Mha Puja being marked today
Mha Puja — worship of oneself — is also celebrated today by the Newar community across the country. The Newar community marks the Nepal Sambat, New Year, in the morning and Mha Puja in the evening. Mha Puja falls on the Newari New Year based on the Newari calendar, Nepal Sambat. Main priest of Taleju temple Siddhibir Karmacharya said that Mha Puja should be observed today itself as per the tradition there are some confusions for the celebration in Bhaktapur. Mha Pula literally means self-worship. People of Newar community mark this on the fourth night of Tihar, Kartik Shukla Pratipada, by worshiping self with a hope that light of knowledge shall spread after the destruction of ignorance. On this day, Newars prepare sweet dishes at homes and mandalas (sacred diagram as symbol of their soul) are drawn on the floor and worshiped. Family members sit in front of the mandalas and the lady of the house presents each of them with a burning wick, sacred thread Jajanka and fruits symbolizing long life and good fortune. Historian Prof Dr Purushottam Lochan Shrestha said Mha Puja is the symbol of knowledge to know self and spread knowledge in the world. According to him, Mha Puja is an ancient festival of the Newar community, which is also a symbol of prosperity. However, culture expert Om Dhaubhadel said that there is no evidence to confirm when exactly this festival was started but added that the Newar community is observing this festival since the Lichchhivi era.
Newar community takes out Bhintuna rally in Bhaktapur (In pictures)
People from Newar community took out a Bhintuna rally in Bhaktapur to mark the New Year’s of Nepal Sambat on Tuesday.
The rally that started from Chyamasingh passed through Suryamadi, Dattatraya, Golmadi, Sukuldhoka and ended by garlanding the statue of Jagat Sundar Malla.
Gai Puja, Goru Puja being observed
Gai Puja and Goru Puja are being observed throughout the country today on the third day of the five-day-long Tihar festival celebrated mainly by the Hindus across the country. This year, Gai Puja and Goru Puja have fallen on the same day, today. The cows are fed with sweets and delicacies as part of the Gai Puja rituals. As per the tradition, the sacred thread tied around one's wrist on Janai Poornima festival would be tied on the tail of the cow while performing Gai Puja today. The myth has it that by doing so, the person's soul crosses the Baitarani River, a mythical river, to heaven, after his/her death. Likewise, the ox is also worshipped today as it is a very useful animal in different agricultural works in Nepal which is a predominantly an agricultural society.
Portuguese nationals’ 21 km cycle trip from Jomsom to Mustang begins
A group of people from Portugal has started a 21-km cycling trip from Jomsom to Muktinath, Mustang. The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) said that they had arrived in Mustang by air route on Sunday. ACAP Jomsom Office Chief Ashok Subedi said that around four dozen people from Portugal had arrived in an ancient forbidden kingdom, bordered by the Tibetan Plateau and sheltered by some of the world's tallest peaks, yesterday. They started their cycling journey from Jomsom using main highways and alternative trekking routes. Motorable roads have started destroying the old trekking routes in Mustang of late. Now, the rural roads have been expanded in Mustang. As there are no alternative trekking routes, the tourists are found using the main roads to reach Upper Mustang. The ring road in Upper Mustang and lower Mustang has destroyed the trekking routes.