October 2008 ~ JUST A GALLERY OF MOMENTARY LEGENDS

Friday, October 24, 2008

Grandparents tied in nuptial-knot in Hindu custom

Friday, October 24, 2008 culture, marriage, society, tourism No comments

Everyone wants to make their marital life blissful and long lasting for the sense of love and dedication. However, the western life is criticized as fragmented and culture of divorce compared to the eastern spiritual Hindu marriages.

Because of such spiritual quest, Ross Nuttall, 63 and Diane Nuttall, 61 wedded again Thursday with all the rituals of Hindu marriage customs. They are from Brisbane of Australia and have three children, Kelly, 36, eldest among them and 7 grandchildren. Ross along with Diane visited Nepal as tourists 37 years ago. “We have noticed many changes here since then,” said Ross, retired insurance broker.

Both of them were enchanted by the charismatic spiritual culture of eastern marriage and its philosophy. “It’s wonderful and exciting,” said bride Diane. At a time Groom Ross also exclaimed that this was wonderful experience.

Priest Keshav Adhikari who made such 11 marriages said that the Hindu culture of marriage is committed for never-ending bond knotted with the performance witnessed by the seniors, society and fire.

“Such relationship of marriage is rarely broken as it is fully bonded by spirituality and sense of divinity,” said second priest Ramesh Adhikari, who played the role of father of 14 such marriages including this one. “That is why we should not worry about divorce in our marital life. There is understanding and guardianship in the relationship,” he said.

Such kind of mock marriages has been performed in Nepal for three years and has become very popular among the western tourists. According to the priest, such 14 marriages were held during the period. Recently, one ceremony took place here in Kathmandu.
Amid a grand function, groom Alan Bosher, 55, British and bride Barbara Bosher, 56, Australian were re-tied in a nuptial knot again in their life last Friday. Such marriage ceremonies were arranged and organized by the Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure.

Mock marriage was initiated so as to introduce the value of long lasting marital affair of Nepalese people to the rest of the world. Priest Keshav said that such marriages are the part of cultural exchanges. “We also want to introduce our culture of marriage to the western world and how the bond and relationship remains unending throughout the life,” added Ramesh.

The bride and groom were very excited by the ceremony and danced in tune with Nepalese wedding music of Naumati. “We wanted to experience the eastern marriage,” said Ross. “Moreover, we wanted to present special surprise at our 40th anniversary of wedding ceremony,” said Diane. “Now, it has come true.” There was a team of 26 visitors who participated in the ceremony. They were from Australia, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Britain and China.

Another such marriage ceremony is being held Wednesday in Kathmandu.

My nieces, daughters of my brother Brihaspati

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 album No comments

Miss Susmita and Miss Samiksha who are 3rd and 2nd grader respectively. They love me too much...

An Interview with Another Part of Me

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 biography, experience, meditation, wonder No comments

Nothing is impossible for him. Working on hard times with difficulty, a challenge makes him feel happy rather than become disappointed by the problem. Experiencing the new moments of not trodden path becomes his way of life. He is no more than an ordinary fellow who aspires to be one of the simplest persons in the world.

He does not know whether he will succeed or not. But he certainly realizes that it is not an easy job to reach there as he starts walking on hard rocks. Reaching to a targeted point is very different from heading towards the field which is both opportunity and challenge at a time. He believes and knows from his conscience man is different from other beings not just because of the appearance but because of the nature that rows dream, plan, hard work and perfection towards what he does meditatively. They who do not understand him or such traits of human being may mistake him as egotism but it is not hard for him.

He dreamed a lot, tried hard and reached nowhere…He every time turns to be complicated as he pounds to be simpler. He called me, I came, I saw him and found frolicking psychologically to scale success. I questioned myself and HE within me answered. Some of the extracts are as following:

Me: How did you come to this world?

HE: Once upon a time I was in the universe touching everything happily. As my father fell in love with my mom one night, I was confined to a subject and she had me. It was not my desire to come here but my parents' desire to understand each other. They also did not plan to have me. It was just an accident.

Me: Are you sure about it or pessimistic about life?

HE: Yes. I am absolutely sure that life is not as one imagines to be and it goes as it flows in its current but dream can lead one to a new path. Imagination and dream are quite different phenomena. One can imagine anything but shaped vision is dream.

Me: Are you dreaming or imagining now?

HE: I am doing both as one cannot be separated from each other. The difference is only that which is dominant.

Me: What kind of philosophy is this?

HE: Which one? That you failed to understand or others misunderstand.

Me: About love and marriage?

He: sex and complimentary part of life or churning out of nothing…

Dashain Festival brings smiles among Hindus

Sunday, October 19, 2008 culture, Dashain, society No comments

All the homes of Hindus, either they were haves or have-nots, in Nepal smiled and cheered at this Dashain Festival throughout the nation though in scarcity or problems. Dashain, the greatest festival of the Hindus, was celebrated for fifteen days beginning from September 30 and ending October 14. The very day of the Dashain fell on October 9.

People in the previous years were terrified due to the prevalent armed conflict and violence in the country. After the improvement in the peace process of Nepal, they never felt panic, stress and trauma of war in their festive moods of this year. “We felt free and secured this time, and celebrated the festival in a mood of full joy and rejoice,” said Gaurav Aryal, who is originally from Palpa, Lumbini and a graduate student at Himalayan White House Graduate School of Management, Kathmandu.

Though I have been working in Kathmandu, I visited my house at Rampur village of Palpa, I along with my bro Gaurav received Tika from my mother whom we loved much. I offered tika to my nieces too at my home. It was more than wonderful and we enjoyed too much whatever moments we had even if it was limited time with us. I am the man of enjoying every moment even in hard, difficult and painful times. But it was pretty enough as it was the festival.

Dashain, the most important and greatly celebrated festival is the very popular and bears a value of Nepalese culture. All the government offices or schools and other offices remain closed during the festival period. People of all ages, young to old, take this festival as good and holy day to bless and wish good to their relatives and friends. Older people offer tika along with blessing to the juniors and well-wishers. All make merry and have fun of victory over sorrow and pains faced throughout the year.

The first day, beginning of the festival is known as Ghatasthapana-the placing of the sacred vessel. According to the tradition, all devout Hindus should take an early morning bath in the holy river and return carrying some sand from the riverbed. At the same time, a small clay pot is filled with water from the same river and placed by the sand. Barley, wheat and maize seeds are planted for germinating in this pot and nurtured for nine days. The just grown soft plants are taken as holy thing and worn on the 10th day, widely known as Dashain Tika, Similar with other Nepalese festivals, this ritual has also a specific meaning of creation and justice. In this case, the river water represents the mother goddess Durga, according to legends, crushed many powerful demon hordes in an epic battle. For the next nine days, devotees go to different prescribed sites for early morning bathes and worship different forms of Goddesses.

The next major celebration even occurs on the 7th day of the festival when the sacred flowers and leaves used to bring from the old palace of Nepal unifier Prithvi Narayan Shah at Gorkha. However, after the fall of Monarchy in Nepal, the tradition was broken this time and performed the activities at Hanuman Dhoka gate in Kathmandu where brass bands are waiting to celebrate the occasion. At the same time, guns and cannons are fired at Tundikhel parade ground.

The eighth day of the festival is known as Mahashtami and is marked by a fast by all orthodox Hindus. In the morning, animal sacrifices are carried out at temples dedicated to Goddess Durga.

On the 9th day, all temples dedicated to Durga are bathed in sacrificial blood as a tradition. On this day, even vehicles and other mechanical items are worshiped and sacrificed so as to prevent accidents during the coming year. Similarly, all instruments, weapons and implements of all professions are worshiped in the hope that Durga will bless their usefulness and accuracy. In the evening, there is an elaborate sacrifice at the Taleju temple near Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu.

The peak of Dashain celebration reaches on the tenth day known as Vijaya Dashami, or the Day of Victory over the evils. On this day, all the Hindus are supposed to visit their elders or superior relatives, starting with their parents. The main purpose of this visit is to receive tika and shoots of the barley known as jamara. Tika is a red dot or smear placed on the visitor's forehead by the senior relative. Also frequently used in other festivals and even in daily worship, the tika consists of vermilion powder, rice and curd. People visit their relatives to receive tika on the day. As all visits cannot be completed in one day, they continue until the end of the festival. The holy period of two weeks beginning from new moon ends at the full moon day.

Western couple remarry spiritually in eastern style

Saturday, October 18, 2008 culture, marriage, tourism No comments

“Boys, play the Naumati (Nepalese wedding bands)! It is the good time to initiate the marriage rituals,” announced a priest at the premises of Nepal Scouts, Head Office at Lainchaur. It was quarter to four P.M. on October 17, Friday.

Elephant was decorated to carry the bridegroom to the wedding place. Bridegroom was dressed in Nepalese costumes and worn dhaka cap. He was robust and handsome though his beards were grey. Bride was in red sari and Nepalese marriage costumes with chura pote (bangle and beads). Her face was curtained with red transparent wedding veil. Her eyes and face gleamed as if she were in her early twenties. She smiled and looked at the bridegroom who was gentle with outstanding looks. His face was like red red rose.

They were captured in the frames of cameras. About one and half dozen foreign tourists, especially from Australia and Britain, and other two dozens of Nepalese invitees gathered at the moment. The bands played the Naumati and marriage rituals were launched. The boys in typical Nepalese costumes and girls in gunyu choli (sari and blouse) danced in tune with the wedding music. Two tourists were to be bonded in spiritual knots.

Bridegroom Alan Bosher, 55, British and Barbara Bosher, 56, Australian were tying in knot again in their life. The marriage was arranged by the Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure, Kathmandu, and Travel Director, Australia. The couple chose to get married in the Nepalese way.

The wedding procession started heading towards Ciao Italian Restaurant, adjoining to the Explore Himalaya Office at Thamel, a tourist junction. Alan was on the elephant and Barbara was on a van. The wedding procession walked on the road as per the Nepalese tradition. The traffic jammed and onlookers were amazed by the marriage scene of Western couple in Eastern (Nepalese) style. After about five minutes walk, the procession reached to the marriage site, called Yagya.

Swyamber ceremony in which bridegroom puts ring of eternal and unending love on bride’s finger and dubo (holy grass) garland on her neck was performed and bride also put the garland on his neck. Every details of Nepalese wedding culture were performed. The fire was burning at the centre of Yagya. Alan and Barbara went round the fire, which was holy eyewitness of the marriage. “Oh! This is just too much,” one of the tourists said in jubilant joy.

The priest cited the mantra (chants) in Sanskrit and Alan put sindur (mix of red and orange powder), which is believed the initiation of marriage life, on head from forehead to centre of the head. The bride was smiling shyly and laughing. “I am celebrity,” the bride compared herself.

It was time to bid the bride good bye from the part of the parents. Father bid farewell to his daughter. Priest Ramesh Adhikari played the role of the bride’s father. The groom rode on horse and bride was carried on doli, a wooden carrier to take bless from Lord Ganesh. They visited the Ganesh temple at Thamel. And finally, the bride was taken to the groom’s house, the office of the Explore Himalaya.

The bride was welcomed in accordance with the marriage rituals. The invitees danced and enjoyed in the tune of wedding bands. Wendy Ronksley from South Australia danced in the music very well. “It’s beautiful. It has a lot of meaning relating to friendship, harmony and love. I like the Nepalese marriage culture,” Ronksley remarked cheering. “It is very different from our culture which is simply general. We don’t have elephant and horse. But it is very unique and grand ceremony,” said she who is visiting Tibet and Bhutan at this time.

Bride Barbara said that it was very exciting, intricate, wonderful and serene. “I felt excited after 34 years of my first marriage and am very happy,” She added. Groom Alan commented that he was quite pleased in having marriage in spiritual way. “It was really special and systematic.” “My bride is absolutely beautiful,” he expressed joy. “We have expected to live a good and decent life after this holy marriage as we have got reincarnation,” both of them who were father of three children said rhythmically at a time. Their first son is 34 year old.

Mock marriage was initiated 3 years ago so as to introduce the value of long lasting marital affair among Nepalese people to the rest of the world. Priest Adhikari, who became father of the bride in such 13 marriages, said that the Nepalese culture is bond of long lasting relationship that is made by the witnesses of seniors and society. “That is why we should not worry about divorce in our marital life. There is understanding and guardianship in the relationship,” he said. “We also want to introduce the culture of marriage and how the bond and relationship remains unending throughout the life.” Two such mock marriages would take place next week, he further said at the party of the marriage. It was 5:15 p.m.

All of them congratulated the newly married couple wished for their happy life. The couple was dreaming to have honeymoon in the Nepalese way. Can you imagine how they will celebrate their first night?