Tomorrow is Newari New Year's Day in Kathmandu. Since they are on a solar calendar here, I believe it will be the year 2068.
I don't know much about the religious traditions in Nepal. They all baffle me as I can't really tell any of the names apart (well no one has sat down and formally tried to teach them to me, but I imagine that would just be embarrassing) and there are tons of traditions that are caste-specific or Hindu or Buddhist-specific or celebrated by both in different ways on the same days or the same ways on different days...or something. However, almost all Hindu/Buddhist ceremonies I have seen in Nepal have two things in common: They are beautiful. And they last forever.
Two days ago when walking back from dance with my friend, we wandered through Asan Tol (the local market area that I am just beginning to figure my way through) and came to an intersection blocked off by police. There was a gigantic cart (the wheels were probably twenty feet in diameter) with a tower built on top. In the tower looking out the window was, I believe, a priest of some sort and other religious figures sat outside the window perched on the tower. The tower itself was decorated with what looked like pine tree branches, making it look like a tremendous Christmas tree...The other temples in the square were lit with candles. It was beautiful. I was hoping to spot the Kathmandu Kumari, the living goddess, but we couldn't stay for all the festivities.
Apparently the tradition is mostly to spend time with family and eat. However given my current health challenges and the fact that the KTM pollution cold is hitting me hard again, I will be eating laddu in bed and inaugurating my pirated copy of Blue Valentine.
I don't know much about the religious traditions in Nepal. They all baffle me as I can't really tell any of the names apart (well no one has sat down and formally tried to teach them to me, but I imagine that would just be embarrassing) and there are tons of traditions that are caste-specific or Hindu or Buddhist-specific or celebrated by both in different ways on the same days or the same ways on different days...or something. However, almost all Hindu/Buddhist ceremonies I have seen in Nepal have two things in common: They are beautiful. And they last forever.
Two days ago when walking back from dance with my friend, we wandered through Asan Tol (the local market area that I am just beginning to figure my way through) and came to an intersection blocked off by police. There was a gigantic cart (the wheels were probably twenty feet in diameter) with a tower built on top. In the tower looking out the window was, I believe, a priest of some sort and other religious figures sat outside the window perched on the tower. The tower itself was decorated with what looked like pine tree branches, making it look like a tremendous Christmas tree...The other temples in the square were lit with candles. It was beautiful. I was hoping to spot the Kathmandu Kumari, the living goddess, but we couldn't stay for all the festivities.
