Deepawali Also Known As Tihar

Deepawali which literally means ‘the row of lamps’ is celebrated as the festival lights. This festival is also called ‘Tihar’, which lasts for five consecutive days and is observed in honor of Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth and good luck. It is the most friendly of festivals observed throughout Nepal and also India. Laxmi, the Goddess of prosperity and good fortune is invited into evry homne. All people enjoyu five days of feasting and family gatherings. It also heralds the advent of autumn in Nepal.

Laxmi puja is observed on the auspicious occasion of Deepawali. This is the third day of Tihar when the sacred cow is worshipped with great honor. Hindus worship and regard cow as their holy mother. So we worship the holy cow in the morning with garlands of flowers and apply red Tika on her foreheads. This ceremony is solemnized with reverence in the morning hours of Deepawali. This tradition was initiated by the people of Ayodhyaya to express their boundless joy when lord Rama returned after his fourteen years’ exile.

A few days before Tihar, preparations are seen in full swing for cleaning and whitewashing to add new look to houses and buildings. During this festival houses, shops, offices, factories, and mills are brightly decorated with lights and traditional lamps. It is a time of lights and tinsel decorations. This type of illumination is done for three consecutive days, beginning from the first day of Tihar. But special light arrangements are done on the day of Laxmi Puja. Flickering oil-traditional lamps lighten all courtyards, doorways, roof-tops, verandas and windows. People stroll around in new clothes and buy sweets and gifts. In this way, this festival gives a glimpse of a traditional Christmas.

After the illumination in the evening the main part of Laxmi puja is performed during the night. An illumination and well-decorated house attracts the attention of the Goddess of prosperity. It is believed that the Goddess of wealth is ritually invited to enter the house and offer blessing to its occupants. For this purpose a ritualistic drawing is made of purified cow dung plaster to guide the way for Laxmi in  front of main door. From the drawing a trail of plaster or rice and red vermillion leads into the house and the room where Laxmi is worshiped with utmost devotion and dedication. A beautifully decorated image of the Goddess Laxmi is placed before the family treasure box or safe which contains the valuables. Prayers are offered to make them multiply. Throughout the whole night the earthen lamps filled with ghee or pure mustard oil, are kept burning at the place where the Goddess of wealth is worshipped. Everybody tries his level best to welcome and please the goddess of prosperity. She loves light and sacred cowrie (conch) shells. Children love to play with fireworks during the Tihar and especially on Laxmi puja day. However, as fire crackers could be dangerous and harmful they are banned in Nepal these days.

All monetary transactions are forbidden on this auspicious occasion. The only exception is the giving of small coins and food (sel roti)- to small groups of Bhailo singers. Groupes of singers go door to door singing and dancing and asking for money. This is a timebound tradition. Girls are supposed to ask for money on this solemn occasion. Boys turn comes next day, which is called Dheunsi.

The last day of the Tihar is celebrated by sisters worshipping their brothers. This is called bhai Tika. All sisters honor and worship their brothers for blessings and wish them success in all their ventures.

The pleasant post-monsoon period when the sky is clearest, the air is cleanest and the rice is ready for harvesting, the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country...

The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood. The first day of Dasain is called Ghatasthapana, which means establishing of the holy water vessel, which represents the goddess Durga. Barley seeds are planted in it.

 

The seventh day or Phulapati is the offering of flowers and leaves, carried by runners from Gorkha the ancestral home of the Shah Kings of Nepal, and received by the king in Kathmandu.. The eighth day is called the 'Maha Asthami'. The fervour of worship and sacrifice to Durga and Kali increases. On this day many orthodox Hindus will be fasting. Sacrifices are held in almost every house through out the day. The night of the eighth day is called 'Kal Ratri', the dark night. Hundreds of goats, sheep and buffaloes are sacrificed at the mother goddess temples. In the darkness of the night Durga temples, army barracks, and old palaces all over Nepal hold sacrifices for the mother goddess...
The tenth day is the 'Dashami'. On this day we take tika and jamara from the elders and receive their blessing.people visit their elder's home and get tika from them while younger ones come to the home to receive blessing from elders. The importance of Dasain also lies in the fact that on this day family members from far off and distant relatives come for a visit as well as to receive tika from the head of the family. This function continues for four days.

How safe are Kathmandu Valley’s high-rise buildings?

In the aftermath of Sunday’s 6.8 earthquake, metropolis residents, who have witnessed an increasing number of high-rise apartments and large commercial complexes lately, seems to have woken up to ringing alarm bells.
Despite an unprecedented building boom in the latest times, the safety aspect has still remained as a questionable matter. Officials of Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) say failure to make construction guidelines stricter is dampening the process of building a safe city.
Loopholes in laws and negligence from the government in revising the faulty regulations is leading to construction of buildings out of blue while giving two hoots about safety. Although the law requires permission from DUDBC for building construction, the legal loophole has made the matter worse, say officials.

How to keep safe should an earthquake strike

SEP 22 -
The earthquake on Sunday evening, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, was the strongest to hit Nepal in nearly eight decades. This has indeed helped raise public awareness on earthquakes but not altogether. Because Kathmandu was significantly far from the epicentre and the earthquake was a moderate one, a catastrophe was averted.
Nepal is part of the South Asian sub-continent land mass which not in the distant past on the geological clock collided with the Eurasian land mass (Asian-European mainland). This collision caused the formation of the Himalayas, youngest of Mountain ranges, some 60 million years ago. The sub-continental Indian plate is moving northward at a rate faster than the Eurasian plate is moving in same direction. This has caused the Himalayas to gather height in recent history and also increased pressure between the two giant plates.
Because a great deal of energy is building up with the plate movement, it may release massive amount of energy anytime causing a massive earthquake. However, I don’t totally agree with the theory that a major earthquake of 8 or greater magnitude hits Nepal every eight decades or so. If we are talking of one similar to that of 1934, they occur about once in three centuries.
Earthquakes indeed have cycles and it is sure that Nepal is highly prone to earthquakes and a large-scale, devastating one is likely in future. There is need for a change in the paradigm in building construction if we are to stay safe.
Everyone must try to reduce vulnerability to the disaster and prepare for survival. Even in vulnerable buildings, you must find safe spots. If you are on an upper floor, do not run to the stairs. They are usually not tied to the building’s foundation and are the first to go. This is usually where most bodies are found.
Unless you are located near the exit on the ground floor and have a yard outside, do not try to leave the building. As everything happens in a few seconds, one has no time to escape. You have to train yourself on how to reach the safest place you can in just a few seconds. When the temblor stops, make sure the staircase is okay, then you can go out. Then switch off the electricity line. That’s how you can save yourself.

(As told by the divisional chief of the National Seismological Centre )

Earthquake damages 79 VDCs of Sindhupalchowk

SINDHUPALCHOWK, SEP 20 -
Sunday’s earthquake has caused damage to all 79 VDCs of Sindhupalchowk district.
The largest number of houses damaged were in Syaule VDC where nine houses collapsed in Ward No.6 and 8, and altogether 85 houses were damaged either whole or part in the district, the District Police Office said.
A primary school has been damaged in Helambu VDC and reports on other damages of houses have been pouring in, said the police. But no human loss has been reported yet in the district.
Numbers of applications for relief packages have been filed from the persons with damaged houses, according to the police.
Source: www.ekantipur.com

रमेश खरेल जता जता सरुवा हुन्छन...........

रमेश खरेल जता जता सरुवा हुन्छन, त्यो ठाउँमा सुशासन भएको पायीएको छ। अहिले उनी पर्साका एसपी छन। तर गृहमन्त्री बिजय कुमार गछयादारले आफ्नो नातेदार एसपी दिलीप चौधरीलाई त्यहा सरुवा गरेर, रमेश खरेललाई त्यहा बाट पनि निकाल्न लागेका छन भन्ने हल्ला आएको छ। चोरी पैठारीमा संलग्न समूह दसैंका लागि तस्करीको लाइनको तयारी गर्न थालेका छन् । खरेललाई बिदा गरी दसैंको बेला लाइन मिलाउन सके करोडौं कमाइ हुने आसमा संगठित समूह सक्रिय छन् । उनको सरुवाको हल्लाले राजनीतिक दलका अधिकांश स्थानीय नेता, चोरी पैठारी/निकासीमा संलग्न व्यवसायीमा खुसीको सञ्चार ल्याएको छ । दैनिक उपभोग्य वस्तुको अत्यधिक माग हुने दसैँदेखि छठको अवधि चोरी पैठारी गर्नेले उच्च कमाई गर्ने बेला हो । यसैले दसैंअघि नै उनलाई बिदा गराउने प्रयास दलका स्थानीय नेता र अवैध व्यवसायी समूहले गरिरहेको छ । खरेललाई बिदा गर्न ५ करोड रुपैयाँ संकलन गरी राजधानीमा डेरा जमाएर बसेको समूह उनको सरुवाका लागि लविङ गरिरहेको सम्बद्ध स्रोतले बताएको छ । तर गृह मन्त्रालयबाट यत्तिकै सरुवा गर्दा विवादमा परिने भन्दै दसैंअघि बढुवा गरी वीरगन्जबाट हटाउने आश्वासन पाएको सम्बद्ध स्रोतले बताएको छ । के हामी जनता यस्तो कुक्रित्यलाई हेरेरै बस्ने हो त? खोइ हामीले रमेश खरेल जस्ले काठमाडौं देखी हरेक ठाउमा असल कार्य गरेर चोर, घुस्याहा, डाँका देखी नेताहरुका तारो बनेका उनलाई साथ दिन सकेको? रमेश खरेलको साथमा Uniting Nepal छ र हामी उनी माथि हुने हरेक ज्यादातीको खुलेर बिरोध गर्ने छौ। के तपाईंहरु हाम्रो साथमा हुनु हुन्छ? खबरदार गृहमन्त्री बिजय कुमार गछयादारज्यु, जनताको मौनताको धेरै फाईदा लिन नखोज्नुस्। राम्रो काम गर्नुस् र सम्मान बटुल्नुस्, नत्र जनकार्बाहीमा पर्नु होला। प्रधानमन्त्रीले गृहमन्त्री पद बाल्मिकी बन्ने मौका दिएका हुन, उही पहिले कै ... जस्तो बन्नको लागि होइन।

Eid Mubarak

Eid Mubarak is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr. The phrase translates into English as "blessed festival", and can be paraphrased as "may you enjoy a blessed festival". Muslims wish each other Eid Mubarak after performing the Eid prayer. This celebration continues until the end of the day for Eid ul-Fitr (or al-Fitr) and continues a further three days for Eid ul-Adha (or Al-Adha). However, in the social sense people usually celebrate that idfs the Eid ul-Fitr in the same length as Eid ul-Adha, such as family visits, and exchange greetings, such as "Eid Mubarak". It is notable that saying these exact words is a cultural tradition influenced by deep roots of religion; however, it is not part of any religious obligations. Speakers of Arabic might also add "kul 'am wantum bikhair." Which means "[May] you be well every year"

Eid refers to the occasion itself, and Mubarak means 'Blessed'.

Throughout the Muslim world there are numerous other ways of greeting for Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr. The Companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad used to say to each other when they met on Eid ul-Fitr:

Featival of women : teej

The first day of Teej is called Dar Khane Din. On this day the women, both married and unmarried, mainly of Khas ethnicity, assemble at one place, in their finest attire and start dancing and singing devotional songs. Amidst all this, the grand feast takes place. The jollity often goes on till midnight, after which the 24-hour fast starts.

The second day is the fasting day. Some women live without a morsel of food and drops of water while others take liquid and fruit. On this day, they gaily dress and visit a nearby Shiva temple singing and dancing on the way. The Pashupatinath Temple gets the highest number of devotees. At the Shiva temple, women circumambulate the Shiva Linga, the symbol of the lord, offering flowers, sweets and coins. The main puja (religious ceremony) takes place with offerings of flowers, fruits, etc., made to Shiva and Parbati, beseeching them to grant their blessing upon the husband and family. The important part of the puja is the oil lamp which should be alight throughout the night.

The third day of the festival is Rishi Panchami. After the completion of the previous day's puja, women pay homage to various deities and bathe with red mud found on the roots of the sacred datiwan bush, along with its leaves. This act of purification is the final ritual of Teej, after which women are considered absolved from all their sins. The recent years have witnessed an alteration in the rituals, especially concerning the severity, but its essence remains the same.

Teej is celebrated just before the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Married women do 24-hour nirjala fasting (without water or fruit) for the wellness of their spouse and their married life

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai elected Prime Minister

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai (57) of UCPN-Maoist has been elected Nepal’s new prime minister by a simple majority in the Legislature-Parliament on Sunday.

In the elections held at the House this afternoon, Dr. Bhattarai garnered 340 votes, while his opponent Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Paudel secured 235 votes only. 575 lawmakers were present in the House today.

Announcing the results, Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang said that Dr. Bhattarai bagged the majority vote in the present 594-member House, which has 601 seats,  to be elected as the new prime minister as per the constitutional provisions and the House regulations.

Talking to the media at his personal residence in Sanepa this evening, the prime minister-elect asked the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to take part in his cabinet and help make it national consensus government. He said he will work honestly and take part in the promulgation of new constitution and completion of peace process