Buṅga Dyaḥ Jātrā (Rato Machindranath Jatra)

Buṅga Dyaḥ Jātrā (Nepal Bhasa: बुंग द्यः जात्रा) is a chariot procession honoring the Buddhist deity of compassion Avalokiteśvara held in Lalitpur, Nepal.
The name Rato Machhindranath means ‘Red Fish God’. Rato as in red, Machhindra or Matsyendra means fish and Nath means god, even the statue of the deity is red in color.
The legends behind Rato Machhindranath (also known by the names of Karunamaya and Bunga Dyah) are so many that is hard for me to say which one is the real one. Maybe that’s why they are called legends. All legends are not contradicting to each other. It’s just that they are like different versions of the same story told by different people in their own set of values and beliefs. Most of the time the names and characters differ but the story is the same of a drought in the valley for which to end people seek out the help of Rato Machhindranath.
Buṅga Dyaḥ is also known as Raktalokitesvara Karunamaya and Rāto Machhindranāth and is revered as the giver of rain. The name Rato Machhendranath means Red Machhendranath in a reference to the color of the deity's image.The chariot festival is held according to the lunar calendar, so the date is changeable. It begins on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of Bachhalā, the seventh month in the lunar Nepal Sambat calendar.

Chariot procession

The chariot procession was instituted to celebrate the arrival of Bunga Dyah in Nepal and the end of a devastating drought. It was started when Narendra Deva was the king (640-683 AD).
Preparations for the festival begin with the construction of a 60-foot tall chariot at Pulchok at the western end of Lalitpur. When the chariot is complete, the image of Bunga Dyah from his temple is installed in it. Revellers then drag the chariot through the streets of Lalitpur on a tour that lasts a month. The chariot of Bunga Dyah is accompanied on the journey by a similar but smaller chariot of Chākuwā Dyah (चाकुवा द्यः). The deity is another Bodhisattva and is also known as Minnāth.
The route of the chariot procession starts at Pulchok and passes through Gabahal, Mangal Bazar, Hakha, Sundhara, Chakrabahil, Lagankhel and ends at Jawalakhel. As per time-honored tradition, the chariot is pulled exclusively by women on the stretch between the localities of Iti and Thati. This part of the chariot procession is known as Yākah Misāyā Bhujyā (याकः मिसाया भुज्या).
The parade finishes at the open ground of Jawalakhel which is situated at the western side of Lalitpur. There, the festivities conclude with the ceremony of Bhoto Jatra, the display of the bhoto, a traditional Nepalese vest.

Comments

Lakhey

Lākhey ( Nepal Bhasa : लाखे, lā-khé) (alternative spellings Lākhe , Lākhay , लाखय्) is a demon in Nepalese folklore. He is depicted with a ferocious face, protruding fangs and mane of red or black hair. Lakhes figure prominently in traditional Newar culture of Nepal Mandala . The Lakhe tradition is found in the Kathmandu Valley and other Newar settlements throughout Nepal . Lakhes are said to be demons who used to live in the forests and later became protectors to the townspeople. A female Lakhe is known as Lasin (लसिं). Dancing Lakhes Lakhey Dance is one of the most popular dances of Nepal. Performers wearing a Lakhe costume and mask perform dances on the streets and city squares during festivals. The mask is made of papier-mâché and yak tails are used for the hair. The Lakhe dance is characterised by wild movements and thumping music. The most famous Lakhe is Majipa Lakhey of Kathmandu who appears during the Yenya (Indra Jatra) festival in September. [

Nhu Daya Vintuna (New year)

Newars marking New Year resolution in Tihar On the fourth day of Tihar, both Mha puja and New Year day is commemorated as per Nepal sambat calendar. Most of the Nepalese mark their New Year resolution on 1 st Baisakh of Vikram Sambat calendar. So,this New Year of Nepal Sambat virtue is an extraordinary celebration among Newars. Newar community has their own calendar, famously known as Nepal Sambat. Nepal Sambat started of its career on 20 th October 879 A.D. but it was soon officially disapproved at the beginning of 20 th century. History has saved appearance of Nepal Sambat in old coins, inscription plates, doctrines, chronicles, royal decrees and Manuscripts.This year 2016/17 corresponds to 1138 in Nepal Sambat calendar. Initially, Nepalese traders used to close down their ledger and open up new fiscal account on this day. Tales behind New Year celebration An astrologer of king of Bhaktapur calculated an auspicious time and date for the accumu

Gai Jatra

Gai Jatra , ( gāi means cow and jātrā means festival in Nepali : गाई जात्रा, and Nepal Bhasa : सा पारु) is a festival celebrated in Nepal , mainly in Kathmandu valley by the Newar community. [1] The festival commemorates the death of people during the year and is generally celebrated in the month of Bhadra (August–September). The date is set according to the lunar Nepal Era calendar: it falls on the first day of the dark fortnight of the month of Gunla . The Festival of Cows is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. It is celebrated to diminish the sadness from the death of family members. During the festival, cows are marched in the streets. People also distribute food to others. The whole complex of Gai Jatra festival has its roots in the ancient ages when people feared and worshiped Yamaraj , the god of death. However, the ironic sessions synonymous with the Gai Jatra festival entered the tradition in the medieval period of Nepal during the reign of the Mal

NewaCivilization

Search This Blog