on this day. It is to be noted that "Wo" mari contains high amounts of proteins, carbs, iron and other nutrient values.
Taking a trip down memory lane, I remember in the 1960s and 1970s (that was before going to the USSR for ten years and to the USA for good), my late grandmother Ratna Devi Shakya and my late mother Man Shova Shakya used to make different kinds of "Wo", such as, May Wo, Moo Wo, Kasu Wo etc. But here in Portland, we have to live with Moo Wo and sometimes with May Wo too. During my childhood days, I still remember I frequently used to ask my late mom Man Shova Shakya "When is the 'Wo' eating day coming?" As children, we were always so excited to eat different kinds of 'Wo' on the day of Sithi Nakha.
In colloquial or conversational Nepal Bhasa, Sithi Nakha is known as Sinnakha. At least, that was how my late grandmother and mother used to call for what is the Sithi Nakha literally.
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| Home-made Wo |
Newah people living in Nepal as well as living in different countries of the world celebrate Sithi Nakha by cooking and eating "Wo" mari (Fried lentil pancake).
Meanwhile, Newah Cultural Society of Alberta (NCSA), Canada organized a special cultural event at Duggan Community Hall in Edmonton on June 16, 2018 to celebrate the Sithi Nakha and Bungdyah Jatra whereas Newah Organization of America (NOA) Seattle Chapter observed the Sithi Nakha in community level by organizing a picnic.
Our family in Portland, USA also celebrates Sithi Nakha every year by making "Wo" mari on this day. It is to be noted that "Wo" mari contains high amounts of proteins, carbs, iron and other nutrient values.
Taking a trip down memory lane, I remember in the 1960s and 1970s (that was before going to the USSR for ten years and to the USA for good), my late grandmother Ratna Devi Shakya and my late mother Man Shova Shakya used to make different kinds of "Wo", such as, May Wo, Moo Wo, Kasu Wo etc. But here in Portland, we have to live with Moo Wo and sometimes with May Wo too. During my childhood days, I still remember I frequently used to ask my late mom Man Shova Shakya "When is the 'Wo' eating day coming?" As children, we were always so excited to eat different kinds of 'Wo' on the day of Sithi Nakha.
In colloquial or conversational Nepal Bhasa, Sithi Nakha is known as Sinnakha. At least, that was how my late grandmother and mother used to call for what is the Sithi Nakha literally.
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| Mung lentils being soaked over-night for making Wo |
For making Wo, one needs to leave the dried lentils to soak in water overnight. And then the fully soaked lentils have to be grinded or mixed in a grinder. Technology has made it much easier. But during my grandmother's days, making Wo was not that much fun. It was a very time-consuming process. At that time, the soaked lentils were squeezed and rolled manually in a firm stone slab with a stone roller.
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| Wo is ready! Any Takers? |
Of course, Newah families celebrate most of the Newah festivals, no matter where they live. They want to maintain Newah culture and Newah traditions and instill the Newah values on their children. They want to maintain the Newah identity.
Newahs and the Newah festivals are inextricably interrelated. When I say this, I mean to say Newahs and Newah festivals have symbiotic connection.
Nepal is the land of festivals and cultural carnivals. Festivals are important factors that enliven the Nepalese culture. When I say festivals are important factors that enliven the Nepalese culture, I mean Nepal is just famous and well-known across the world for its rich culture and festivals, among other things. Nepal's identity is deeply interrelated to its arts, culture, traditions and festivals, so to say.
There is no doubt that Sithi Nakha is the Newah version of World Environment Day (WED). Except, Sithi Nakha has been celebrated by the Newahs in Nepal for centuries while celebration of WED is totally a recent phenomenon.
This festival is the profound expression of devotion and commitment to the Earth. The planet Earth is round in shape and the Wo mari offered to the planet Earth on this Day is also round in shape. I am so glad to know that lately the Nepal government has been carrying out different cleanliness and other environment awareness programs to mark the Day.
Sithi Nakha for Newah people is very important because it is on this Day the Newahs not only clean and sweep their homes, nearby surroundings, Nanis, Gallis, Bahals, they also purify, clean and mop wells, ponds, stone spouts, springs and other water sources in the neighborhood periphery.
Sithi Nakha is also the Day when Lord Varah is worshipped. Hindu Newahs celebrate this festival as the birthday of Kumar Kartikeye, son of Shiva while Buddhist Newahs observe it as the Mahaparinirvana Day of Prince Mahasatwo of the state of Panti.
According to the chronicles, Maharath and Satyabati were the King and Queen of state of Panti. Their sons - princes Maha Dev, Mahaprasad and Mahasatwo went for hunting at the Namo Buddha hills (then Gandhaman mountains). While the elder brothers Maha Dev and Maha Prasad were busy chasing and capturing wild animals, young Mahasatwo confronted a pregnant tigress on the verge of dying due to hunger. The young prince was so overwhelmed, moved and emotional that he cut parts of his body to feed the dying tigress.
Later, when the elder brothers started looking for Mahasatwo, they found out remnants of the bones and also confronted the well-fed tigress. To pay tributes to the great soul, King Maharath erected a Boddhist chaitya on the Namra hills in 974 Kaligat Sambat.
According to the chronicles, Tathagata Bhagwan Buddha was in Namra hills to pay tributes to the great soul. The Shakya Muni chanted "Namo Buddha" while paying tributes to Mahasatwo. Ever since, the Buddhist stupa is known as Namo Buddha. While still in Nepal, I remember with great fondness the moments of our family's visit to Namo Buddha stupa situated at the picturesque Namra hills.
It is to be noted that on the day of Sithi Nakha, the Newahs of Kathmandu Valley also chant religious hymns to commemorate the sacrifices of Prince Mahasatwo.
Nonagenarian cultural expert and Man of Century Satya Mohan Joshi was quoted as saying in a Nepalese newspaper that the Newah community celebrate Sithi Nakha by cleaning water sources like wells, ponds and stone spouts and ending it with a grand Newah feast of six different varieties of Newah foods including Wo and Chatamari (Newah pizza).
The traditional significance of Sithi Nakha lies in the fact that it inculcates on the people the value of conserving water sources and keeping them clean and this has been practiced for centuries.
It goes without saying that culture, traditions and festivals which are the embodiment of the nation and national glory are always in need of preservation and protection.
(Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in USA)
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