Kumari in ancient   Nepal 

Rato Machhendranath guthi proceedings involve the active cooperation of many local communities and caste groups.

By John Mellowship

The tradition of royal Kumari worship is extremely ancient. Nevertheless I suggest that it still has considerable relevance for the governance of today’s Nepal.

In this brief overview of ancient Nepal, I will focus on Nepal Valley as the main center of it’s culture, and concentrate on the medieval Malla period. This period represents a peak in Nepal’s civilization. It was also a time when the royal worship of Kumari reached its highest development with the building of Kumari’s palace by Jaya Prakash Malla and the beginning of her annual festival.

In those days the tasks of government were much fewer than today. There was no need for an extensive centralized bureaucracy to organize roads, transports, communications, and so on. There were also few police and no standing army to enforce the government’s will.

The weakness or absence of central control meant that most decisions were made locally. People settled their disagreements at the communal level in a lengthy face-to-face process of discussion and argument. Over time consensus would be reached about agreed customary norms of responsible behavior, which were enforced by public opinion.

A typical institution, which developed from this sort of local government, was the guthi, a kind of cooperative which is still active today. It is responsible for the organization of the numerous ritual and social events, which accompany the lives of Valley people. Guthis rotate management among the heads of households and reach decisions by consensus rather than by voting. In case of larger festivals such as Rato Machhendranath guthi proceedings involve the active cooperation of many local communities and caste groups.

Newcomers joined in the fun and festivity, which blurred the racial, religious, and status differences between them. The relative harmony, which resulted, was essential to the flowering of the civilization in which Nepalese take justifiable pride. It is noteworthy that this high culture was largely the people’s own self-creation and not something created by powerful people ‘from above’.

During the Malla times it can be said that this body of Nepalese custom, systematized as dharma in accordance with Hindu/Buddhist ideas, now performed the role of an unwritten constitution.

In this constitution the raja was not expected to create new law but to defend the realm and to judge cases according to dharma. In this role of preserving dharma the raja was (and still is) regarded as like an earthly Vishnu who protects his people like a father.

Moreover to maintain his ruling power it was essential for a King to regularly worship the Goddess in her forms as the protective mother goddesses of the Valley (ajima/astamatrika).

In the case of Malla rajas, they brought with them their goddess Taleju and built temples in her honor all over the Valley. However a well-known story describes how one of the rajas worshipped her incorrectly.

Taleju disappeared and refused to reappear except in the form of a young local girl (Kumari). However, the institution of Kumari already represented the protective mother goddesses of the Valley and also the powers of local Naga deities responsible for timely rains.

The reappearance of Taleju as Kumari effectively united royal power and local power into a single institution. This conjunction effectively made Kumari the supreme symbol of power and authority similar in function to a head of state.

She does not personally wield the power to govern but delegates it to the executive arm of government. This delegation of power occurs during her annual festival, and she can refuse the blessing, which grants that authority.

I should add that in the Nepal Valley culture this delegation of power by Kumari is not limited to the topmost .

It extends to all those in authority down to the household heads who worship their own daughters as Kumari during Dasain.

Without over-idealizing the past, it can be seen that the main strength of Nepal’s past governance lay in its self-created consensus about the norms and goals of society. This consensus also carried with it a degree of flexibility because customs are in a constant process of re-negotiation to meet changing situations.

2001's year ends

She was setting the pines and bushes inside her compound. I then passed near by the churchyard and heard something.

By Navin G

Temperature is below minus, the entire spots are as white as shirt covered on the land due to snow and the trees except pines are dry because of climate. Like everyday, I am going back home from my shop. It’s twilight.

I passed through Peter’s apartment, I saw his little maid brushing out the tiles and chimney, I then passed through Mrs. D’suoza’s place. She was setting the pines and bushes inside her compound. I then passed near by the churchyard and heard some known song being rehersed " Wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year". Oh my goodness! how aloof I’m from the planet and its calendar. How couldn’t I remember the only happiness days like christmas and new year? The Opera singer from St. Mary’s is making reherse christmas and new years song to the kids in church. I then stepped upward Maria’s bar via Jacob and Nicholas jewellery’s shop and suddenly stopped my feets because the cardboard on the door was hung written "closed". Oh I missed my mug of beer and cake for tonight. I guess Maria went to her husband for christmas. She goes once in a year because her husband is a busy hunk who is an ambulance driver in far pretty town. I’ll miss Maria till January’s first week. It’s only an excuse in a year to have rest and to be together for christians.

The sound of baking flour of cake from Mrs. Briganza’s kitchen is strucking my ears, it's essential for her because her two sons and daughter with their kids are gathering here for christmas and New Year. The climate out is pretty cool but doesn’t matter the hearts are hot cause of being together.

Entire a year only once in christmas and New Year, I’m crazy to know my existence. I never saw my folks, who am I? I never gained experience of being kissed by them, I have never being gifted a birthday, or new year or christmas presents under my blanket or pillows. Few years ago in christmas I lost my parents, my home and again few years ago in christmas my heart too was engaged with a gorgious lass but suddenly went away saying that she wanted to see me again next year but already its fourth new year gone. But she isn't here to join me. She could not fulfill her words but mention not, she may join me in the coming year. If she wont then too I will be left alone as I do every year. Whenever I am alone I shut down my eyes and Santa Claus secretly comes to me to kiss on my forehead and keeps gift under my pillows and goes away. I feel Mother Mary knows me very personally because whenever she holds little Jesus on her lap she gives me a smile and tells me "Cheer up! you too are my son". Thanks for her and Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you. And if you too are alone in this christmas and New Year then don't get down. Just do the same as I do because its not an occasion to be depressed of. Lets cheer up, we too have parents like mother Mary and Joseph and friend philosopher
like Jesus.

Its my diary written in my late 20s. Now I’m here far from my land and natives. Here I’m missing them. Today noon I went for a walk, the weather out here is pretty cool with warm sunny days, temperature mercury is going down and down day by day. Mothers giving bath to their babies under the sun, junkies having stuffs on the cricket ground, the terai’s professionals are grinding the cottons blanket on the Pathaks balcony. Today is Saturday, Sagar Kumar must be playing cards with his friends, Mrs Sherpa must be hitting the garment with her husband stick to put-off the dusts from it.I believe, Shresthas dog is continuously barking at her. The week is the last of this year. The medias are calculating about the year. The fire in the jungle of Australia is out of the country, America guess laden is exile to Pakistan the emergency in the country is getting more tight. Violence and war is spreading all over the planet.

We are almost end of this year, lets make resolutions against violence, terrorism, war, etc and lets step on next year with fresh, holy and perfect mind and soul. Let's say the year running is the worst year in the calendar and hope that the coming year will be the most fruitful year in the history of human life so as to make it the best. The positive attitutes from every level is required. So it is a message for all those beautiful eyes glancing over these words, please let's get united for peace and harmony. If D’costa is alone and missing his native then lets be with him, if Yakub Khan is alone lets call him on Diwali and lets go to him in Ed-ul-Fitr. Yes, I think this is a better idea to make the world united.

Reviving upto 2002

Anybody wearing red meant that the person was occupied for the night, while with green meant ready.

By SJ

This New Year’s Eve was not about security, price or money. It was not about insecure life on the Rocks; it was not about unlimited liquor and free accommodation. It was not about breaking of hearts, and it cannot get any better. Because this eve was about meeting that elusive one, it was about turkey, duck, gammon, and exotic vegetables, it was about being seen at the Radisson. Radisson presented us a theme party unlike any other that we had experienced.

Revolving around the theme ‘Traffic Lights’, where the decor, ambience and music were designed to match STOP and GO. Anybody wearing red meant that the person was occupied for the night, while anybody wearing green meant that the person was there for the taking. In other words one could call it a blind date.Loud music. A hall full of people of all kinds and ages. Music was at its loudest volume. An international band known as Groove and Suppa from Bombay Grind to the pulsating DJ music was experienced in the hottest eve show in town here at the Nepa Dhuku Ballroom at the Radisson.

The tickets for the singles who would just prefer coke or San Miguel and a lavish buffet dinner was costing to 2500 rupees and for the couples Rs 4500. The singles who would atleast prefer more than just drinks that is free coke or San Miguel and a lavish dinner with unlimited tea/coffee with pastries at coffee shop, and champagne breakfast as well at the Splash was to pay an amount of Rs 3500 and for the couples it was Rs 5500.

The dinner featured roasted Turkey, fish Normandy, chicken and plenty of other dishes. Far from the madding crowd for a homely celebration, it was the perfect place. The late check out was at two thirty in the morning.

Because opportunities don’t come so often, there was a chance to convey your status, whether engaged, available or ready according to dresses.

Heritage tour 

The great chaitya of Baudha

By Razen Manandhar

The great chaitya of Baudha, locally known as Khasti or Khasau, is the largest Buddhist shrine of Nepal and one of the biggest stupas of the world.

The exact date of the construction of this 40 metre high stupa, located some 8 kilometres away from the city ecentre, is not known.

Its location away from the ancietn city of Kathmandu indicates that either the place was chosen as s trade route to Tibet, or it was also a part of ancient city of Deupatan or the dicision must have been guided by some tantric principles.

Traditionally, it is believd that the Mandeva the First was the one who built the stupa after unknowingly having killed his father, when the stone water spout of Narayanhiti was built. The Gopal Rajbanchabali gives credit of making this stupa to Shivadeva the First, who ruled Nepal in around 590-604 AD.

To add, this shrine is also considered as relinquary of a month called Kashapa Buddha who came to the earth earlier than Sakyamuni Buddha himself.

A popular legend has it that, the construction of stupa took palce in a 12-year-long drought.

But the king spreaded clothes on the ground and collected the dew drops everyday and kept on constructing the temple with dewdrops. After 12 years, the temple was completed and it rained, putting an end to the drought.

The archaeologists believe that the main stupa of Baudha has been reconstructed by various persons, who added more circles to the amin sacred and original stupa to decorate it and make it huge. They also believe that some important inscriptions and idols indicative of the age of the stupa might be hidden in the periphery. No clear inscirption of Lichhivi era have been so far found in the monument zone.

Or perhaps, Tibetans took charge or rennovating the old stupa, adding some characteristics of Tibetan archetecute in the main stupa.

The strength of the stupa foundation stupa can be proved by the evidence that the it was one among a few monuments of the Kathmandu Valley, whiche remained intact even after the great earthquake of 1934.

The present stupa is standing on almost 7,000 square metre foundation. It is setup with 12 corner-shaped mandala with three steps and on the top lises the simple but massive dome. The dome is ciculated by 108 small idols of Mahayani Buddhist deities. The dome is crowen with the cubic shape with two eyes on each side. Unlike other Nepali stupas, it has 13 layers, representing the 13 Bhuwanas to Nirvana-path, in square shape.

The small staircase attatched with a chain can lead a person to the golden pinnacle, which is under the decorated umbralls, also circulated by a fvie-colour fringe.

No matter how grandiloquent the past and the stupa itself might have been, the around 1500-year-old Boudha Stupa is almost hidden in the illegally built concrete houses that have totally engulfed the main shrine.

"However, the stupa is becoming incresing hidden by tall houses which have been settled in primarilty Tibetans," writes the 1990 edition of Nelles Gudes.

Locals there say that there are over a hundred houses and monasteries around the Stupa and behind, which have been built against government rules and regulations.

These illegally built buildings have not only blocked the Stupa’s view from the outside but also give an awkward look in the traditional setting of the ancient Buddhist structure.

Still, the Department of Archeology has not made any plans to correct the surrounding environment of Baudha area, despite the fact that the condition of Boudha is one of the major reason of Kathmandu Valley being threatened of delisting for UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Neither the Bothnath Area Development Committee is doing anything more than collecting the entrance free from the visitors.

Moreover, the shrine is takeing a shape of "Little Tibet of Nepal." Most of the surrounding houses have Tibetan shops and Tibetan buyers. The public notice and signboards can be read in Tibetan script. The locals admit that in around 500 ropani area at the back of the stupa has thousands of houses owned or rented by Tibetans. Monasteries from Tibet, Butan, Sikkim are built there with their original architecture.

"It was perhaps in the Malla period that the stupa of Bodhnatha was totally rebuilt to Tibetan staste, perhaps in conformity with the celebrated Tibetan stupa at Gyanngtse... the Tibetans graviated to it and made it their own. At length, it becme essentiallly a Tibetan preserve, and it was trasformed into the mandala from it now has... But there is little doubt that consealed within the immense dome is a primitive Licchavi core," states writer Mary Slusser, in her book Nepal Mandala about Tibetan influence in Baudha.

HEADLINE | RECOLLECTIONS