Happy mum"s day-the world strongest person.

Ma(n) yagu khwa swaegu: Honoring Mothers 

The last day of the dark fortnight, the new-moon day, is called Ma(n) ya khwa: swaegu, literally "looking at mother's face." This, like a later parallel day for fathers , involves all Kathmandu Valley Hindus and Buddhists. People whose mother has died more than one year previously and who are thus beyond the first year's period of mourning and commemorative ceremonies go, if at all possible, to join other Nepalese at a pilgrimage site, Mata Tirtha, which is two adjoining ponds about six miles to the southwest of Kathmandu. They do a commemorative ceremony, a sofa sraddha , with, for well-to-do farming and upper-level thar s, assistance from their family priest. An offering of food is given to their family Brahman as a special offering, a dana , for the mother. If unable to go to Mata Tirtha, people will bathe and make their offerings at a tirtha at the river in Bhaktapur itself.

Those whose mothers are living return to their mother's home, to "see their mother's face." The mother is worshiped as a deity. Men and women, boys and girls, bow their heads to their mother's feet, then wash them, and place offerings of small coins on them. In some thar s the worshipers take some of the water that has been used to wash the feet and drink it as prasada , which, as we have noted in our discussion of cipa , polluted food, dramatically symbolizes the worshiper's dependent and incorporated relationship to the mother and thus her continuing responsibility to them. Children who have left home try to return on this day, bringing with them offerings of sweet-cakes, curds, eggs, and swaga(n) . The mother returns some of these offerings to her children as prasada . If their mother is not living people on this day may offer beaten rice and sweetcakes to the wife of their family purohita . After a series of festivals devoted to dangerous deities this day returns to the household, with its benign deity—here the deified mother. The emphasis again is on the inside of the household, and the reaffirmation of its internal relations against an opposing theme of loss and death.

बज्रवाराही::

Bajra Barahi

नेपाल मन्दिरैमन्दिर भएको देश हो। त्यसमध्ये उपत्यकाको हरेक क्षेत्रको ऐतिहासिक, सांस्कृतिक सम्पदाको अध्ययन गर्दा यहाँ छैटौ, सातौं शताब्दीमा देवदेवीहरूको कल्पना वा प्रभाव परेको मानिएको छ। उपत्यकामा चारवटा वाराही मन्दिरहरू ...See more
बज्रवाराही

नेपाल मन्दिरैमन्दिर भएको देश हो। त्यसमध्ये उपत्यकाको हरेक क्षेत्रको ऐतिहासिक, सांस्कृतिक सम्पदाको अध्ययन गर्दा यहाँ छैटौ, सातौं शताब्दीमा देवदेवीहरूको कल्पना वा प्रभाव परेको मानिएको छ। उपत्यकामा चारवटा वाराही मन्दिरहरू रहेका छन्। उत्तरमा स्वेतवाराही, पर्ूवमा नीलवाराही, पश्चिममा धूमवाराही, दक्षिणमा बज्रवाराही रहेको पाइन्छ। यो पुण्यस्थल ललितपुर जिल्लामा एक हजार पाँचसय मिटर उँचाइमा रहेको चापागाउँ गाविसको वडा नं. ३मा पर्दछ। यस मन्दिरको पर्ूवमा झरुवारासी बडिखेल गाविस, पश्चिममा छम्पी, उत्तरमा धापाखेल दक्षिणमा लेले गाविसभित्र यो क्षेत्र रहेको छ। १८.९९ हेक्टरमा फैलिएको यस जंगल क्षेत्रको करिब बीच भागमा मन्दिर रहेको छ।

प्राकृतिक रूपले अतिसुन्दर र पूण्यभूमिको रूपमा रहेको बज्रवाराहीको सम्बन्धमा- वाराही शब्द ‘बराहको स्त्रीलिङ्गी रूप हो।जसको फरक-फरक महिमा पनि बताइन्छ। कतै अष्ठमातृका गणमा त कतै ब्रम्हायणी माहेश्वरी, कौमारी, वैष्णवी, वाराही, इन्द्रायणी, चामुण्डा, महालक्ष्मीदेवीको रूपमा। वाराहीमा बज्र कहाँबाट थपियो भन्ने प्रश्नको जवाफ- उपत्यकामा नवौं शताब्दीदेखि १२ औं शताब्दीसम्म बज्रयानको प्रभाव अत्यधिक भएको समयमा- वाराहीमा बज्र विशेषण लगाई आरधना गरियो होला भन्न सकिन्छ।

ब्रजयोगीनी देवी र वाराही पनि देवी हुनुले सम्भावना नजीक देखिन्छ। देवी दर्ुगाबाट दैत्यरक्तबीजलाई मार्नका लागि अष्ठमातृकाको सिर्जना गरिएको बताइएको छ। जसको पूजामात्र गर्नाले पनि जीवनमा आइपर्ने बिघ्न, बाधा, भय हट्ने गर्छ सिद्धि प्राप्त हुन्छ। प्रकृतिको वरदानको रूपमा स्थापित भएको महसुस हुने अति सुन्दर निकुन्ज, शितल छहारी- त्यसै छहारीमा कोइलीको सुमधुर स्वर, प्रकृतिको विलक्षण सिर्जनामा मन्दिरमा मानव निर्मित कलात्मक भव्यताले जोसुकैलाई मनमोद विनोद बनाइदिन्छ

जहाँकी देवीको मर्ूर्ति सुरक्षाको लागि राष्ट्रिय संग्राहलय छाउनीमा राखिएको छ। गर्भ गृहमा प्रस्तरको बीचमा वल्लो-पल्लो छेउमा धातुका दर्ुइ मर्ूर्ति कलात्मक रूपले बनाइएको छ। ठीक तल ११ वटा देवीका मर्ूर्तिहरू जसको तलपट्ट िदक्षिणतर्फजल कुण्ड र नजीकै भोगदिने गरिन्छ। बाहिर र भित्र सिंहका आकृति छन् भने प्राङ्गणमा बत्ती बाल्ने पालाहरू छन्। देवीको मन्दिरमा कलात्मक तीन द्वारहरू छन्। मन्दिरमा स्थाइरूपले मर्ूर्ति राखिँदैन। जात्रा सञ्चालन गर्दा मात्र राखिन्छ।

त्यहाँ रहेको जल कुण्डलाई पनि गुहेश्वरीको जलकुण्ड मानिन्छ। नवरात्रीमा उक्त कुण्डबाट जल निकालेर स्नान गर्ने प्रचलन छ। जहाँ काठमा कुँदिएका वाराहीका तीनवटा मर्ूर्ति बँदेलको जस्तो मुख देखिने, विभिन्न हतियार समातेका विभिन्न मुद्रामा देखि आठ बाहु भएका र राँगामाथि चढेको देखिन्छन्। ढोकामा दुवैतिर प्रस्तर सिंह र तीनवटै ढोकाको तोरणमा ब्रम्हायणी, कौमारी, इन्द्रायणी, अष्टमातृका, भैरव, गरुड, नाग, कलशसमेत देखिन्छन्। मन्दिरको जताततै विभिन्न चित्रहरू कुँदेर राखिएका छन्। त्यस्तो अपर्ूवकलाले सजिएको भए पनि उक्त मन्दिरमा गजुर छैन। मन्दिरमा गजुर निश्चित समयभित्र राख्नुपर्ने हुन्छ।

त्यस्तो समय- जुन समयमा चापागाउँवासी कुनै मृतलाशको आधा जलेर आधा भएको अथवा खप्पर पड्की गिदी निस्केको अथवा लुबु निवासीले मर्ुदा जलाइरहेको तथा नौवटै यहाँका मशानघाटमा

आगो बलेको अवस्थामा मात्र गजुर राख्न सकिने भनाइ पाइन्छ। नेपाल संवत् ७८६मा श्री निवास मल्लद्वारा निर्माण गरिएको देवगृहमा राखिने सुनको देवीको मर्ूर्तिमा दाहिने हातले कमलको विजफल, देब्रे हातले माछा अर्को दाहिनी हात भरिएको पात्र, देब्रेहातको साँहिली औँलाले पात्र च्यापेर दलिएको जलबिन्दु मुद्रा देखाइएको छ।

जुन मर्ूर्तिका सबै अङ्गहरू भिन्दाभिन्दै गहनाले सजिएको देखिन्छ। जसको विधिवत् स्थापना चैत्रशुक्ल अष्टमीको दिन गरिएको थियो। यो मर्ूर्ति वि.सं. २०२५ सालमा चोरी भएपछि प्रहरीद्वारा फेला पारी तत्पश्चात् म्युजियममा राखिएको छ। वाराही देवीसँग सम्बन्धित दर्ुइ जात्राहरू मध्ये एउटा मङ्सिर र अर्को चैत्र महिनामा मनाउने प्रचलन छ।

कार्तिक शुक्ल अष्टमी, नवमी र दशमीका दिन सञ्चालन हुन्छ। अष्टमीका दिन चापागाउँका बासिन्दा ६ जना नाइकेसहित आएर विधिपर्ूवक मर्ूर्तिमा पूजा गर्छन्। देवग्रहमा रहेको मर्ूर्तिलाई खटमा राखेर वाराही मन्दिरभित्रको वेदीकामा राखिन्छ। गुठीका तर्फाट पूजा र महादीप बालिन्छ। बोकाको बली दिएपछि देवी अगाडि अष्टकुन्डमा यज्ञ गरी टाउको हवन गरिन्छ। टीका प्रसाद ग्रहण गरी नौवटै मसानघाटको परिक्रमा गर्दा भात छरेर भूत पन्छाउने कार्य हुन्छ। यसरी अष्टमी जात्रा समाप्त भए पनि रातभरि नै चहलपहल हुन्छ।

भोलिपल्ट चापागाउँका वासिन्दाहरू वाराही मन्दिरमा पूजार्-अर्चना गर्न आउँछन्। भने बुकिखलका मानिसहरू बोकासहित पूजार्-अर्चना गर्न बाजागाजासहित आई पूजा र बली दिएपछि मण्डपमा नाइकेहरूलाई बोकाको टाउको छोडी प्रसाद ग्रहण गरी मध्यरातमा देवीको खट उर्ठाई बिनाबाजागाजा सिमलढोकाबाट वखा डबलीमा ल्याएपछि विश्राम हुन्छ। दशमीको दिन देवीलाई गहना लगाई दिएपछि भजन, कर्ीतन गरी डबली, मण्डपमा पूजा थापी साँझसम्ममा बजारमा जात्रा गरी पुनः देवग्रहमा ल्याईन्छ। जात्रासम्पन्न भएपछि कर्माचार्यहरूको नाइकेबाट विर्सजन पूजा हुन्छ। देवीलाई खटमा नै राखेर देवगृहमा पुनर्स्थापना गरिन्छ तर वि.सं. २०४६ सालमा उक्त मर्ूर्ति चोरी भएपछि जात्रा सञ्चालन भएको छैन। उक्त मन्दिरमा चैत्र महिनाको एकादशी, द्वादशी, त्रयोदशी, चतुर्दशी, सिन्दूरजात्रा र समापन जात्रा हुन्छ। मुख्यदिन भने चतुर्दशीको दिन मानिन्छ।

काठमाडौं कालमोचनबाट आएका कान फटाहाहरूद्वारा चैत्र शुक्ल एकादशीको दिन चक्रपूजा हुन्छ। चक्रगुठीबाट पूजा सामग्रीसहित बोकाको समेत व्यवस्था हुन्छ। द्वादशीको दिन देशारहरूको गुठीले-कुमारी पाठीको बलिसहित पूजाविधि सम्पन्न हुन्छ। देवीको परिक्रमा गर्राई जात्रामा भातसमेत छरी भूत-पिशाच पन्छाउने कार्य हुन्छ। त्रयोदशीका दिन शुद्ध हुने कार्य हुन्छ। चतर्ुदशीका दिन देवीलाई देवगृहको मूलचोकमा ल्याई महर्जनहरूबाट सिंगारपटार गरी पूजा गरेपछि र्सवसाधारणबाट पूजा गरेपछि मर्ूर्ति खटमा राखेर बजार परिक्रमा गर्राई देवगृहमा राखिन्छ।

देवीलाई अष्टमण्डपमा राखेर स्नानसमेत गराउने प्रचलन छ। चतुर्दशीको राती बिनावाजागाजा-स्थानीय प्रशासनले समेत पूजा गरेपछि फुस्रो सिन्दूर आपसमा लगाउने कार्य हुन्छ। पूणिर्माको दिन द्योलाहरूबाट भैरवस्थान घुमाई वखाटोलमा पूजा हुन्छ। इखा क्षेत्रपाल हुँदै भन्सार डबलीमा पुर्यारएपछि जात्रा सम्पन्न हुन्छ।

टीका भैरव- जसले सानीआमाबाट सताइएकी केटीको दुःख सुनेर-आफैँले बिहे गरेको प्रशङ्ग, चैत्रपूणिर्मामा-चन्द्र भैरव र छम्पी गणेशको जात्रा, भाद्र चतर्ुर्थीका दिन बुद्ध भगवान्को जात्रा, चैत्र पूणिर्माको दिन काले महादेवको जात्राले पनि उक्त क्षेत्रको सांस्कृतिक पक्षको बारेमा उजागर पारेको छ। बज्रवाराही देवीको जन्मदिन प्रत्येक वर्षो जेठ महिनाको कृष्ण पक्ष दशमीका दिन ब्राहृमणहरूद्वारा पूजा गरी बोकाको बलि दिई सम्पन्न गरिन्छ।

उपत्यकाको दक्षिण भागमा रहेको चापागाउँ साँस्कृति र ऐतिहासिक रूपले महत्वपूर्ण स्थानको रूपमा रहनुको साथै प्राकृतिक स्वरूपले पनि परिपूर्ण रहेको छ। प्राकृतिक स्वरूपले धनी उक्त क्षेत्रमा कागको बास नहुनु, रूखका झरेका पातहरू यथास्थानमा रहनु, हनुमानको अवतार मानिएका बाँदरहरूको पनि श्रापमोचन स्थान हुनु, उक्त स्थानको काठ समेत आस्था र विश्वासका साथ जनताले प्रयोग नगर्नु, हरेक किसिमका वृक्षहरू पाइनु, अनन्त पन्छीहरूको बासस्थान हुनु, चिसोस्थानमा पनि तर्राईको जस्तो घनाजंगल हुनु, दर्ुइ सय वर्षपुराना वृक्षहरू हुनु, काली काठ, विजयशाल मात्र होइन सहदेव र सहदेवी बिरुवाको काठ आफ्नो शरीरमा राख्दा दुबैको मन मिल्नु जस्ता बिरुवा पाइनु यस पूण्यभूमिको लागि सुनमा सुगन्ध थपिनु जस्तै हो

Chaite Dashain and Ramnawami

Chaite Dashain  Chaite Dashain falls generally in the final month, Chaitra, of Bikram Sambat calendar. It is known as Chaite Dashain or Small Dashain. The big Dashain falls in autumn.   It is almost the last festival in Nepali calendar year. After this festival, we have a new year ahead within few days. This festival has two days of celebration. First day is Ram Navami (The birth day of Lord RamChandra) and second day is Dashami. Some part of Nepal and India, Chaite Dashain is called Chaitra Navaratri. This festival has same days of importance as the 10 days of Bijaya Dashami even though it is publicly celebrated for 2 days. Chaite Dashain is celebration of the victory of good over evil.  When is Ram Nawami and Chaite Dashain Ram Navami is on Chaitra Sukla Navami according to Hindu lunar calendar. It is on 25 Chaitra 2070 that is on April 8, 2014. Ram Nawami and Chaite Dashain together also known as Sano Dashain (Small Dashain).  Ram Nawami is followed by Chaite Dashain and Chaite Dashain is on April 9, 2014. (Chaitra 26, 2070). How do we celebrate Chaite Dashain People keep fasting in the day of Ram Nawami and visit temples of Lord Ram. In Chaite Dashain day Goddess Durga is worshiped and animal sacrifices are made in some temples especially in temples of Durga Bhawani. Number of water buffalos, goats, chicken and ducks are sacrificed in Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur Durbar square. This festival is the public holiday in Nepal. People enjoy the day off with their family and friends. People eat good food and invite relatives and loved one for the feast.   Story Behind the celebrating Chaite Dashain Ram Nawami is birthday of Lord Ram Chandra and Chaite Dashain is the day when Lord Ram came back to Ayodhaya with his wife Sita, brother Laxman, Hanuman and his military after 14 years of his exile. People of Ayudhya celebrated this day as a festival and this started the trend.  In Hinduism, Lord Ram is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is known as Maryada Purusottam Ram. He was dutiful and obeying. He was a great king, good husband and a great son. He showed the example of what human should be. He set an example of a son by accepting his exile for 14 year from his country only to fulfill his father’s promise. He set an example of a caring and loving king, who sent his wife to forest again to satisfy his countrymen.  He was a loving husband who was always loyal to his wife Sita. He did not marry anyone even for the biggest Yagya, Ashwamegh Yagya. He put golden statue of Sita with him to perform the Yagya. (Wife should be present together with the man performing this Yagya.) Ram Chantra is an example of a man. Ramayana is a way of living epic.   Ravan was the king of Lanka. He was one of the most brilliant persons living in his age. He was an engineer and a scientist. He was the first one to fry aircraft and first one to use bio diesel about 5000 years ago. He had ten heads and could think equally with all his ten heads.  The ten heads signifies, his brilliance, he was ten times brilliant than anyone living those days on the earth. He was believed to be brilliant enough to build a flying device. The aircraft made by Ravan is called Puspak Biman. He was very hard working and brilliant but he was too arrogant. He was not allowing saints and god believing people to perform their worship and started thinking himself as a God. He was very impressed by beauty of Sita and abducted her from the forest and flew her to Lanka in his Puspak Biman. Ram after a long battle killed him and freed Sita. The kingdom was given in the safe hands of Ravan’s brother Bibhisan.  The victory of lord Ram over Ravan is symbolically regarded as the victory of human being over the ten sense organs, five belonging to knowledge and 5 to the actions of us Human Beings. It is said Ram Chandra worshiped Goddess Durga Bhawani for 9 days before Ravan was killed. Therefore, these 9 days are regarded as worship days and tenth day is the victory day to take Prasad.  People used to celebrate the big Dashain (Bada Dashain) during this time. But due to the start of summer, people started suffering a lot form health problem due to heavy food they eat during this festival.  Therefore, the same festival is moved to autumn with same celebration Rama Nawami (Devanāgarī: राम नवमी; IAST: Rāma navamī) is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of the god Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya. Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, is the oldest known god having human form. [2][3] [4] The holy day falls in the Shukla Paksha on the Navami, the ninth day of the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. Thus it is also known as Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra-Navaratri (Vasanta Navaratri) celebrations. Rama navami is one of the most important Hindu festivals. At some places the festival lasts the whole nine days of the Navaratri, thus the period is called 'Sri Rama Navaratra'.[5][6] It is marked by continuous recitals, Akhand Paath, mostly of the Ramacharitamanas, organized several days in advance to culminate on this day, with elaborate bhajan, kirtan and distribution of prasad after the puja and aarti. Images of the infant Rama are placed on cradles and rocked by devotees. Community meals are also organized.[7] Since Rama is believed to have been born at noon, temples and family shrines are elaborately decorated and traditional prayers are chanted together by the family in the morning. Also, at temples, special havans are organized, along with Vedic chanting of mantras and offerings of fruits and flowers.Many followers mark this day by vrata (fasting) through the day followed by feasting in the evening, or at the culmination of celebrations.[2][8][9] In South India, in Bhadrachalam the day is also celebrated as the wedding anniversary of Rama and his consort Sita. Sitarama Kalyanam, the ceremonial wedding ceremony of the divine couple is held at temples throughout the south region, with great fanfare and accompanied by group chanting of name of Rama.[10][11] The important celebrations on this day take place at Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) Sita Samahit Sthal (Sitamarhi) (Bihar), Bhadrachalam (Telangana) and Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), thronged by thousands of devotees. Rathayatras, the chariot processions, also known as Shobha yatras of Rama, Sita, his brother Lakshmana and Hanuman, are taken out at several places,[2][12][13] including Ayodhya where thousands of people take a dip in the sacred river Sarayu.[14] In the epic Ramayana, Dasharatha, the Emperor from Ayodhya, had three wives named Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi in the Treta Yuga (which follows the Satya Yuga and succeeded by the Dwapara Yuga). Rama is born to Kaushalya, Lakshmana & Shatrughna to Sumitra and Bharata to Kaikeyi. Rama is known as 'Maryada Purushottam' which means an ideal, righteous and a great or a perfect human being, being the best son, brother, husband and father. Rama who takes birth by his own will, on Bhuloka (Earth) when Adharma rules over Dharma. He protects all his devotees by vanquishing the roots of Adharma. Vishnu decided to incarnate, as Rama, to destroy the Asura (person with demonic and evil designs) called Ravana who is a Brahmin king of Lanka. Lord Rama & Lord Krishna are the only gods in Hinduism or Aryan Vedic context that really existed (and some gods are their manifestations or devotees) and all others are mythological figures based on Puranas. Hence the mahamantra: II Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare II II Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare II HAPPY RAM NAVAMI