Sunday, May 27, 2001		Article

Triumph of tradition over time
Dinesh Rathod

INDIANS, it is said, are so fun-loving by nature that they have invented a festival for every month of the year. This may be true of certain communities. But by and large, nobody needs an excuse to celebrate here and even 12 festivals in 12 months are not enough.

In neighbouring Nepal, every second day is marked for a festival. For according to its official calendar, there are 41 national festivals and almost three times the number marked as "major religious festivals" to be celebrated this year.

These range from Lord Buddha’s birth anniversary and anointing of the king by the "virgin goddess" to a festival devoted to dogs, another meant to pay respect to the departed spirits of the family and yet another to assuage different parts of the human body!

This is the 2058th year since Raja Vikramaditya (the Indian calendar maker) journeyed to the valley of Kathmandu to get his calendar accepted in exchange of writing off the debts of the Nepal Mandala, the system of fixing days and months by the movement of the Moon, is thus common to India and Nepal.

Another similarity stems from the 22 million Nepali population being divided mainly between Hindus and Buddhists. Mahakali, Lakshmi, Shiva and Durga are some of the common gods and goddesses worshipped with equal fervour in India and Nepal.

Significantly, the Hindus and Buddhists see the king as an incarnate of the gods. So any celebration in his honour, including the annual anointing ceremony (on September 1 this year) is marked by Hindus sacrificing animals and Buddhists praying for his soul in monasteries across the country. In the past, when rulers were not anointed with vermillion by the virgin goddess, tragedy followed.

For the Buddhists, the holiest of holy months is Gunla (beginning on June 21) when the devout walk everyday to the stupas and viharas in keeping with a tradition that goes back a thousand years. Buddha Purnima (May 7) is celebrated with jubilation since the Buddha was born in Nepal. Yet another joyous occasion is Lohsar (February 13), the Sherpa Tibetan New Year.

According to the calendar, mid-November is a busy period. For on the November 14, dogs must be worshipped — garlanded and fed, so that they remain loyal and devoted to their duties as household security guards. Even strays are bathed and fed on that day.

November 14 also marks the Night of the Goddess of Wealth. As they do on Divali in India, houses are illuminated by oil lamps in anticipation of the goddess dropping by in disguise. Guests are treated with extra care as they are believed to be messengers of god who test the hospitality of householders.

A day later, on November 15, Nepalis worship their own selves with special food items meant to pamper different parts of the body. On November 16, women worship their brothers in what is the equivalent of Bhai Dooj in India.

The Nepali equivalent of Christmas and Thanksgiving is Bada Dasim (October 17-26). Dedicated to the Mother Goddess, it is a time when the Himalayan Kingdom comes to a standstill and animal sacrifice becomes part of the festivities. Blood from slaughtered animals is applied on everyone and everything from the Royal Nepal Airlines, downwards.

Even a sexually insatiable princess has her day. Legend has it that on April 14, many centuries ago, in the magnificent city of Bhaktapur, a handsome prince had slaughtered the demon that drove the princess into a libidinous man eater!

On August 21, women in red wedding sarees fast and bathe in waters of holy rivers for the welfare of their husbands. And there are particular Saturdays when the God Mahakal (who was caught by a tantrik priest and asked to look after the kingdom) must be propitiated with a feast of mutton and rum.

So festival follows festival with the incense of one mingling with the drumbeats of another, as ancient gods return to the kingdom where faith and innocence are still manifest in myriad forms. It is the triumph of tradition over time that the Nepali calendar reaffirms.

Many of the rituals would find close parallels with those practiced by Hindus in India — only that the timing could be different. A spring festival here could be a celebration of winter harvest there, and vice-versa. But ultimately, it is the commonality of purpose that matters in bringing the nations together. (MF)