This worship gathering or “puja” in Nepali, was a slurry of excellent food, loud drumming, an occasional horn, and incessant mantra chanting. The people of Kutumsang welcomed us into their puja with open arms. The lamas running the show and chanting the mantras were more than happy to answer our many questions. When they realized that our curiosity might never end, they became more hesitant though. This incredible opportunity was invaluable for learning about their religious and spiritual beliefs! We learned that this puja is named Kongchu. Every year, a family calls upon the lamas (Buddhist teachers/priests) to perform the puja. They do this in hopes of blessings and protection from evil spirits. Because the villages are so small, a family affair becomes a whole village affair, so these pujas are a time for the village to celebrate and develop community. One of the most interesting things was their contentment with what in my eyes is hazy theology. When we asked what god they were worshipping or supplicating to with these mantras, we received the name Pegar Gyalbu. We had heard of Sange Chungdingde (the Buddha) and Guru Renpuchee (an influential teacher in Buddhism), but this was a new name! When we asked a little more about his identity, we discovered that there are so many more gods that they could worship. My first question was, “Why Pegar Gyalbu then?” The response was along a completely foreign way of thinking. Their answer: “Well, we had to pick one, so we landed on him!”

            I am a very logical person, and evidence and solid reasoning are integral in the way I think and make decisions. I will admit that my first reaction to their reasoning was pretty harsh. I hope that I never change how I make my own decisions, but I do hope that I can learn to value what is important to these people in how they think.

The post A Chance Puja In Kutumsang appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

   From the Tibetan point of view, giving one’s body to feed the birds, and thus “give back” to the earth, is a selfless act. This is exactly what happens during a sky burial. Tibetans believe that once you die your soul leaves your body immediately so preserving the empty vessel is unnecessary, your soul is already on its way to reincarnate. All ceremonial activities such as singing, prayers, and the celebration of life happen for three days before the burial. On the day of burial the body is taken away from the village and disassembled, getting cut into pieces and laid out on a rock high in the mountains where the vultures can reach it. While they cut the body into pieces it’s done without gravity or ceremony, instead it’s treated like any other manual labor with casual conversation and laughter. This is so the soul of the body can move easily through the uncertain plane between life and death and onto its next life. If a small number of vultures come down to eat the remains or if they fly away leaving the body untouched it is considered a bad omen and a reflection of their accumulated karma, either from this life or past lives. Such an instance singals an unfavorable rebirth will follow.  

     When I first heard all this I sat there in disbelief. My western mind had never even considered how different cultures handle death. The thought of sitting there watching a loved one be fed to birds instead of the usual flower strewn and heavy hearted funerals confused me. Why would Nepali people who are normally very spiritually sensitive treat their dead so nonchalantly? Once I started to see it from their perspective I realized I was too focused on details instead of looking at the big picture like these Nepali Buddhists do. A sky burial reflects Buddhist values such as being humble, generous, and honoring nature. It emphasizes the insignificance of one human body in a circle of karma and reincarnation, allowing for more focus on the celebration of the spirit that was only temporarily borrowing the physical body.

The post Sky Burials appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

The celebration of the festival varies slightly from village to village due to some lost tradition. In upper Manang, for example, the celebration lasts 4 or 5 days. On the first day, the villagers will gather and decide how long to celebrate. Over the course of the next 3-4 days, there will be celebrations including food, drink, horse racing, and the famous bow and arrow competition.

For the competition, the villagers will aim to shoot arrows at a target, sometimes portrayed as the drawing of a demon. Those that shoot at the demon do so to symbolize the destruction of evil in the village. Others just see the competition as a game for fun. In both cases, the man that is the most accurate in his shot is highly respected in the village.

The festival used to be celebrated out of necessity so fathers could teach their sons how to protect their village from outside threats. Now it is simply a time of fun and celebration. However, many of the traditions of this festival are being lost. For example, in some upper regions of Manang, they practice horse racing as part of the festival. However, in many of the lower regions, they no longer practice horse racing. It is a tradition that has faded as time has pressed on.

Fading Traditions

The issue of fading traditions is one that is beginning to concern many of the Tibetan people, especially regarding language. The Tibetans that currently live in Manang usually have ancestors that migrated from Tibet 3-5 generations ago. In that amount of time, they have begun to assimilate to the surrounding cultures. It is rare to find someone that is able to speak the pure Tibetan language. Rather, they speak different forms of Tibetan that have been mixed with a variety of Sherpa, Helambu, or Gurung languages.

In addition, as the younger generations of Tibetans are afforded more educational opportunities, they are beginning to lose elements of their Tibetan culture. Many of the schools teach Nepali and English. In order to preserve the Tibetan culture, students must attend a Tibetan school, which are not as common or cheap as government schools.

Ever since China invaded Tibet in the 1950’s, Tibetan culture has been under attack. Mass waves of Chinese immigration as well as Tibetan emigration puts the Tibetan culture at risk. Many of the Tibetan people have begun to assimilate with those around them to create varying forms of hybrid Tibetan cultures. It is important for the Tibetan people to be able to express themselves through their culture before it ceases to exist entirely.

References

https://freetibet.org/about/history-religion-culture

The post Dachan Festival appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

Traveling to a third world country and visiting cities and villages, your eyes are quickly opened to the difference in sanitation and hygiene. Poverty and lack of education in less developed parts of Nepal strike the heart as you observe the environment thousands of people live in. Pollution, unproper disposal of trash, less than hygenic meat stores, and lack of toilets is hard to ignore. Inside southern Nepal villages, a movement is taking place to educate people on proper ways to use the restroom. Local government officials hire actors to perform a skit in the hopes that people would become aware that using the restroom in the streets and fields is unclean and unsafe. As interesting as it sounds to see, my perspective was shaken. A concept of using the restroom is so primary to me and fellow Americans. However, here a clever strategy must take place to put it into action. 

At first glance, the Local government appears to be proactive and engaged in the wellfare of the villagers. Simply discussing using the restroom safely and properly seems inspiring and resourceful. However, after drawing back the curtain, a deeper issue of corruption is more daunting. After discussing with villagers and village leaders, the issue isn’t a behavioral lag of refusal to use the toilet. The issue is that there are no toilets to be used. The installation of a toilet can be expensive after hiring workers to dig, building a closed room, and installing a porcelain or concrete area with a water source for after use washing. For individuals living in a temporary home, as many are, its nearly impossible to pay for much anything, let alone a toilet. These people have no other choice but to go where they can. After pleading with hire authority to build them public toilets and receiving none, the issue is at a standstill.

The installation of one or two public toilets by the local government would benefit villages tremendously. Along with the obvious benefit of removing waste from the public view, preventing contamination of water and crops and improving smell and swarms of insects it also can prevent common diseases. A quote from Sanitation Health Transitions says,

“There are over 100 different varieties of viruses, bacteria, and helminthes in feces.  Urine is sterile or almost sterile at time of elimination so urine will not be discussed in this section. Most bacteria have no negative effect, but others will cause severe pain or dysentery, and a few can lead to death if left untreated.  Included in the dangerous pathogen category are Typhoid fever, Cholera, Hepatitis A, and a variety of worms (helminthes).  In addition there are Rotavirus, Norwalk Agent virus, and numerous others that can cause respiratory distress.  Other pathogens cause severe diarrhea. All come from feces that are untreated or have not been properly treated.  Squatting on the ground to go to the bathroom outdoors is one of the main ways to spread disease-causing pathogens and helminthes.”

Paired with the dangers of diseases within feces, the lack of proper hand washing technique, walking around barefoot and eating with your hands, all at play inside the village can lead to many people contracting disease quickly. Along with the fight against harmful germs, the local government could work to empower the villagers to build and maintain the public toilets. Aiding them with this basic necessity is the first step in awareness and prevention of water and disease related issues. 

However, it must be addressed that the finances coming from the local government instead of larger corporations or foreign aid is highly important. As Nepal is a community based culture, an outsider dumping money can lead to chaos if not monitored closely. The local government could shield the money from the villagers in need and pocket it themselves or if the money is received and toilets are built, a ripple affect could occur because of strife and jealously within or surrounding villages. Creating change is a delicate process and deserves careful attention before a trigger is pulled, the worst fear is through an outsider changing a situation for the worst. 

The post Sanitation Frustration appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

The Balbhadra festival is unique to the Kalwar people. Unlike many people group traditions, this one is relatively young. The Kalwar people started celebrating the Balbhadra festival after their ancestors shifted from agriculture-based living to business-based living about 100 years ago. Once the Kalwar people became wealthy businessmen, they looked for ways to use their wealth to improve their communities. The Balbhadra festival allows the Kalwar people to thank their family god Balbhadra for blessing them and also share those blessings with less fortunate members of the community. This festival can be celebrated among Kalwar people in both villages and cities. While some villages still celebrate the festival independently, many Kalwar people will leave their villages and go to the nearest large city to celebrate. The main Balbhadra festival hubs are Birgunj, Kathmandu, and Biratnagar. The Balbhadra festival is celebrated one day during the month of Bhadra. This date fluctuates each year but is regulated by the Kalwar Committee in the area. The festival celebration might vary from celebration hub to celebration hub, but the standard festivities follow a specific pattern.

In the morning, Kalwar families wake up around 7:00am. They carry out their own home puja to Balbhadra and then head to a meeting space in the city. This meeting space is typically a community building built by the Kalwar people. It could be a poor house or an apartment building that the Kalwar people operate to provide affordable housing for less fortunate people. At the meeting place, the Kalwar people worship together with songs and prayers. They sing songs that say “praise Balbahadra” and “joy Balbahadra.” While singing these songs, the Kalwar worshippers might also perform a simple dance by lifting their hands near their faces and waving them back and forth while swaying to the music.

After this group worship, the Kalwar people parade through the city. Prior to the celebration, Kalwar leaders prepare posters and flags with images of Balbhadra on them. Each year, a large poster of Balbhadra is made and put on a truck that leads the parade through the city. In addition to waving Balbhadra flags, the Kalwar people also play music in the streets. Often times, they hire a band to play traditional instruments such as the bhaja and kurda. While the Kalwar people are parading around the city, hired cooks prepare large quantities of vegetable dal bhat at the Kalwar community building. The parade concludes at the community building.  Here, the Kalwar people might worship together one more time. After worshipping as a group once more, the Kalwar people invite anyone to join their dal bhat feast. Kalwar people invite their friends of other castes as well as any poor people in the community. The celebration ends as people from different people groups and socio-economic backgrounds eat together and enjoy each other’s company.

In a country where poverty looms and aid is not fairly distributed, the Kalwar people’s consistent commitment to help the poor around them is encouraging. This generosity and movement of resources to help those in need should be practiced not just by the Kalwar people, but also by the government and other leaders with influence in Nepal.

The post Party with a Purpose appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

This is what a tuk tuk looks like. It is a local form of travel and is usually pretty cheap.

When we got to the village, we found out that one of the men in the truck was actually the President of the ward. He questioned why we were there, which was pretty standard. It’s not often that a group of white people come into a remote Nepali village. We explained that we were student studying the culture of the Bin people. He seemed uneasy, and kept questioning our reason for being there. After a few minutes, he got back in the truck and left. I didn’t think much of it, I assumed he was curious just like everyone else.

We had the opportunity to survey a very kind Bin woman who welcomed us into her home and answered all of the questions we had about her culture, family, daily life, etc. However, there was something she shared with us that left me unsettled. Apparently, the Bin people are the lowest caste in their village. As we learned, they are mistreated and taken advantage of.

This is a simplified breakdown of the caste system in Nepal.

In order to request money from the government in order to do things like build toilets, buy cooking gas, etc. they have to forge their government papers and say they are Dalit. In Nepal, Dalit people are untouchables and are the lowest on the caste system. Somehow, these people were even lower than that. When and if their requests are granted, the aid money is funneled to the ward President who is in charge of distributing it. However, he apparently only gives it to his friends, who are all of a high caste. They then keep the money for themselves and withhold everything from the Bin people. In this village, this has happened both with cooking gas and money intended to construct toilets. So while the high caste people profit, the Bin are left with nothing.

This is what a typical low caste village looks like.

Leaving that interaction heartbroken, we met up with the rest of our group only to find out the ward President had called the police on us. They had then informed to their headquarters that we were in the village. But now we knew why the ward President didn’t want us there; he did’t want us to find out how poorly he was treating his people. He didn’t want us to expose his corruption.

So that is exactly what I am here to do. This is not the kind of thing that can remain in the dark. But this also comes alongside the realization that there is no simple solution to the problem. Going in to build toilets is a short-term solution, and one that might not even work if the project isn’t managed properly. It’s an issue that’s rooted in the ancient practice of the caste system which, even though is technically abolished, is still widely practiced. It might not be an issue that can be solved by a foreigner coming in to the situation. Maybe it is something that has to be solved through the empowerment of the local people; an issue that they can take ownership of. Or maybe it’s a situation where a disenfranchised group of people needs someone to advocate for them because they don’t have the power to do it on their own.

I don’t know what my role is or is supposed to be in this situation. But I do know this. Right now, I’ll do what I can. Even if that means just trying to expose the problem for what it is. I’ll bring attention to it and refuse to allow it to become background noise. I don’t want these people and countless thousands of others to be forgotten. In my lifetime, I may never see the kind of radical change that I want to. This might be an issue that outlasts my lifetime. But I will tell their story.

The post Justice for the Bin People appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

Before the fasting begins, women enjoy a large feast on Dar Khane Din or “Dar Day” held the night before at their mother’s house. They enjoy Dar, which is bananas and yogurt, and anything they desire, meat included. Along with eating tons of food, women also dress in their nicest Red saris and gold bracelets to perform traditional dances and sing worship songs. This is a time to share pains and sorrows of women’s issues and take a break from the world, united as women. Once the singing and eating end at midnight, you are greeted by your brother who will deliver you to the festivities.

On the day of fasting, women can choose how strict or loose they want to be. Some women refuse even water on this day, however, it is a key component on the puja (worship). Married women choose to fast for the prosperity of their husband and marriage, or if they are seeking fertility. Single women fast for the hope of getting a good husband in the future, a husband who is like Shiva. Dressed in their best Red Sari, they journey to the temple of Shiva where they give offerings of coins, sweets, fruits, and flowers. Once the offering is given, its time for dancing and singing. The lighting of the oil lamp, which must burn throughout the night signifies peace and prosperity starts the show.

Rishi Panchami is the last day of the festivities. Women come together for the closing ceremony of sorts and worship the SaptaRishis also known as the Seven Sages. Praying to personal deities and bathing in red mud from the holy bush of datiwan, taken from the roots. This component of the festival is just as important as fasting and celebration. Women are cleansing themselves of sins using the sacred mud. This symbolism is tied to the Hindu belief that women are “unclean” during times of menstruation. During this time of the month, women are forbidden to worship, step inside the kitchen and making any physical contact with their family. During the Rishi Panchami, they are essentially apologizing for any mistakes that were made while “unclean”.

Viewing in the lense of American and Individualized culture, it’s hard for me to understand and see why a Nepali woman would feel the need to apologize for her biological function and even feel shamed when affected by it every month. However, Teej and shaming because of menstruation is simply a way of life here and women enforce it as strictly as males. Similarly to most things in this culture, some questions will never have a clear answer.

The post Sari not Sorry appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

The Jakhan Puja is an annual festival celebrated by the Majhi people, and the Koshi River provides the backdrop for the celebration. The Jakhan Puja is dedicated to two main goddesses, Jakhani Devi and Seti Devi. Jakhani Devi is worshipped to provide rain for the village. Seti Devi is worshipped to protect the Majhi people from danger, specifically on the rivers where they traditionally fished and ferried. Since the occupations of the Majhi people have shifted away from the river, the worship of Seti Devi has waned, but their appreciation for the river has not.

The Jakhan Puja does not have a set date. Instead, individual villages will decide what day to celebrate during the month of Ashar. The Nepali government does not provide the Majhi with additional holy days to carry out their Jakhan Puja, but the entire village is still excited to celebrate.

On the village-designated Jakhan Puja day, Majhi people will visit a temple dedicated to the Jakhani Devi. At this temple, there are typical Hindu bells to signal the beginning and end of sacrifice along with trident symbols of Shiva. But specific to Jakhani Devi, there are stones placed in the temple that have been resting there for generations. Jakhani is believed to abide in these stones.

While the Jakhani Devi is worshipped all year through routine personal pujas, the celebration of Jakhan Puja begins with a special sacrifice. Prior to the sacrifice and celebration, money is collected from Majhi villagers and used to purchase one female virgin goat. In addition to the goat money offering, each Majhi family will also provide a chicken from their household as a sacrifice. On the morning of Jakhan Puja, the Priest can be found inside the temple. He wears white wrapped shorts and no shirt while sacrificing inside the temple. Around the outside of the temple, Majhi members will gather to watch the sacrifice of goat and chickens take place. The Majhi Priest will also allow five to seven older Majhi members join him inside the temple. These sacrifice supervisors can be male or female. After completing the sacrifice of the virgin goat and all the Majhi household chickens, the priest will exit the temple and put on a white shirt. At this point, the celebration of Jakhan Puja shifts from the temple to the riverside.

At the riverside, all villagers are welcome, even if they are not Majhi. Here, the sacrifices of goat and chicken are cooked by men or women. The people of the village eat together and celebrate with music and dancing. This was the part of the Jakhan Puja that caught my attention most. As we were in the Majhi-dominant village of Mugitar, I was struck by the inclusivity of the Majhi people. After only walking around the village for one day, we were invited to return the next day to join them at their Jakhan Puja celebration on the river. While the Majhi people hold beliefs that differ from other villagers, they still want to feast with them alongside the source of water they have cherished for so long. The Majhi people recognize that all humans have the same basic needs. One of those needs is water. Another is life together in a unified community.

The post Riverside Worship appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

Koshi Puja is a festival specific to the Majhi people that occurs once a year on the 22nd day of the Nepali month, Fagun. Although it is typically a two day celebration, the government has only officially recognized it for one day. All Majhi people celebrate this festival on the same day. The purpose of this festival is to worship the Koshi River. Traditionally, Majhi people were fishermen, so they implemented this festival to worship the river and ask for its protection and provision.

This is what a traditional Majhi fishing boat looks like.

In earlier generations, the two days worshipping the Koshi River were very sacred. There would be no working or farming, only worshipping. Nowadays, during the celebration people can still partake in daily activities other than fishing. In order to celebrate the Koshi Puja, there are many rituals that take place. One week before the festival, rice is collected from each home to make a drink known as jhar, which is similar to a sort of alcohol. The rice is put in a large drum, left for a few days to ferment, and then mixed with water in order to create the drink. Throughout the year, people make it in their homes, but during this festival, only the priest makes the jhar for the celebration.

This is what the rice looks like as it is fermenting. Eventually this will become jhar.

The priest plays a vital role in this festival. Although he is only the priest for these two days out of the year, he makes the jhar and performs the sacrifices. The priest is always an older male, but not elderly. He usually comes from the Majhi subcastes of Majay or Ghau, and the priesthood will pass to his eldest son when he passes away.

In addition to making the jhar, money is collected from each house to buy a goat and a chicken, and in some places pigs. On the day of celebration, all of the people will gather at the bank of the river. The priest will sacrifice the goat and the chicken and the people will celebrate by eating the meat, drinking jhar, and dancing along the river. There are specific songs and dances dedicated to this specific festival that celebrate the Koshi River.

A view of the Koshi River

In addition, the priests make small wooden boats from the wood of a Simal tree, one boat per village. These boats are usually wrapped in colored thread and left near the water at the bank of the river. Once the water rises, the boats are then naturally taken down the river by the current of the water. Although this festival is only celebrated by Majhi people, it is not uncommon for other castes in the village to attend the celebration, as it is one of the largest and most important festivals for the Majhi. This is typically the only time during the year that the Majhi people will wear their traditional Majhi dress.

This is a Simal tree. The priests make the small wooden boats out of the wood form these trees.

This is what the traditional Majhi dress looks like for women.

Conclusion

This festival presents an interesting dichotomy of sustained and faded traditions. It celebrates the sustained tradition of worshipping the river in order to receive protection. However, the protection is no longer for the fishermen, because the fishing tradition has faded. The construction of dams along the river has decreased the number of large fish downriver; rendering the fisherman trade nearly obsolete. It is now primarily a hobby. There exists the sustained tradition of making jhar, which has permeated into the larger society as a social drink; made daily, not only during the festival. This is contrasted with the fading tradition of wearing Majhi dress. In previous generations, Majhi dress was worn daily, but now it is only worn during the Koshi Puja festival.

It is interesting to think about how and why some traditions fade while others stick around. Even within this one festival, there are instances of both of these things. I don’t have an answer as to why traditions fade. Maybe there is a global change of pace, maybe people are forgetting why they celebrate, or maybe a new generation just becomes uninterested in the ways of their parents. But I also think it can raise some important questions. Are there ways we can adapt traditions to suit global change without disrespecting the entire meaning of tradition? Are traditions worth remembering and preserving? If they are, how do we ensure that we pass on traditions to younger generations without limiting their possible ambitions towards change and innovation?

The post Koshi Puja Festival appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.

Hindus also find significance in the sacred fig trees, Pradakshina or meditative pacing is done around the tree, usually 7 times in the morning as a form of worship. However, not all Pipal trees can bare the name Bodhi. In order for a tree to be called a Bodhi tree it has to first be traced to a parent Bodhi tree and continuing on until it is traced to the tree in which Buddha actually sat under.

These magnificent trees are protected by the government and cherished by the people here. Near them, you will find people gather, enjoying their shade, sharing in conversation, finding rest and passing the time. Communities gather here, babies and grandparents, kids and couples take a break from their lives to just sit and be. In villages where everyone is known, the Pipal tree is the only social network available.

As I also sit and enjoy the calmness, I think about how my phone and every other phone in America contains billions of “People trees”. My connection to the outside world is so expansive, I could be in contact with someone halfway across the world (and have) within seconds of picking up my device. But here, it’s almost outlandish to do so, do I need to check Instagram 500 times a day? Here in Nepal, they would disagree with our Western pace, and I’m grateful for that. Andrew Root explains stating “Globalization has made us all travelers across time and space.” It’s mind blowing that less than 30 years ago, our society has skyrocketed into a world more connected than it ever has been before. We are capable to search Google for the most obscure information and learn all there is to know about a topic without even leaving our bed. In a way, it’s incredible, humans are more informed and independent than ever, in another way it’s devastating.

We have escaped the age of engaging with each other and spend hours of our day engaged in solitude, scrolling and searching and desiring things we do not have. Time flies by as we disconnect from the world around us. Looking up at the enchanting, towering tree, I am thankful that cell service is limited here and that I also can disconnect. For the first time, I’m not rushing to see the next Facebook post or compare summers, time slows down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_religiosa#Buddhism

The Youth Ministry Mission Trip as Global Tourism: Are we OK with this? by Andrew Root

The post “People” trees appeared first on Peoples of Nepal.