Kuchhi Bhoy: What Exactly Does It Mean?

Dr. Rabin Man Shakya

Portland, Oct 20 (Nepal Oregon News): Kuchhi Bhoy - what exactly does it mean? My daughter asked me during Kuchhi Bhoye celebration at our home in Portland, USA during the Mohani Nakha festival recently.

About fifty years ago, in Nepal, when you go to buy rice, baji (beaten rice), gofuki, edible oil, lentils, beans etc, they were measured by Mana, Kuchhi and Paathi  by the store keeper. In Nepal Bhasa, it is Chhamana, Nimana, Swamana, Pyamana, Nyamana, Khumana, Nhayamana and Chyamana etc. Nimana is also Kuchhi in Nepal Bhasa.

Kuchhi or Nimana Baji (beaten rice) will be over five pounds which will be a lot for a person. So usually some cloths or papers are squeezed inside the Mana before serving Kuchhi Baji on the Lapte. Symbolically, Kuchhi Baji is eaten during that feast, so it is called Kuchhi Bhoy. Kuchhi Bhoy is usually the first traditional feast of the Newah people during the Mohani Nakha.

Traditionally, the Kuchhi Bhoy should be eaten on a big leaf of a banana tree. But if banana leaves are not enough, then a small piece of banana leaf is also put onto the Lapte alongside with the Baji. Putting a piece of a banana leaf into the Kuchhi Bhoy baji is sine quo non for the Kuchhi Bhoy feast. 

Kuchhi Bhoy is unique feast of the Newah people. Kuchhi Bhoy demonstrates the richness of the Newah culinary culture. More than twenty different cuisines are prepared for the Kuchhi Bhoy.

Meat items include: Chhoyala, Dayakaula, Kachila, Pukau, Takha, Sanya Khunya etc. Other items include: Fenugreek, Paunkwa, Bhuti, Butter Squash Pumpkin curry,  Simpu, Aalu Achar, Lain Achar, Cauli Flower curry, Lainkwa, Golveda Tofu curry, Tukancha Tarakari, Musya Palu etc. Also, Sisa Busa (fruits), boiled eggs and small fishes are also served during the Kuchhi Bhoy. Ayala (Newah home-made liquor) is also served from  the Anti. 


Kuchhi Bhoy is purely a family feast held on the Day of Astami, the eighth day of the fortnight as per Nepal Sambat calendar.

Newah Bhoy is always held in a spacious room. A long Suku (mat made of straws) is laid out and, on the day of Kuchhi Bhoy, all the members of the family sit cross-legged in a row for the Bhoy. 

In the Kuchhi Bhoy, like in all other important Bhoys of the Newah people,  the tradition requires that the eldest person in the family takes the place of honor at the top and the youngest at the bottom.

Alongside with the family members, the feasts are also offered to Choye Dyo (the upper god) which is ahead of the eldest person and Kwoye Dyo (the lower god) which is after the feast of the youngest in the family.

Mohani Sinha is also prepared on that day and before the start of Kuchhi Bhoy. The eldest in the family dabs the Black Mohani Sinha on the forehead of the family members.

Kuchhi Bhoy is an auspicious  and important day during the Mohani Nakha. It takes place on Kaula Thwo Astami. On this day, Newah people of the Kathmandu valley take a shower in the morning to purify themselves and put on fresh and washed clothes. Among the Newah Bajrayana families, the female members of the family go to worship Bhagwan Buddha and Ganesh at their neighborhood Mahaviharas and temples. Likewise, the same day, the female members go to worship different Peeths also.

Nala Swonegu, Pachi Marah,  Kuchhi Bhoy on Astami,  Syakko Tyakko on Nawami and Chalan on Dasami and Shree Gha Puni are important days for the Newah people in Kathmandu during the Mohani Nakha.

Well, Dashain and Mohani Nakha coincide on the same days, but Dashain and Mohani Nakha have similarities as well as dissimilarities. Dashain or Bijaya Dasami is celebrated by the Hindus of Nepal and India whereas Mohani Nakha is celebrated only by Newah people of Nepal, no matter they are Buddhists or Hindus.

The Newah people living in the United States of America also celebrate Kuchhi Bhoy and other Mohani Nakha related feasts, but it is not the same as in Nepal, because many things and ingredients required for the feast and festival are not available here.

It is to be noted that according to Hindu mythology, Mahishasur daitya was killed by Durga Bhavani on the day of Bijaya dasami, but Newah people believe that a Daitya called Bhasmasur was killed by the Goddesses on the same day.

Also, Newah Theravada Buddhists celebrate it as the Day of Dhamma Vijaya to commemorate the day on which Emperor Ashoka abandoned violence and started to adopt a policy of peaceful co-existence.

(Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in USA)