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Kathmandu Sunday September 02, 2001 Bhadra 17, 2058.
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King
Gyanendra offers puja to Kumari
By Perina Pathak
KATHMANDU, Sept 1
Thousands of people gathered at the
Basantapur Durbar Square in central Kathmandu today to observe the
Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) of Kumari, Ganesh and Bhairab on the
occasion of Indra Jatra.
Their Majesties King
Gyanendra and Queen Komal and other members of the Royal Family graced
the Rath Yatra of new Kumari, the Living Goddess of Nepal. The King
and Queen threw coins from the balcony of Basantapur Durbar to have a
darshan (pay homage) of the Goddess. Then the chariot, carrying the
Kumari, went around the main thoroughfares of the Capital.
Even the diplomats and
other high-ranking government officials got this rare opportunity of
having a darshan of Goddess Kumari.
Thousands of people,
including the tourists, braved the drizzle to gather at the periphery
to watch this traditional chariot festival, held once a year.
"It is my first
time to Nepal and I am very happy to watch this Nepali tradition from
near. I am enjoying very much," says Theo Mary of the USA.
Indra Jatra, primarily
celebrated by the Newar community in the Capital, is considered to be
the most important festival, prior to the biggest festival of Dashain.
Today, the third day of
the eight-day Indra Jatra, is the most important day as the Goddess
Kumari is taken out of the Kumari House in a chariot.
Before taking out in a
chariot, Pancha Buddha (mainly from Bajracharya community) offered a
special puja to the Goddess in a secret function. Then Ganesh and
Bhairab were brought out of their respective houses in different
chariots amidst the beat of traditional musical instruments.
This year’s chariot
festival had more significance as the new Kumari was taken out for the
first time. Priti Shakya, a four-year-old daughter of Surendra and
Rina Shakya was instated as the new Kumari in the Kumari House at
Basantapur.
Before the start of
chariot festival, goats were sacrificed at each wheel of the chariots
and were offered puja so that the chariots would not meet an accident
during the procession.
Today’s Yatra is also
called Koniya Jatra. This is because the chariots moved only towards
the southern part of the city like Chikanmugal, Lagan Tole, etc.
Tomorrow on Sunday, Thaniya Jatra would be held, when the chariots
would be taken through the northern part of the city. "Starting
from the Kumari House at Basantapur, the chariots would be taken
through places like Pyaphal, Yatkha, Nardevi, Tangal, Bangemudha, Ason,
Keltole, Indrachowk, Makhan, Hanumandhoka and back to Kumari
House," says Tej Ratna Tamrakar, Hakim (chairman) of Hanumandhoka
Durbar.
Panche Baja, the
traditional music and a military band accompanied the chariots. Raj
Khadga (a traditional Royal Sword representing the King) is also taken
along with the chariot.
When the chariot of
Kumari reached in front of the Bhairab temples, displayed at different
places from the first day of the festival, then the people hustled for
Jaad (traditional liquor) poured from the Bhairab’s mouth. A pipe is
fixed on the mouth of Bhairab from where the liquor is poured, people
say.
"Indra Jatra is
the festival of Indra in which the Kumari Jatra is just a part of
it," says Tamrakar.
Newars in the Valley
invited their relatives and close ones to their homes as they
organized a feast at the places where the chariot of the Kumari
reached today. Then after the evening puja, the family members of
those deceased in a year go around different parts of the Valley
lighting oil lamps (Pala) at different parts of the city in their
memory.
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