Posts
August 29, 2017 at 11:37AM
Day 1902: Colourful Grayscale!
A picture doesn't need colors to be colourful, it only needs to bring colour to heart and eyes. As cool as it sounds, I wouldn't want to have my name stamped as Viktória has done, on this beautiful machine and bear the responsibility for all my life.
#AstonMartin
August 21, 2017 at 11:38AM
Day 1894: Father's Day!
The most important people call me 'Daddy'
August 12, 2017 at 11:39AM
Ojesh Singh is with Nikki Shakya at Vue.
Day 1885: When Harry Met Sejal...
...we forgot dinner and it was 2.AM when we got home.
August 8, 2017 at 11:40AM
Day 1883: SāYāh – SāPāru - GāiYātrā
SāPāru is the greatest celebration of death in the valley and the start of the most Joyous festival. It is, remarkably, a festival where, no sacrifices are brought to the gods. Indeed, it seems that death still carries with the ancient connotation of being the ultimate sacrifice. The deaths of the past year, in other words, have been the sacrifices made, and itis just the feast which remains. Hence, there are feasts for the Deceases (Srāddhas) to appease and nourish the ancestors.
The month of Guṃlā (July-August) starts, two or three days after Gathāṃmugaḥ Carhe, which is a sacred to the Newah Buddhists. Buddhists of higher caste congregate every morning at the Svayambhü west of Kathmandu, where a characteristic Guṃlā bajaṃ is played by the Urãy Caste. The most important day of Guṃlā is the full moon day called Gunhi Punhi, when the victory of Lord Buddha over his opponent Māra is celebrated. Gunhi Punhi is on the eve of SāYāh (GāiYātrā), is of a great importance of Hindu.
The distinction between Buddhist and Hindus is at no time of the year so marked as it is during the month of Guṃlā. While the distinction is blurred at the level of Jyāpu or farmers, the higher caste Buddhists, e.g. Sākyas, Vajrācārya etc. put the statues, ancient manuscript and other treasures on show in houses and in Bāhāls and bahīs. However, they don’t normally participate in the massive celebration of death which is called SāYāh (Gāi Yātrā, cow possession) also called as SāPāru (Sā: Cow + Pāru: The first day of a Lunar fortnight)
The Buddhist non-participation of SāPāru is not because of the Buddhist belief but because of the rejection of the belief in ātman or internal Soul (Van Den Hoek, 1990). However, the death is still celebrated in the Buddhist city of Patan on the day following SāPāru and it happens in Kathmandu during the festivals of YenYā. More outspoken Buddhists consider the street carnival of clowns, transvestites and burlesque shows during SāPāru as the manifestation of Māra, death as well as the master and the challenger of Lord Buddha. (Deep 1978: 59)
Gunhi Punhi also seems to pave the way for the next day of SāPāru when Yama, Lord of Death, opens the gate of this kingdom for those deceased during the past year. The full moon day is containing renewals and purifications of various sorts. It is also the climax for the pilgrimages into the high mountains, to holy sites like lake of Gosāikuņda, Pamcapokhari and the mountain shrine of Muktināth. The path to these places are arduous and dangerous in the midst of monsoon but whoever dies on the way will immediately obtain Moksha. It is hard not to see a link between this opportunity and the following day of SāPāru, when Yama will be judging the fate of the dead souls. (Van Den Hoek, 1990).
There are various other things that can be associated and explained with SāPāru. Infact, an investigation into the meaning of SāPāru/ SāYāh requires a full scale comparative study of the ways in which it is celebrated throughout the valley. If there is right time and opportunity I will not hesitate to devote some part of my life into this.
Picture: Bikkil Sthapit, 2013
August 1, 2017 at 12:03PM
Ojesh Singh updated his profile picture.
