Friday, November 16, 2007

Kartik Nachh

The Kartik Nachh, a historical dance performed in the month of Kartik for about eight days is performed here in the Patan durbar Square, Lalitpur. The dance was started around 365 years ago by the then Malla king of Patan, Siddhi Narasingh Malla.
The dance-festival was started for peace and the prosperity for the people and the Nation. In those days Kathmandu , Lalitpur and Bhaktapur were the separate kingdoms.
Siddhi Narasingh Malla, the king in those days felt somewhat the people of his country not bright enough in comaprision to the Kathmanduites. King Siddhi Narasingh Malla was of religious nature and staunch devotee of Lord Krishna. So, he consulted the soothsayers and tantrik-priests. After careful observation they concluded that the city of Lalitpur was cursed. The solution to this problem, they suggested to the king Siddhi Nara Singh Malla, was to sacrifice a human.
The sacrifice was then inacted as Hiranya Kashyap badha - the killing of demon king by God Narashing - an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The killing used to be the real ritual and it couldnot be enacted for long as people started fearing to take part in the dance as a Hiranya Kashyap. To become Hiranya Kashyap meant to except death. Thus, after a decade when nobody wanted to take part in the dance by fearing death, the tantriks, through their tantrums started giving life to the actor who became Hiranya Kashyap and dies on the hands of Narashing. The practice continues till date as death ritual of the actor enacting Hiranya Kashyap is performed as if he were really dead after the badha. He then is again, brought to life with the help of Tantriks and they performe all the rituals as if he were a newly born-baby.
The seven days dance, started thus to sacrifice a human being, by Siddhi Narasingh Malla was later extended to 15 days by his son Srinivas Malla and then to one month by Yognarendra Malla, the latter’s son. Thus the three-generation of Siddhi Narashing Malla has contributed in this dance festival with added plays.
Srinivas Malla added eight more days of play, locally known as Batha, for the sake of entertainment to the public as there used to be no entertainment for the public in those days.
The dance comprises of social Bathas, the plays like labya layagu – the finding of the boyfriend of one’s wife, Kaula Khicha - cheating a wise man by the cons, Satiwanigu and the puranic plays like Madhukaitav Badha - the killing of Demons Madhu and Kaitav by the lord Vishnu, and Hiranya Kashyap Badha - the killing of demon king by God Narashing - an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
The final two days of the dance festival is important and are performed on Kartik Sukla Dwadashi and Thrayodashi - the twelfth and the thirteenth day of bright half of Kartik, according to the lunar calendar.
The one month dance festival continued till the year 2006 BS but in the year 2007 BS due to various regions the tradition couldnot be continued. From 2008 BS to 2037 BS, the one minth dance was reduced to only two days for the final days as these were the important days of the dance.
From 2038 BS till 2058 BS the dance festival took place for eight days and in 2059 BS it was performed only for the four days. The dance festival is a unique in a sense that not all the dance performed here are mask dance, they is a mix of mask dance and non mask dance also.
The three cahrecter are important; Gan Daju - a clever man from Kathmandu , Sama Daju - a man form Bhaktapur and Batha Kija - a man from lalitpur. These characters represent the normal human beings but represent the three eternal periods, past present and the future. The are the metaphorical representation of Brahma, Mahesahwor and the Vishnu also, it is said.

The music plays important role in the  whole dance process. The musical instruments are Khie, Jhyali and Ponga.

Posted by Myself in 06:28:08 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Sama chakewa

Sama Chakewa festival, symbolizing the love between brothers and sisters in the Maithil society, begins on fifth day of the bright half of the Kartik, according to the lunar calendar.
The festival is celebrated from Panchami – the fifth day, to Purnima – the full moon day or the fifteenth day, in the month of Kartik, wishing for long life and happiness of brothers.

Sama Chakewa idols are made of clay and the festival is also regarded as the medium to exhibit the art of sculpting of the Maithil women.

Posted by Myself in 06:22:47 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Chhath: Worshipping of Sun

The oldest Egyptian and the Babylonian civilisation used to worship the sun, the savior of the life on earth. The rays of the sun and warmth started the plant and animal life on earth.
From the stone, age all the ancient civilisations are known to worship the nature: fire, water, tree and mountain and so did the Vedic Sagas.
The Vedic Aryans also believe in the power of sun. The Veda has given different names to Sun like Diwakar, Bhaskar, Ravi etc. The rising and the setting of sun must have fascinated the human civilasition and thus both the occasion is considered holy. The rising sun represents life and the setting sun represents death, but both are the ultimate truth of life.
Sun is especially needed for the life on this planet and their growth. So, the worshipping of rising sun represents the worship of life on earth and ensures life, longevity and health.
Thus, the extraordinary vitality and power of the sun might have provoked ancient sagas and the Vedic Aryans also worshipped sun as soul and the central planet to all nine planets.

The sun represented the power of justice in the Sumerian civilisation. But in Nepal especially in the Terai region, the sixth day of bright half of Kartik, Kartik Sukla Sasthi is celebrated as Chhat worshipping sun.

In some parts of India and even in plains of Nepal people worship sun as a god and fast for the health of one’s son.
The mother’s observing fast offer Argha, water to the sun wishing for the healthy life for the child. The worship takes place at the bank of river or the pond. Pond or the river represents the water element and the sun represents the fire element. The philosophy behind this seems is to balance the fire element and the water element for the life.
The songs and dances are the part of Hindu rituals and Chhat is no exception to that. The women enjoy the ritual with different songs while keeping vigil throughout the night on the sixth day.
On the seventh day devotees throng the riverbank, worship and offer Argha to the sun before the sunrise. These two days are the most important days of the six-day celebration of Chhat. With the changing time, most of the people celebrate only these two days.
Devotees offer bananas, sugar cane, Dhekuwa, a sweet made of flour and is hard and Kasar, a sweet like small balls made of flour to the sun god.
The Greeks myths have called Sun helious. The ancient drawing depicting sun can be seen in the altamira cave of northern Spain and in the Lasko cave of southern France . Not only in Europe but also in Karnatak the tradition of sun worshipping existed.
In the beginnig sun was the only god and friend of the human civilisations. But scientifically also, the sun represents creation.
According to the Veda, Shambha, a son of Lord Shree Krishna started the worshipping of sun. He called the Maga, an ancient tribal Brahmins of the Sakadwip, island and told them to worship the sun for their prosperity.
The significance of the festival can be acknowledged by the fact that it is the only festival also celebrated by Muslim communities in the region.
Similarly, the devotees are also seen celebrating Chhath in the major river banks and at the Ranipokhari in Kathmandu .
The devotees also observe a day-long fast. This festival is considered a symbol of cleanliness, devotion and cordial relationship and goodwill among people.
According to other scripture, the celebration is believed to have begun from the time of Dwapar Yuga (era), when the five Pandavs, while in exile in the forests, had worshipped the sun, asking for victory in the Mahabharat war.
Singing folk and devotional songs and offering prayers to the sun god also marks the day. The third day is especially significant for married women as they observe a two-day fast and offer prayers while keeping almost three-quarters of their body immersed in water for two hours.
The fourth day of the festival is called Paran or Parwan. The first day of the festival is called Arba Arbain or Nahan Khan. The second day is called the Kharana (meaning the reduction of sin).

Posted by Myself in 06:13:24 | Permalink | Comments (1) »