Back to the festivals, Dashain. Dashain has 15 days of celebration ending on the day of the full moon. The goddess Durga in all her manifestations is worshiped with thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, which simply put, means pouring animal blood on the Durga's idol for many days. There is blood literally all over in the temple areas.
The whole thing started when one God Lord Ram was in a struggle with Ravana the king of demons The story is that Ram wasn't doing too well and Durga the Goddess came to help and, because of her, good won over evil. Most of the time Durga is depicted riding on a tiger slaying a giant Ox Ravana.
In the Hindu temples the priest must slice the head from the animal in one blow,
I wondered about this until we were visiting the temple and saw the ox that was to be offered, there he his going to his final destination. Doesn't he have a cute little face? For 9 days there are different rituals performed each day, and on the 9th day the temple is opened to the public it is called Nawami - नवमी, thousands of people go to pay their respect to the goddess Durga.
When thousands of people meet anywhere there are always the enterprising types trying to make a buck.
The street vendors just make a place for their wares. So many marigolds and they are really fresh not plastic garlands for the celebration.
Grapes and nuts and olives and of course the occasional smile for the asking, maybe a little attitude.Then there are the spices, I didn't mention this, but Dashain is the Festival of gluttony especially meat, what did you expect with all this killing going on, eating has become such a problem that the the government issued a warning from the Ministry of Health that people should not eat too much because it is not healthy, and above and in front of you are all the things that make a Nepali's mouth water.
Not to miss any of the fun or festival incentives we saw a holy man doing what they do best, beg. He is coming to me to tell me I need to pay him for taking his picture, even though I wasn't. I actually cropped him from a picture I was taking of the crowds waiting to get into the inner temple grounds. If you will look closely you can see him trying to get my attention, to tell me to pay him for taking his picture.
This day is also the day of worship to the god Vishwas Karma, all factories, vehicles and any machinery or things from which a person makes a living are worshiped.
They then give sacrifices to get blessing from the goddess Durga for protection of their vehicles and their occupants from accidents during the year. The car wheel on the right has blood poured on it for protection and the car motor above has blood poured on it for a sacrifice to Vishwas Karma to help it run well. 
The man who drives this car uses it every day for his work and it is used a lot. His wife is very religious and she made him stop what he was doing the morning we met him for the blessing. They had to kill a duck and pour the blood on the wheels and then the motor, as you can see, before she would let him leave. That is where you buy the duck, from the street vendor.
The festival is also a festival where families come together, this is usually for the father to give each family member a tika. So families come from far and near to be together and be blessed by their father, or head of the family, with a tika on the forehead.
Now the 15 day festival is over and you would think that work should begin since most of the government and schools and stores, almost everything has been closed for the festivities, alas no, more to come.
About a week later the next festival begins, Tihar -तिहार . The name Tihar means the festival of lights, where many candles are lit both inside of the house to make it bright at night. 
There is a story which tells why this festivity is celebrated so widely. Once there was a king who was living the last days of his last days of his life. His astrologer had told him that a serpent would come and take his life away. The king did not want to die so he asked the astrologer if there was any way to escape death. The king was advised to sleep with lit oil lamps all around his bed and decorate the palace with oil lamps on Laxmi Tihar, the third day of Tihar, so goddess Laxmi would talk to the serpent not to take his life. It did happen, the serpent was convinced by goddess Laxmi. The serpent took the king to Yama Raj and told him that it was not yet the king's time to come to the underworld. So Yama Raj opened his ledger and in it the kings remaining age was written zero, but the serpent cleverly put seven before the zero. Thus the king lived for seventy more years so Tihar is widely celebrated worshiping the underworld and goddess Laxmi.
Crows, called Kag - काग , are worshiped on the first day of Tihar. A delicious meal is cooked early morning in every household and each member of the family takes some food outside. The crows descend in large numbers to partake of the offerings. People consider the crows to be the messenger of Yama, the Lord of Death. People also worship crows to keep sadness at bay. To me have all those crows around with their poignant droppings, in itself, is enough to make one sad. To be on the safe side, however, the crows will warn you when Yama comes and you can then avoid him.
The second day is called "Kukur Tihar', day of the dog. Hindu's believe a dog plays many roles in our society. We have dogs in our houses as guardian of the house. As the legend also says that there is a dog at Yama's gate guarding the gate to the underworld. The dog is also the steed of the fearful Bhairab, the god of destruction.
This day the saying 'every dog has his day' comes true; for even a stray dog is looked upon with respect. We pray to the dog to guard our house as he guards the gate of the underworld and to divert destruction away from our homes. 
On this day you can see even street dogs running around with garlands on their neck. Look closely and you can see what is left of the marigolds on the black dog in the foreground of the picture on the right.The third day is the most important day of the festival. It is called "Laxmi Tihar". On this day, early in the morning the cow is worshiped
A Tika is put on the cows head and a garland around her neck then she feasts with delicious food. The cow also symbolizes wealth and she is the most holy animal for Hindus. In the evening goddess Laxmi is worshiped.
.JPG)
Days before, the houses are cleaned and decorated. The goddess likes clean and tidy places. In the evening a small portion of the house out side the main door is painted red with red mud and an oil lamp is lit.
A pathway is made from here to the place where the old money box and valuables are kept in the house that is the puja room. Nepalese have a box where from generation to generation money is put every year worshiping the Goddess Laxmi. The entire house is decorated with lit oil lamps in every door and window. Laxmi, goddess of wealth is worshiped performing the traditional rituals and when the rituals are over the party begins.
Many of these decoration are found in front of the houses to welcome the Goddess Laxmi into their homes. Notice the oils lamps, very small, in the flower decoration.
.jpg)
These were in front of stores along Kings Way, a road in Durbar Marg, it is kind of a down town shopping place.
Not to be out done we joined in the festivities with our own version of Tihar. Janet in front of our house.
On this day throughout the evening groups of girls come to houses singing songs of praise to Laxmi they are taken in as guests and given gifts, we give them candy and coins they think that is great. If you think about it it very similar to Halloween. The one difference is that the kids in Nepal sing blessing to us not threats as in the US during Halloween.
The fourth day is bit different. Normally most of the people perform "Goru Tihar", ox worshiping The ox is worshiped with a tika, a garland and then a delicious meal is fed to it, What ever that is I guess only an ox can tell. Funny story, I made the mistake of telling a man who helps me with Nepali. One day when we were leaving I told him he was a great teacher and he looked shocked. I asked him what I had said, his wife said that I had called him Goru. In Nepali a teacher is a Chhicchaa or a Master or a Guru. Well to make a long story longer I said to him thank you Goru, so... in Nepali a guru is a teacher and a Goru is an Ox, needless to say there was some crow to eat but they don't eat crow in Nepali so we just laughed.
.JPG)
This day is also for the boys to go out and sing and dance for money, like the girls do on the 3rd day.
Boys and teenagers sing what is called Deusi or Deusuray in Nepali. You can write just
about any Deusi song as long as each line ends with the word `Deusi' or
`Deosuray'. A group of males get together, carry what-ever musical instruments
they have or can play, and sing Deusi door to door blessing the home and family
in return for money and/or refreshments.
The following is an example of a Deusi song. The English translation follows each line
Sormelai Kana Deusuray. (Say it louder and say it in tune. Deusuray)
Rato Batoo Deusuray. (Red mud trail. Deusuray)
Chiploa Batoo Desuray. (Slippery trail. Deusuray)
Laddai Paddai Deusuray. (Slipping and Sliding. Deusuray)
Akeya Hami Deusuray. (Finally we made it to your home! Deusuray)
.... .... Deusuray
.... .... Deusuray
.... .... Deusuray
Yo Garma Laxmi Deusuray. (In this home Lord Laxmi. Deusuray)
Sadthai Aun Deusuray. (Always come. Deusuray)
Hamilai Denus Deusuray. (Give us what you have money or meal)
Bidtha Garnus Deusuray. (Please give us now, say good bye to us, so we sing for
next home!)
Fifth day, also known as Bhai Tika, is the
day of brothers and sisters. Sister applies tika on the forehead of a brother.
An interesting ritual is followed. Sisters first walk around the brothers three to five times first with a pitcher of water pouring it in a circle and then dropping oil on the floor from a pitcher on the same circle, this is for protection from evil during the ceremony. The sister then place a Bhai Tika on the forehead of the brother by dabbing seven colors on top of the base using her fingers. Some
may give tika with the help of a small stick or a brush. In this case, small stick is dipped into the tika base, then
brushed vertically on the forehead, then using a different stick, the seven
colors are applied on top of the base. After tika, flower garland is put around
brother's neck, and the sister gives her brothers gifts of fruit and all kinds of delicious food.
Then brothers give tika to sisters in the same fashion. Sisters pray for
brothers' long life and prosperity while brothers offer gifts to their sisters. Then a delicious
Tihar feast takes place in the households.
The picture below is of Sunila's family the two men on the left are her two uncles and her mother is on your right my left. I think frequently how so many things that we do are so very similar to what the Hindu's of Nepal do with the blessing and the washing and the anointing with oil for health on the head and limbs of those being blessed. I really believe we are all brothers and sisters, from the same family with the same priesthood blessings and I see it daily.
I believe that the blessings of the temple would make a great deal of sense and logic if they had the opportunity to hear the message of the Savior.
I frequently concern myself with the possibility of one of our family losing sight of that goal to be reunited with of Father in Heaven. But even more that the one that might get lost, how many in just a few generations would lose the light of Christ and dwell in darkness as we have experienced in just a few short weeks, in this country.
You must see that they, these people of Nepal are of the tribes of Israel simply because of the customs they have, and how closely related they are to what we know. They have a spirit of goodness and determination within their souls. As I watch I often feel what I believe Moses must have felt with the children of Israel when they just wanted him to do everything and he would teach them what to do again and again they would just want him to do every thing for them. I guess that's why they were called the children of Israel rather than the grownup's of Israel.
As the Savior said to Simon in John 21:15 "...feed my sheep". I need to go forth and remind people of the things that they have had and show them the way to find true happiness. The scripture in Proverbs 10;21 takes on a whole new meaning to me; "The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom". As we see so many of our Nepali brothers and sisters following these rituals, I have asked them what these rituals and rites mean and they can't tell me what the meaning of the rituals and rites are, or even why they do them, it is disheartening.
I hope that each of our children understand why they worship in the manner they do and will determine that is of great consequence to them to continue with zeal in those endeavors.
God lives and loves us!!
Next chapter living in and loving Nepal
No comments:
Post a Comment