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“The festival of Makar Sankranti traditionally coincides with the beginning of the Sun’s northward journey (the Uttarayan) when it enters the sign of Makar (the Capricorn). It falls on the 14th of January every year according to the Solar Calendar. This day has a very special significance because the day and night on Makar Sankranti are exactly of equal hours. It is celebrated as a festival right from the times of the Aryans and is looked upon as the most auspicious day by the Hindus,” according to PK Das’ ‘Hindu Feasts And Festivals: Makar Sankranti’.

Madhes is a legendary land of fairs and festivals. There is a festival which falls every month of the year. Most of these festivals are related to gods and goddesses. Makar Sankranti is a unique festival because it is not associated with any god and goddess. It is not even related to a local deity. But it is somewhat related to the sun god visible all over the world. It is celebrated on the first day of the month of Magh according to the Bikram era. It falls in the winter season in which the earth reaches the southernmost point and starts returning to the northern hemisphere. The people of Madhes celebrate it for bright, beautiful and sunny days because there is a shivering cold at that time of the year. So they worship the sun god after immersing themselves in a water body. People dare to dive into the cold water of any river and pond and pool for a ceremonial bath. Bath is compulsory on this occasion for purification of body and mind. So they go to the confluence of rivers for a sacred bath. 

Either they go to the Kankai river which is popularly known as Maibeni Mela or Narayanghat where three rivers like Narayani, Seti and Gandaki meet. There they take a customary dip in the river to purify themselves. 

Days get warmer and warmer from this auspicious day. A great poet of English literature, PB Shelly is quite right when he says, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” So, people are hopeful of winter coming to an end soon. Lazy people also feel enthusiastic, spirited and strong on this day. The message of the Makar Sankranti is to enliven and encourage the lazy and lethargic souls. After taking a bath in a nearby river, they pray to the sun for better health and after coming back home they also seek blessings from elders.

After taking bath early in the morning, people of Mithila eat Khichadi (a mixture of rice and lentils) with pure ghee which is available in their sweet homes. They eat delicious dishes to beat this shivering cold of Magh.

This festival is called ‘Tila Sankranti’ in the Maithili speaking area and Khichadi in the Bhojpuri-speaking area. This festival represents Makar (Capricorn), the tenth sign of the Zodiac. Thus according to the Hindu scriptures the first day of Magh is observed as Makar Sankranti. The month of Magh is considered as a merrymaking month. The month of Poush is considered inauspicious whereas Magh is considered auspicious. Some religious people start bathing the whole month early in the morning, though it is very cold in the morning hours. Even idle and sick people take bath on the auspicious occasion of Maghe Sankranti. It has been articulated astrologically and astronomically that on this day the sun, the only visible god, is the farthest from the earth. So days become longer, better and warmer from this day. The people of Madhes celebrate Maghe Sankranti on the first day of Magh. It is worthy to note that Madhesi culture is very rich and renowned. 

Various fairs and festivals are the demonstrators of this richness, bathing rituals and processions take place at various religious places such as Janakpurdham, Dhanushadham and Jaleshwardham. Women throng these pious places and worship Lord Mahadev, the god of gods. They prefer to take bath on the confluence (Sangam) of at least two or more rivers because it is considered sacred. The people of Madhes rush toward rivers and rivulets and take a ceremonial bath to purify themselves. After taking the holy dips, they prepare several sweet recipes such as Mudhi and Lai made of molasses.They also prepare Khichadi—a mixture of rice, vegetables and lentils. So this festival is also called Khichadi in some places of Tarai-Madhes.

Tharu people also celebrate Maghi for three consecutive days. They eat special and decent dishes on this occasion. They sacrifice he-goats, chickens, pigeons and buffaloes. They celebrate their greatest festival by singing and dancing. They call it Maghi in their native language, celebrating it as the beginning of their new fiscal year whereas the people of Mithila celebrate it for one day only. 

Non-vegetarian people eat several kinds of dishes of meat according to their choices. Vegetarian people eat sweet potatoes and eat ladoos made by mixing Tila and molasses. This is a very healthy food item as it produces energy and heat in the human body. They also eat Dahi (curd) and Chiuda (beaten rice) and sugar. Khichadi with ghee is also considered a very nutritious food. People prefer to eat this type of food on this occasion. They also invite their married daughters and their husbands’ in-laws and other close relatives for family feasts. 

This festival gives enough opportunity for socialization. It is a perfectly cultural and social festival of the Hindu people who constitute a majority in Madhes. This is a great occasion for the grand gathering of this community for exchanging greetings and well-wishes. The main motto of this festival is peace, fraternity and unity in the society. This festival helps in creating an amicable atmosphere of social harmonization.

Makar Sankranti is an important festival that falls in mid-January. It is preceded by Lohri (bonfire) into which is thrown harvest produce like sugarcane stalks, parched rice and sesame seeds. On the day of Sankranti, Khichadi (mishmash of rice, lentils and vegetables) is prepared and given in charity. Sankranti, signifying light, also gives the message of intellectual illumination. It is the Viveka (discriminatory wisdom) to choose between the right and wrong that is believed to lead man on the path of happiness, Utpal K Banarjee fittingly states in his book titled ‘Hindu Joy of Life’.

The ancient city of Janakpur celebrated the bow-breaking ceremony as part of Vivah Panchami celebrations marking the marriage of Lord Ram with Goddess Sita (Janaki) on Dec 6 in the presence of a large number of devotees and pilgrims. 

On the day of Vivah Panchami, a special marriage procession from Ayodhya, the birthplace of Ram, also arrives in Janakpur, the birthplace of Janaki. 

On this occasion, let’s revisit the glorious past of this ancient city.

In ancient times (Treta Yug), an arena was prepared for the contest of the bow at Rangbhoomi, located close to the famous Janaki temple. The great poet Tulsi Das mentions about the grand preparations in his Ramayan thus: “The two brothers reached the eastern quarters of the city where the ground had been prepared for the contest. In the midst of a fair and spacious paved area, a spotless altar had been richly adorned.”

He goes further: “On all four sides of this altar were erected broad platforms of gold to be occupied by the princes. Not far behind and surrounding them on all sides shone another circular tiers of platforms of somewhat greater height and beautiful in every way, and where the citizens might come and sit. Close to these were constructed spacious and beautiful pavilions, glistening white and painted in different colours.”

Sita, a paragon of beauty, was wandering with her girl companions hither and thither in the royal garden. She used to pluck fresh flowers to worship Girija, her favourite goddess. After bathing in the lovely pond, she went with her friends to worship at Girija’s temple. She offered worship with deep devotion and asked the goddess for a handsome husband worthy of her. By chance, Ram and Lakshman were also visiting the royal garden as it was so famous and worth visiting. Ram saw beautiful Sita with his own eyes. He was overwhelmed to see her unparalleled beauty. Tulasi Das has described this marvelous meeting of the two in the following lines: “Hearing the tinkling of her bangles, the small bells on her girdle and the anklets, Ram thought within himself and then said to Lakshman, ‘sounds as though Cupid has sounded his kettle drum, ambitious to conquer the universe’.”

After getting a glimpse of Sita’s beauty, Ram drew the conclusion that she is no other than Janaki, the daughter of Janak for whom the contest of the bow was going to be held. The most famous Rajarshi was Shirdhwaj Janak, the father of Sita, also known by her family name (Janaki).

Tulasi Das has aptly and rightly described this fact in the following lovely lines: “Dear brother, this is no other than Janaki, to win whom the contest of the bow is being held. She has been escorted by her girl companions to worship Gauri and is moving about in the garden diffusing light all about her.”

There’s an interesting story about the birth of Sita. It goes something like this:   

A dreadful drought had occurred in the Kingdom of Mithila. King Janak himself tilled and sanctified the land in the capital of Mithila, Janakpur. He discovered a beautiful baby girl lying in a furrow. He brought the baby to his palace where she grew up into a beautiful princess. When she reached marriageable age, Janak held a great bow-breaking ceremony where one wishing to get married to his daughter had to bend the divine bow of Lord Shiv, gifted to him by the Lord himself. Princes and kings came to face the challenge from far and wide, but nobody could bend the tremendous and powerful bow. 

It so happened that Ram and his brother were in the vicinity of Janakpur with his Guru (teacher) Vishwamitra. They were also invited to that historical and celestial contest. With his Guru’s permission, Ram broke the bow into three pieces, with its breaking sounding like an earthquake. After breaking the bow, the lovely Sita put the wedding garland on Ram’s neck causing a universal applause with gods and goddesses showering flowers on them from high heavens. All men and women thronged to see this sacred and celestial meeting of eternal lovers.

A grand marriage ceremony was held where Ram’s three brothers Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan were also married to Urmila, Mandavi and Shrutikriti, respectively. 

Since then, this festival of celestial marriage has been performed throughout Nepal and India but the focal point of attraction is Janakpur, the birthplace of Janaki. Janakpur is considered a sacred place and thousands of devotees from different parts of Nepal and India visit the city every year to offer worship at the famous temples of Ram and Sita. Enthusiastically, they watch the ceremonial marriage procession, which starts from Ram Mandir, passes through Janaki Mandir and ends at the Rangbhoomi where a celestial bow-breaking ceremony is held. 

The idols of Ram and Sita are taken in procession to the site of revelry. To commemorate their marriage ceremony, the garlands of Ram and Sita are exchanged in the midst of thousands of people, who flock to watch the grand ceremony. 

Devotees perform Maithili marriage rituals in the Janaki temple at night with enthusiastic participation of sages, Brahmins and priests amid marriage folk songs and Mantra recitals in an ambience filled with music.

A big fair is also held at the Janaki temple with the participation of hundreds of hermits, sages and devotees. Local artists perform Ramlila at night and, at times, theater companies also come to entertain the crowd. Different stalls put in place for the occasion provide a wide range of goods, including essentials. As the Janaki temple is the center of attraction with all roads leading toward it, the temple is decorated to attract the visitors, including dignitaries, with the involvement of local authorities. The registered saints and sages get free food and lodging facilities during the fair. On the occasion, Janakpur becomes a meeting place for families and friends also, with every family catering to a good number of guests. 

The next day, the idol of Sita is carried to the Ram Mandir (temple) amidst great fanfare in a farewell ceremony marked by offering of precious things as dowry. The idols of Ram and Sita, dressed as the bridegroom and the bride, are placed in a beautifully-decorated palanquin on the back of a caparisoned elephant.

In the Mithila region, four men carry this palanquin amid a musical marriage procession marked by the presence of a significant number of men and women, and this procession is called Barat in Maithili. These days, apart from men and women, the procession also features elephants, horses and bullock carts. 

After several days of celebration, the festival of faith ends. 

Every year, this festival offers us glimpses of the Ramayan period. We remember Ram, an incarnation of the almighty and Sita, an incarnation of the goddess whom we worship with reverence. 

Beautiful, pious, honest, courteous and loyal to her husband Ram, Sita symbolizes ideal womanhood.  According to Devi Upanishad “Sita, the consort of Ram, is nature. She is the primordial power, the embodiment of divine splendor. She is the heaven attained through penance, the nature of the universe conscious and unconscious, that which knows and that which does not  know.”

Maithil women still have an undying faith in her chastity and follow her footsteps in every walk of life to make their lives ideal and happy. She is also the embodiment of duty. The Maithil women regard her as a dutiful daughter of Mithila because she sacrificed her whole life in the service of her husband, honestly and respectfully.  

Every year, Janakpur celebrates this festival with great fanfare. Time has come to develop this ancient city while retaining its past glory. 

The historic city of Janakpur, the capital of the ancient Mithila kingdom and the birthplace of Goddess Sita, the consort of Lord Ram, has been suffering utter neglect for ages, with the government of Nepal not bothering to put it on its tourism map. 

Though the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, the Department of Tourism and Nepal Tourism Board have not bothered to bring to light the glory of this ancient city and draw in tourists, better days seem to be ahead for the city and adjacent areas as they constitute a central part of the Ramayan Circuit, one of the most ambitious projects of the Narendra Modi-led Indian government that aims to connect all sacred places associated with the life and times of Ram and Sita. 

To further propagate the glory of Nepal, the government should step up efforts for inclusion of the Janaki Temple in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites’ list.

During his third visit to Nepal as the PM of India in May 2018, Narendra Modi had visited Janakpur as well, signifying the importance of the ancient city. 

Welcoming Modi, our Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had expressed hope that the Ramayan Circuit will further improve the ties between the people of Nepal and India. Modi, on his part, had aptly said that he was in Janakpurdham not as the PM of India but as a prime pilgrim. These words from the two PMs still resonate in the city and beyond. 

On the occasion, the two sides had launched a Janakpur-Ayodhya direct bus service and India had  announced an assistance package of Rs 1bn for the development of Janakpurdham.

At that time, PM Oli had said he and Modiji had “agreed to address outstanding issues between the two countries in a timebound manner” while PM Modi had expressed satisfaction over the opportunity to visit important pilgrimage sites and promised to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, whenever an opportunity arises.

Peace, harmony and spirituality are some of the common features of our two countries. It is no wonder that people from all over the world come as pilgrims and tourists to Nepal and India in search of peace, bliss and spirituality. Increasing inflow of people to Lumbini, Janakpurdham, Pashupatinath, Varanasi, Kedarnath, Bodhgaya and numerous other destinations in the mountains and in the plains is a living proof of this desire.

Back to Janakpur. The Department of Archaeology came up with a good news recently. It stated that it had found remnants of ancient civilizations dating back to the third or the second century BC on the banks of the Jamuni river in Dhanusha district. In a press release, the department pointed out that eight different civilizations may have existed in and around the site in different time periods, noting that cultural layers in the area date back to the Kusand period of the first to second century AD to the Maurya period ( 2-3 century BC). The department has reportedly unearthed ancient brick walls, foundations of human settlements, manmade pits, piles of mud utensils and post holes used for erecting wooden pillars. 

These remains have unique imprints of the Maurya civilization, comparatively advanced relics of the Kusand period like iron slag, terracotta beads, terracotta bangles and bricks as well as unique utensil pieces called Northern Black Polished Ware, which date back to 600-300 BC. During the excavation that involved digging a (4 * 3) trench, the department also collected samples of charcoal, bone and mud for further research in the area.

Unearthing of these remains once again shows how important Janakpurdham and surrounding areas are and how important it is for the government to preserve the priceless heritages of Nepal. Janakpur can also play a key role in boosting relations between Nepal and India, apart from bringing tourists and pilgrims from the world over to Nepal.

The time has come for our government authorities to wake up from deep slumber and work toward the preservation of priceless heritages of Janakpurdham and surrounding areas. I call upon the government to take a step in that direction by declaring 2025 as the ‘Visit Janakpur’ year.

Water is life.

“O water of the seas, of the rivers, of the tanks, of wells and of any other place, hear favorably my prayers and vows. As the traveler, fatigued with the heat, finds rest and comfort under a tree’s shade, so may I find solace and assistance in all my ills, and pardon for all my sins.”

“O water, you are the eye of sacrifice and battle.You have an agreeable flavor; you have the bowels of a mother for us, and all her feelings toward us. I call upon you with the same confidence with which a child at the approach of danger flies to the arms of a loving mother. Cleanse me from my sins, and all other men of their sins. O water, at the time of the flood, Brahma the omniscient, whose name is spelt with one letter, existed alone, and existed under your form. Brooding over you and mingling with you, this Brahma did penance, and by the merits of his penance created night. The waters, which covered the Earth, were drawn into one place and formed the sea. Out of the sea were created the day, the years, the sun, the moon, and Brahma with his four countenances. Brahma created the firmament, the Earth, the air, the smaller worlds and everything that was in existence before the flood.”

Water is called life. No living being can survive on this planet without it. Water is essential for life. Many diseases can be cured through its proper application. Vedic scriptures mention that proper use and application of water can cure several ‘incurable’ diseases. 

In modern times, many scholars and researchers like Vincent, Father Sebastian Kneipp and Louis Kuhne have used it for the treatment of almost all waterborne diseases. So, they are revered and remembered today like medical doctors.

Ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Hebrews and Chinese are said to have used water for the treatment of many diseases. The Greek physician Hippocrates (400-500 BC), known as the ‘Father of Medicine’, used water for treating many incurable diseases. Apart from bodily cleanliness, water is used internally to quench many parts of the body and as Enema for internal cleaning of the body. It is also useful for the treatment of  uric acid, salts and surplus sugar in the body. It can also be used in indigestion.

Water is an extraordinary substance, anomalous in nearly all of its physical-chemical properties and easily the most complex of all the familiar substances that are single chemical compounds. 

Water plays a pivotal role in the life of human beings and life is not possible without it. 

In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on the right to water and sanitation. It is the first UN resolution that explicitly recognizes the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.

Albert Szent Gyorgy has also thrown light on the importance of water in the following lines: “Water is life’s matrix, mother and medium.There is no life without water.”

After taking a holy bath, worshipers offer water in the form of Arghya or Tarpan to the rising and setting Sun by standing in rivers, ponds and  rivulets in the morning and in the evening. This way, they pay respect to the Sun in their daily life. I would like to quote here: “Glory to the Sun and to the planet Venus. May the water that I now offer you find favor in your sight.”

Water is closely related to Maithili culture. Almost all Maithili folk festivals are  solemnized on the banks of rivers. In India also the case is the same. There is a very popular saying that all roads lead towards the Ganges river on the auspicious occasion of Chhath which is celebrated with pomp and show for  four days  every year.It can not be celebrated without water bodies. There is a long tradition of worshiping the sun god in  neighboring country India. The sun worshiping tradition was very popular in Western and Central India, even extending to Bihar. The Chhath celebration of Patna is very famous in India. Patna is the capital city of Bihar.Reference may be made to the Sahapur image inscription of Adityasena (in the district of Patna) and the Deo Baranaka record of Jivitagupts 11 (in the district of Shahababad). They both mention Solar worship in Bihar.It may be that with the migration of Skadvipi Brahmanas to Magadh, the Solar cult was transferred from West Multan and Rajputana to Eastern India. This statement has been supported by later archaeological evidence which testifies to the above mentioned fact. It is celebrated in the ‘Bright Fortnight’ in the month of Kartik for consecutive four days in India and Nepal. Similarly there is no basic difference in the celebration of this festival. This festival fosters age-old cultural bonds between the two countries.The season is also very sweet and soothing.

The very word Chhath consists of two words—Chah (six) and Hath, the Hath Yog, which is a kind of Yog (austerity). So, ‘Chhath’ refers to the process of consciously obtaining solar energy through six stages via methods similar to Hath Yog. Hath here refers to the austerities like fasting for days, standing in cold water and chanting the names of god and also singing folk songs dedicated to the Sun as well as Goddess Chhath Parmeshwari for achieving a certain objective.

According to another point of view, the word Chhath comes from number six. which signifies its starting date(the sixth day of  the lunar month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar), which corresponds to October-November.

• Stage 1: Fasting and the discipline of cleanliness leads to detoxification of the body and mind. This stage prepares the body and mind of the devotee to receive the cosmic solar energy.
• Stage 2: Standing in a body of water (pond, river, etc) with half the body (navel deep) in the water minimizes the leak of energy and helps the prana (psychic energy) to move up the Sushumna (psychic channel in the spine.)
• Stage 3: Cosmic solar energy enters the devotee’s pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus glands (Triveni) through retina and optic nerves.
• Stage 4: Activation of Triveni (tri-glandular complex)—pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus glands—begins.
• Stage 5: A kind of polarization happens in the spine, which results in the devotee’s gross and subtle bodies getting transformed into a cosmic powerhouse. This can also lead to the awakening of the latent psychic energy popularly known as the Kundalini Shakti.
• Stage 6: The body of devotees becomes a channel, which conducts, recycles and transmits the energy into the entire universe

The science of Chhath

The physical bodies of all living beings are highly-sophisticated energy conduits. Solar bioelectricity starts flowing in the human body when it is exposed to solar radiations of specific wavelength. Under favorable physical and mental conditions, the absorption and conduction of this solar bioelectricity increases. The processes and the rituals of Chhath puja prepare the body and the mind of the devotee for cosmic solar energy infusion. The scientific process of Chhath produces photo-electro-chemical, photo-electro-pranic and photo-electro-psychic effects on the devotee. The intake of solar energy using Chhath rituals has a revitalizing effect upon the devotee. Not many people are aware that the Rishis of the yore used to adhere to a scientific process similar to Chhath for their sustenance by avoiding solid or liquid diet. To unlock the mysteries of Chhath, research should be conducted with a focus on photochemistry, photobiology and biochemistry.

As described by the Yogis, cosmic solar energy enters the devotee’s body during the conscious Photo energization process of the Chhath. With the body purified through the prescribed method of fasting, the devotee stands with half the body (navel deep) in water and facing Bhagwan Surya (the sun). During this meditation in the sun, millions of photoreceptor cells present in the retina (in the eye) absorb the light energy (photons) present in the rays.

Retina is a kind of photoelectric material, which emits subtle energy when exposed to light. Hence, very subtle electric energy starts flowing from the retina. This energy (photo-bioelectricity) is transmitted from retina to the Pineal gland by the optic nerves connecting the retina to the pineal gland. This leads to activation of the pineal gland, which is in close proximity with the pituitary and hypothalamus glands (the three glands are collectively called Triveni). 

The energy generated in this process starts impacting these glands positively giving the devotee good health and a calm mind. With the solar charge in the pineal gland rising beyond a certain limit, the top and the bottom ends of the spine start acting like two poles of the energy channel. All these changes transform the devotee into a cosmic powerhouse of subtle energy and this powerhouse starts transmitting the cosmic energy into the universe. 

Preparations

Commoners, along with traders, begin to store and stock necessary materials for Chhath about two months before the festival. Devotees need bamboo-made baskets, earthen lamps, idols of elephants, new clothes like dhoti and saree and also decoration lights, bangles, mirrors, blouses, sacred incense, sandalwood vegetables, fruits and banana trees. Sweets like Thekuwa, Kasar and Khajuria, which are made of wheat flour and rice, are a must. 

Making Prasad

There are different ways to prepare Thekuwa. One can prepare it by mixing flour with ghee, shakkhar (jaggery) and sprinkling some water in the mixture (preferably from the Ganga) and giving it a desired shape. This mixture is deep-fried in ghee (preferably) or oil. 

If you want to make Thekuwa tastier with aromatic smell, coconut, cashew, dates, and raisins in the mixture. Besides Thekuwa, another important item required during Chhath is Bhuswa—a rice flour ball. First of all one should wash rice,heat it, grind it and mix it with the melted molasses. And then make small balls out of the mixture. Khajuriya is also a very important item. These food items are very popular among people of all ages. The food items are so delicious that one can easily imagine  that Chhath Paemeshwari and the sun god also like them and they are pleased by  offering  them. The worshippers prepare food varieties, work in groups and enjoy. They are busy in decoration and cooking. They used to wash wheat in groups,sing songs and grind them in Dhiki (a traditional grinding equipment).

Festive celebrations go on for about a month but the last four days are especially important. Catchy, sweet-sounding and popular festive songs dedicated mainly to the Sun and Chathi Mai (a goddess) echo on the toles (Mohalla) of villages in Madhes. This festival, though chiefly religious, is of multi-caste, multilingual and multi-religious nature. It is above petty politics with maintenance and promotion of communal harmony as its main motto. 

During the month of Kartik, devotees observe a fast, take strictly vegetarian food and maintain personal hygiene for purifying the mind and the body.

Maintaining and promoting communal harmony is the common goal of all our festivals. These festivals boost enthusiasm and encouragement, and play a pivotal role in strengthening unity and fraternity among the people of a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious Nepal.

When I was a middle school student, I was very crazy about kite-flying. This was the only medium of recreation during Dashain holidays. Some of my classmates were even crazier than me. One of my classmates, Sukhdev Upadhay, became one-eyed as he used to gaze all the time at the midday sun while flying his kite instead of sparing some time to savor those rolling green paddy fields!

However, with the passage of time and adoption of modern lifestyles, students of this day and age do not do much kite-flying. They are busy with their gadgets—mobile phones, computers and laptops—which do more harm than kite-flying does. 

Back in those good old days, the limitless sky was an open canvas and popular playground for kids like us and it didn’t matter whether you were a novice or a seasoned kite-flier. 

My experience of kite-flying tells me that human imagination soars high like a kite as one lets loose the thread from the reel, letting the kite soar high in the crystal-clear sky. Kite-flying offers you breathtaking vistas of the Earth, pleasant sounds of Nature and sacred sweetness and fragrance of marigolds and a myriad other flowers in full bloom. 

Neither too hot nor too cold, the autumn season is very serene and sacred also because of the worship of several goddesses, especially Durga Bhavani. 

Those sweet young days of kite-flying are gone for many of us, but this game can help even grown-ups overcome anxieties and leave the worldly cares behind for a while, though kite-flying from the rooftop of a house generally comes with perils attached like slips, trips and falls.   

This year, View Brew Cafe and Bar is hosting a weeklong kite-flying event with delicious food, various drinks and a breathtaking view of the Kathmandu Valley from their rooftop area, which is  specially designed for a safe kite-flying experience. Kites and accessories are also available at the restaurant for participants. This is a good attempt to remind young generations of the traditional kite-flying competition. 

A break from farm labor

At this time of the year, generally, there is no rain and crops are ripening in their fertile fields, allowing farmers to wind down a bit. They use this brief period to fly kites in the vastness of clear white skies adorned occasionally with the rainbow, while praying to Indra, the god of rain, to not ruin their kite-flying season with rainfall! 

I borrow a line from a beautiful poem of one of the most prominent romantic bards, William Wordsworth, to  support my statement while reminiscing fond memories associated with kite-flying high in the autumn skies shorn of rain clouds: 

“My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky.”

A harbinger of goodness

Myriad kites of different shapes and sizes, made of multi-coloured papers, soar in the azure autumn sky of the Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country. There’s a popular belief in Nepal that kite-flying brings forth happiness, sound health, peace and prosperity both in the households and in the country. 

This folk festival has health benefits attached as kite-fliers get to soak in the autumn sun, a pure medicine for the human body, which contracts all sorts of infections during the summer.

During this season, kite-flying is done in a big way in India also, including in the state of Gujarat that organizes an international kite festival, which draws global kite-fliers, coinciding with the festive season. Kite-flying is also a ritual dedicated to the Sun, thanking him for the benefaction of crops. 

Kite-flying is an international festival. A global kite-flying festival is held in Paris every year with enthusiastic participation of flies from different parts of the world. 

Making kites

Kites are made of lightweight paper and dried skewers of bamboo. Cotton strings used in kite-flying—with the help of Lattai (kite reel)—are laced with Manjha (a special mix of glass powder and rice paste) to make it strong and sharp so that it can cut other kite strings. Nowadays, multi-coloured kites of different shapes and sizes are available and they create very enchanting scenes in the skies.

Motiram Bhatta was born in Kathmandu on 8 Sept 1866 at Bhosiko Tole as the second son of Dayaram Bhatta and Ripumardini Devi Bhatta. He was born on Kuse Aunshi (The dark fortnight of the month of Bhadra) and died on the same day on Kuse Aunshi in 1896. This is considered a good coincidence.

The contributions of Yuvakavi (the youth poet) to Nepali literature are enormous and incomparable. He is considered the first  biographer of Nepali literature. He wrote the biography of ‘Adikavi’ Bhanubhakta Acharya titled ‘Kavi Bhanubhaktako Jiwancharitra’. His other works include a rather long poetical work  Gajendramoksha (based on the myth of an elephant’s emancipation at the hands of Lord Vishnu), Prahlad Bhakti Katha (Prahlad’s story of devotion) and Ushacharitra, also based on mythological themes. Pikdut in which he makes a bird his messenger to his separated beloved in the style of great Sanskrit poet Kalidas ‘Meghdut’. Kamal-Bhramar Sambad (dialogues between the lotus and the bumblebee), Bhramargit (the song of the bumblebee) and Kavi Samuhnam (the description of poets) are his other marvels and so are ‘Manoveg Pravaha’ and ‘Panchak Prapanch’.  He was also a playwright, who wrote ‘Shakuntla’, ‘Priyadarshika’ and ‘Padmavati’. In the words of critic Kumar Pradhan, “His creative period started in 1883 and before his death at the age of 30, Motiram is reported to have written many more works than that have been published.”

Thus, he established himself as the genius and the living legend of Nepali literature. He was exposed to the outside world, especially in the neighboring India where he learned Hindi, Urdu and Persian languages. He also wrote a couple of ghazals and became a pioneer in this genre but this was not his main purpose. At that time, Varanasi (Venaras) was also the center of Nepali language. So, he concentrated mainly on the development of Nepali language and literature as it was his mother tongue. 

Critic Abhi Subedi is right in his observation. I quote him here: “In reality Motiram is the first  conscious artist and a very dexterous craftsman. On top of  being a good scholar and lover of language and literature he was the first critic and the first poet to bring literature to the common people.”

He also started to write Kuta Padya (knotty poetry) and poems related to problem-solving (poetic problem solving), which is called Samasyapurti in Nepali, which was the fashion of that time. He learned it from famous Hindi poet Bhartendu Harischandra and also imitated the trend of ghazal writing from him. Thus he became a pioneer ghazal writer in Nepali language.

We Nepali writers are fortunate enough to have known Bhanubhakta Acharya due to Motiram, who brought him to light first of all by publishing his immortal poetic epic, the Ramayan. He did some research first of all and then compiled his poetic creations and also published them. Firstly, he published the Balkand (child episode of Ram) and then wrote the whole biography of Bhanubhakta. He also became a pioneer in the field of journalism, which was unknown at that time. 

No journal was in publication at that time. So, he published a literary monthly journal named ‘Gorkha Bharat Jiwan’ in 1863, in cooperation with his friend Ram Krishna Verma, who was the owner of a printing press in Venaras.

To paraphrase Prof Govind Raj Bhattarai, “In a remarkably brief period of time, the life of Motiram, the visionary, vibrant and multi-talented youth, was extinguished. Motiram introduced Bhanubhakta by writing Bhanubhaktako Jeevan Charita, which has been translated into English by Mitbir Rai of Darjeeling. This is the first book of biography of the first poet as well as the foundation stone of Nepali criticism.”

He commenced a historical work in the field of journalism. Thus, he is remembered as a legendary  litterateur as well as a legendary journalist. He was also an expert on ghazal writing and his ghazals are very sweet and popular with a very soothing and balmy tone.

I would like to quote here the famous Pakistani ghazal singer Mehadi  Hasan: “For me, ghazal is delicate. When a deer is deeply wounded by a hunter, it runs into the forest for its life and the sound that comes from it just when it’s about to die, that sound is ghazal.’Tone, words and rhythm from the face of ghazal, the subjects of love lost, even love won and wounded sensibilities are deeply enmeshed within the ghazal form. But take it a step further and it can become metamorphic, the subject in the ghazal can become a country, the love for a country, the love for two countries to mingle again. And on a higher level, the words in the ghazal associated with the beloved can be a reaching out to God.”

In short, ghazal is a gossip between the lover and the beloved in solitude. Motiram’s ghazals create a soothing effect on the listeners and audience equally. He was a  romantic poet and ghazal writer. So he wrote some romantic ghazals such as “ Dubai ankhi bhaun ta katar chhan, tarbar kina chahiyo. Timi afai malik bhai gayau  sarkar kina chahiyo.” The translation goes something like this: Your eyebrows are like knives, why do you need a sword? You are the lord yourself, why do you need a government? His another popular ghazal is “Jata heryo utai mera najarma Ram pyara chhan,” which translates into: I see my dear Lord Ram everywhere. 

Motiram is considered the father of ghazal writing in Nepali language and literature. He was the  first singer of love and beauty in Nepal. John Keats’ words “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever” ring true in the case of Motiram’s works. 

Madhav Lal Karmacharya is quite correct in his observation. He goes: Sometimes after 1883, a new phase appeared with the introduction of the elements of love and beauty, and that period came to be known as the period of ‘Sringar Sahitya’ meaning the literature marked with the traits of love and beauty. The pioneer poet of this period was Bhatta, thanks to his zeal and enthusiasm, a number of dramas, novels, lyrics, gazals, folk songs, literary criticisms, etc were published.”

“Ek din Narad satyalok pugigaya lokko garun hit bhani.”

Thus begins Bhanubhakta Acharya’s Ramayan, the Nepali translation of Brahmarshi Balmiki’s epic, the Adhyatma Ramayan.  

The purpose of the pioneer poet of the Nepali language is lucidly clear in the above-mentioned line: Lokko hit (the good of the public, the worlds). Bhanubhakta’s Ramayan begins with Brahmarshi Narad visiting Satyalok (the realm of truth) for doing the good of the Lok (the people, the worlds); the purpose of Bhanubhakta’s labor is also to serve the people by translating the Ramayan from Sanskrit into a poetic Nepali. In the course of time, Bhanubhakta’s Ramayan has become immensely popular in Nepal and India, especially among Nepali-speaking communities.

Bhanubhakta was well-versed in Sanskrit, a language mainly of rich and well-educated people like scholars, priests and teachers of those times, but most of the Nepali society was not even familiar with Sanskrit. So, Bhanubhakta took it upon himself to translate the epic into simple and lyrical Nepali, making it hugely popular in Nepali households, both in Nepal and parts of India.

Ahead of his times and aware of the public pulse, Bhanubhakta has well-established himself in the literary firmament and earned himself a place in the hearts and minds of the Nepali Lok based in Nepal and abroad.

Apart from the Ramayan, his works including Badhushiksha Prashnottari, Bhaktamala and Ram Geeta have also sought to serve the public by reforming society through moral education.

The work titled Badhushiksha Prasnottari, for example, is Bhanubhakta’s attempt to teach good manners to daughters-in-law, to teach them how to behave with their mothers-in-law. 

Bhanubhakta was a devotee of Lord Ram and his lyrical Ramayan made him popular far and wide.

There’s a vast scope for a comparative study of Bhanubhakta’s contributions vis-à-vis other contemporary poets, but the sad fact is that there is no comparative study department in any universities of Nepal for such an undertaking.

Nonetheless, he is comparable to the great poet of Sanskrit, Balmiki, the prominent Awadhi poet Tulasi Das and the celebrated Maithili poet Chanda Jha.

A long time ago, Prof Surdeo Singh Prabhakar earned his PhD for his thesis titled ‘Comparative study of Bhanubhakta and Tulasi Das’ from the University of Allahabad, India. But his dissertation remains unpublished till date, somehow obscuring Bhanubhakta’s contribution.

The then Royal Nepal Academy (Nepal Academy now) has published Prof Dhundhiraj Bhandari’s article titled ‘A comparative study of Bhanubhakta and Tulasi Das’ in its research magazine named ‘Pragya’. This writer’s article on a comparative study of Bhanubhakta and Tulasi Das also got published in the same magazine.

In the World Sanskrit Seminar held in Kathmandu under the aegis of the Embassy of India in Kathmandu two years ago, this writer had made a presentation on a comparative study of the Ram Katha (story of Ram) of Bhanubhakta and Ram Katha of Tulasi Das.

Scholar Ram Chandra Poudel has also done research on the comparative study of Bhanubhakta and Balmiki whereas Prof Jayaraj Acharya has written a book titled ‘Bhanubhakta Acharya: His life and selected poems (2011), highlighting Bhanubhakta’s valuable contribution to Nepali language and literature.

Acharya has touched upon the need for a comparative study on Bhanubhakta and some other poets, especially Tulsidas from India. Notably, though well-versed in Sanskrit, Tulsidas also chose to write his ‘Ramcharit Manas’ in Awadhi, to reach and serve a wider audience.

Bhanubhakta was from the times when a clique consisting of teachers, preachers, scholars and priests from the elite class had a kind of monopoly over knowledge, given their command of Sanskrit in which most of the literature of those times was written.   

Yet he caught the pulse of the commoners of those times and had the foresight to translate the Ramayan into Nepali, which earned him immense fame, thanks to its lyrical and simple language.

Notably, this poet, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, in Ramgha of Tanahun district, drew inspiration for doing something good for the society from a grass-cutter, who, in the course of a conversation, said he was saving his hard-earned money to dig a well for fellow villagers.  

The rest, as they say, is history.

By taking the Ramayan, considered a fountainhead of peace and spiritual bliss for the religious minded people, to Nepali households, Bhanubhakta has helped spread the glory of Ram further and also immortalized the grass-cutter.

Bhanubhakta has become a national icon because of his contributions. He will shine in the firmament of Nepali language and literature forever.

Janakpur, the headquarters of Dhanusha district and part of the Madhes Province, has historical and religious importance. It is the capital of  ancient Mithila, the kingdom which on many of its frontiers is believed to have been guarded by different deities: Kshireshwor in the north, Jaleshwor in the south, Mithileshwor in the east and Kupeshwor in the southwest.

Janakpur is the sacred place where Janaki, the constant consort of Lord Ram and the dutiful daughter of Mithila King (Rajarshi) Janak, was born from the womb of Mother Earth. She is also considered the most celebrated and illustrated heroine of the Hindu epic Ramayan.

Ram, the king of Ayodhya, was married to Sita at Janakpur. The marriage ceremony of Ram and Sita, the two central characters of the Ramayan, is celebrated on the auspicious occasion of Vivah Panchami—the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Mangsir (Nov-Dec). 

The legend preceding the nuptial goes like this. Ram broke a divine bow, which originally belonged to Lord Shiva, into three pieces, ‘qualifying’ him for his marriage with Sita. Per the legend, one piece flew into heaven, another entered Patal (the netherworld) and the third piece landed at the present-day Dhanusha Dham, about 40 km from Janakpur. Today also, visitors can see huge rocks shaped like a bow under a tree in Dhanusha rural municipality.

There are a large number of magnificent temples, large and deep ponds in Janakpur. These ponds are polluted, obscuring the glorious and golden past of the historic city regarded as one of the most sacred spots for millions and millions of Hindu pilgrims from the world over. Especially on occasions such as Vivah Panchami, Ram Navami and Janaki Navami, the faithful visit the city in large numbers.

The charms of Janakpur transcend beyond temples and ponds. Numerous fairs and festivals make Janakpur an attractive destination, making it a famous and foremost destination for religious-spiritual tourists. The historic place where the wedding of Ram and Sita took place is also a wedding destination for countless couples-to-be.

 Temples and more

Janakpur has been rightly called a tiny town of temples. Numerous ancient temples, statues and shrines indeed remind us of the glorious and religious chapters written about Mithila in ancient history books and several scriptures. The Ram-Janaki temple, one of the prime attractions, is a blend of classical and neoclassical design with elements of fortification and unique environmental setting. Its rare architectural elements, among other unique features, draw a large number of visitors from both Nepal and neighboring India. 

Mithila art is expanding its wings. It got an easy entrance into the UN and recently in the G-20 World Summit held in New Delhi. Moreover it has also got the GS (General Standard) trade mark. Janakpur has become the center of Mithila art and craft, but there is no sales counter for Mithila artworks at the Janakpur airport.  

Janakpur, the heart of the Mithila kingdom that embodies the teachings of Maitrei, Yagyabalkya, Gargi and King Janak and his dutiful daughter Janaki in the field of service and sacrifice appears to be losing its glory due to a dirty atmosphere and the lack of efforts aimed at preserving the Ram-Janaki temple and other heritages. The waste and rubbish piled around the temple and the city seem to have gone unnoticed in the eyes of the Greater Janakpur Development Council. 

There have been efforts to preserve this gem of a place, which is encouraging. For example, some youths have been conducting Sandhya Aarati for a decade, further highlighting the significance of the heritage site among visitors from Nepal, and beyond and giving the evenings a sublime, soothing and scented feel.

The sorry state of this priceless heritage site is calling local people, concerned authorities and other stakeholders to come to the fore for its preservation. The sooner they wake up to the task, the better.