Thursday, December 15, 2011
Final Paper: Dashain Festival: A look into the history and celebration of the Dashain festival in Nepal
Dashain Festival:
A look into the history and celebration of the Dashain festival in Nepal
A look into the history and celebration of the Dashain festival in Nepal
By Timothy J. Coughlin
English 191
Dr. Roland Sphect-Jarvis
December 12, 2011
Coming from America we have few national holidays, even fewer holidays that are religiously influenced. In contrast Nepal has many national holidays most of them religious in nature. The Dashain festival in particular is the largest and most celebrated festival in Nepal. For fifteen days Nepalese people celebrate the triumph of good over evil. One story depicts the battle between the Goddess Durga and the powerful devil Mahishasura. The battle ends with the Goddess Durga being the victor.
Throughout this paper I will explore the Dashain festival and its importance to the Nepalese people. But, in order to fully understand Dashain and its importance we first need to look at its history and examine the legends behind the demon Mahishasura and the Goddess Durga. I will examine how these two characters came into existence and also their significance to the Dashain festival. I will then explore the important days of the celebration and rituals the Nepalese people perform in order to honor the Goddess Durga during Dashain. Then finally I’ll explain why Dashain is one of the most important festivals to the Nepalese and their culture.
First an exploration into the events that led up to the celebration of the Dashain festival.
The history of the Dashain festival is told one of two ways. The first story describes the victory of lord Ram, and how he defeated the master of all demons; Ravana. The story I’m going to focus on involves the Goddess Durga and her battle with the demon Mahishasura.
The legend of Mahishasura starts with two brothers Karambha and Rambha who performed rituals in an attempt to gain more power. Karambha stood in water up to his neck and his brother stood among five ritual fires. These acts made the god Indra feel threatened, so he took the form of a crocodile and killed Karambha. When Rambha learned of his brother’s murder, he performed his rituals more intensely, winning more favors and blessings from the gods such as intelligence and invincibility. The blessing of invincibility was under the conditions that he could not be killed by gods, humans, or demons. Please note that this blessing did not prevent him from being killed by an animal. Rambha, unable to cope with the death of his brother, decided to commit suicide. The god of fire, Agni, of whom Rambha earned his blessings appeared and asked Rambha what it would take to prevent him from killing himself. Rambha asked for a son that could not be killed by any man or god.
Rambha later fell in love with a princess, Shyamala, who was cursed to live as a female water buffalo. Rambha, wanting to be with his new love, took the form of a male water buffalo. Upon consummating their union Shyamala became pregnant with a son. Awhile later another male water buffalo challenged Rambha, killing him. Princess Shyamala grieving the death of her husband decided to kill herself and dove into Rambha’s funeral fire. Because the promise of god Agni had not yet been fulfilled, a demon with the head of a buffalo and the body of a man rose from the funeral fire. This demon was called Mahishasura. (Khanna)
Mahishasura empowered with Agni’s promise of invincibility, conquered earth and then turned his focus on heaven. Mahishasura and his demon army drove all of the angles and gods from heaven. He then became Indra; the lord of all gods. (Dutt, 1896)
The gods that were expelled from heaven went to the god Brahma, ‘The creator’. They told him of the actions of Mahishasura. Brahma then led them before the other gods of the Trimutri; Vishnu the god of preservation and Shiva the god of destruction. The Three gods then met in conclave to discuss the situation. Vishnu and Shiva knew that Mahishasura could only be killed by a woman. The Trimutri decided to combine their powers to create a goddess. This goddess was named Durga.
The Goddess Durga was a sight to behold. She was created with a thousand arms. Normally she is depicted with eight to ten which represent the direction and extent of her protective powers throughout the universe. She was also given three eyes. Each of her eyes a representative of the three gods that created her. The left eye represents the moon or preservation. The right eye represents the sun or creation and finally the middle eye which represents fire and destruction.
In each of her many hands she held the weapons given to her by the gods who created her. In one hand she held Lord Shiva’s trident to destroy the sadness and fear. In another she carried a conch shell given to her by Lord Varun. This conch was used to declare battle. She also carried a bow and some arrows given to her by the Lords Vayu and Surya which represent the suns power. She was given a lightning bolt to represent strength and focus which was given by Lord Indra and a lotus flower to represent her purity. She also carried a discus to represent harmony and this was given to her by the nine incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
Lord Agai, the god responsible for the creation of Mahishasura, gave Durga his spear. She carried a noose given by the god of death, a club from the god of wealth, a water pot from Brahma, a sword from the god of time. She was also given metal armor and an axe from Lord Vishwakarma. (Goddess Durga, 2011)
Durga was also given a lion by the Himalaya Mountain. Durga is depicted riding this beast to represent the unlimited and violent power that she possesses. This animal also represents her power to destroy the forces that cause fear.
The Goddess Durga, armed with many weapons, endless fury, and the combined powers of the gods was sent forth to kill the demon Mahishasura. Durga and her army first encountered Mahishasura’s demon army. The sight of the goddess and her vast army struck fear in the demons hearts and they were easily overtaken by her great power. His armies in ruins; Mahishasura took the form of a demonic water buffalo. Mahishasura struck Durga’s forces with his great horns, lashing them with his tail. This attack left many of Durga’s forces dead or wounded.
Durga’s lion attacked Mahishasura distracting him long enough for Durga to ensnare him with her noose, killing his buffalo form. Mahishasura then changed into a lion but Durga quickly beheaded him. Frightened, Mahishasura then changed into a man as he attempted to escape. The enraged Durga then shot at the demon with her many arrows, but he managed to escape. This time he assumed the form of a giant elephant and struck her lion with his mighty tusk. Now Durga was even more furious than before destroyed the tusk with her great sword.
This battle continued on for ten days until Mahishasura took his original form of a water buffalo. He took refuge in the mountains where he defended himself by throwing large boulders at Durga. Durga unfazed by this attack quickly pinned Mahishasura to the ground, piercing him with the trident. She then lifted him by his head and with her sword beheaded him. The battle was over. (Mythology of Durga Puja, 2011)
After exploring the history behind the Dashain festival it is easy to see why the Nepalese take such great care in honoring and worshiping the Goddess Durga. Next we will examine the preparation and rituals the Nepalese perform in order to celebrate this great victory.
To prepare for the Dashain festival houses are cleaned and painted. This is done to make their homes more inviting to the Goddess Durga. In hope that she will visit their homes and then they may receive her blessings and good fortune. Since almost all of the stores and services in Nepal are closed for ten to fifteen days during the festival most of the Nepalese markets are filled with shoppers who are purchasing new clothing and supplies for the 15 days of celebration.
Thousands of animals are also prepared for slaughter. The animals such as sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, and water buffalo are believed to be the vessels of demons, and the sacrifice is believed to symbolize the destruction of evil. The appropriateness of these animal sacrifices is currently being debated in Nepal. Some groups believe the Goddess Durga who symbolizes motherly love is not pleased by destruction of her creatures. This practice is currently not an issue outside of Nepal because Dashain celebrations in the United States and Europe do not include the practice of animal sacrifices. (Debating Animal Cruelty During Nepal's Dashain Festival, 2010)
The first nine days of celebration pay tribute to the Goddess Durga because she is the source of everything, and the last 5 days are spent celebrating the destruction of evil with family and friends.
Day 1 – Ghatasthapana
The First day of significance during Dashain is called Ghatasthapana which means establishing a pot. The Nepalese people will place a pot or a holy water vessel in their prayer room. This pot called a Kalash is used to symbolize the Goddess Durga, the pot is then filled with holy water, covered with cow manure, and decorated with barley seed. The kalash is then placed at the center of a small block made out of sand which is also planted with the barley seeds. The resulting plant is called Jamara, and it represents a good harvest for the Nepalese people. (We all Nepali, 2011)
Day 7 – Fulpati
The seventh day of Dashain is the next significant day. This day is celebrated by delivering Fulpati, sacred flowers and leaves, and other items used in the tika to the Nepalese leaders. Prior to 2008 the Fulpati was delivered to the royal family, because of the fall of the monarchy the Fulpati has since been delivered to the Nepalese prime minister. The Fulpati is delivered via a parade that started three days earlier. The parade travels on foot over 160 kilometers. (The Kathmandu Post, 2011) The procession starts in Gorkha which is the location of the ancestral home of the royal family to Durbar Square in Kathmandu. The Fulpati procession is intercepted in the city of Jamal by six priests or Brahmins. The Brahmins add holy water, sugarcane, and banana stalks to the Fulpati. The parade continues until they reach Durbar Square where they are met high ranking officials, Nepalese military. While the festival starts on Ghasthapana; Fulpati marks the official day of celebrations. From this day all government and private offices are closed to encourage people to return to their families and take blessings from their elders.
Day 8 – Asthami
The eighth day of Dashain called Maha Astami. This day is marked by the sacrifice of thousands of animals to appease one of the manifestations of the Goddess Durga. The sacrifices take place in front of all of the government offices and in almost every home in Nepal. On this day most streets and temple floors are covered in the blood of the slaughtered animals. The Nepalese people will then celebrate by consuming large quantities of meat. This day is also called Kal Ratri or Black Night, because the sacrifices will continue until dawn of the ninth day.
Asthami is one of the most controversial days for some in Nepal because of the number of animals being slaughtered. Some Nepalese forgo the animal sacrifice and instead symbolically sacrifice gourds, because they believe that the Goddess Durga is not pleased by the destruction of her creation. (Debating Animal Cruelty During Nepal's Dashain Festival, 2010)
Day 9 – Nawam
The ninth day of Dashain called Mahanavami is celebrated by opening Taleju temple to the public. Thousands of Nepalese visit this temple on this day because it is the only time of the year when the temple is open to the public.
This day is also marked by the official sacrifices performed by the Nepalese army when fifty-five black water buffalo are sacrificed to the Goddess Durga in the royal square of Kathmandu. Another official sacrifice will take place in the city of Bhaktapur, when a single buffalo will be offered to the nine manifestations of the Goddess Durga. This special buffalo is called ‘Khamay’. To prepare this animal for sacrifice it will be bathed in a stream that flows near the Brahmani temple and then shepherded into the temple square where it will be sacrificed to the goddesses later that evening to symbolize the death of Mahishasura.
It is also common to see Nepalese make sacrifices to their machinery, tools, and vehicles used at their homes and businesses. While it is common to see animal used in this ritual; some perform the sacrifice using eggs. These sacrifices are done in order honor the god of creativity; Sarasvati. The Nepalese believe by making these sacrifices it will please Sarasvati and this will bring them safety in the coming year. (Ninth Day of Dashain Festival, 2011)
Day 10 – Vijaya Dashami (main day)
The tenth day of Dashain is called Vijaya Dashami which means “Great Victory” is the main day of Dashain celebration. This day marks the day Durga defeated Mahishasura, the end of their ten day battle. On this day the Nepalese will perform additional sacrifices to the Goddess Durga. They will also visit their ancestral homes to receive tika and blessings from the elders in their family. The younger family members will also receive small amounts of money and gifts from the elders during this time. The Nepalese will continue to receive tika and blessings for the remaining five days of the festival.
The fifteenth day of Dashain is called Kojagrat Purnima. During Kojagrat Purnima the Nepalese people worship the goddess of wealth and prosperity; Mahalaxmi. They will stay up all night singing songs and gambling with the belief that she will visit them while they are awake to bless them with wealth and prosperity. (Nepal Mountain News, 2011) This is also the last day of the Dashain festival.
Now that we’ve explored the history and the rituals of the Dashain festival; let’s look at why the Dashain festival is so important to Nepalese people.
The main significance of the Dashain festival is the worship of the Goddess Durga, and to celebrate her victory over evil. The word Durga means fort, a protected place that offers protection from enemies. Goddess Durga is also known as the Mother Goddess or the Devine mother. She is the mother of the whole universe. To the Nepalese Goddess Durga represents strength, compassion, protection. The Nepalese respect and honor her so she will offer mercy from their sufferings, and protection from the evil in their lives. While the Divine mother I the goddess of love and compassion she also has a darker side; the Goddess Kali is the most demonic and blood thirsty form of Durga. She represents death and many of the festivals animal sacrifices are performed to appease her.
The Dashain festival is much like the Christian holiday of Christmas. The Nepalese will extensively clean and then decorate their homes. They will go shopping and purchase new clothing and gifts; often times spending too much. For those who cannot afford to purchase gifts for everyone in their family, will at a minimum purchase gifts for their children. Dashain is also a time when many workers will receive a bonus from their employers. This bonus is often equal to a month’s wages. This festival is also a time of feasting; the Nepalese will consume large quantities of meat mainly goat. In Nepal meat is expensive so the families who usually go without it for the majority of the year will purchase a goat to enjoy during this time.
The Nepalese will also return to their home villages to spend time with their families, exchange gifts, and more feasting. While they are visiting their families they will receive tika from an elder member of the family. The tika blessing starts with the oldest member blessing the youngest member first. The tika is a red powder made from sandalwood, clay, and ash. It is used to represent a third eye that is often depicted on the gods and goddesses. Hindu’s believe that we were given two eyes to see the physical world and the third eye is for their soul so that is may see spiritual reality. (Dasa, 2007)
For the Nepalese children Dashain is a time to receive gifts from their parents and grandparents. The children also spend this time having kite battles with their friends and neighbors. The purpose of these battles is to crash the other kite. These kite battles are serious business and according to Puspak the children will use special kite strings that are coated with ground glass to make the strings more abrasive. The glass dust strengthens the kite string and it also makes it easier for their kite string cut through the strings of their competitor’s kites. There is even an official kite flying competition called Changa Chait.
The Dashain festival has something for everyone to enjoy, making it easy to understand why it is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year. Dashain is a joyous celebration that honors the Goddess Durga, brings families together. Mainly the Dashain festival is the time of year when Nepalese from all over the world and across Nepal can step back from their daily lives and celebrate their culture as a nation.
So, in conclusion the Dashain festival is a time for the Nepalese people to forget about their daily struggles and celebrate their culture as a nation. It marks the destruction of evil and it should now be clear after exploring the legends why the Nepalese people take such care in the preparations and performance of this significant event. The Dashain festival is a time when the Nepalese people join in the worship their Goddess Durga; recognizing her power to overcome the evils in their lives. They use this time to reconnect with their families, traditions, and enjoy their many blessings. Namaste.
Bibliography
(2011, 10 04). Retrieved 11 26, 2011, from The Kathmandu Post: http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/10/03/top-story/fulpati-observed-as-dashain-proper-begins/226961.html
(2011, 10 11). Retrieved 11 28, 2011, from Nepal Mountain News: http://www.nepalmountainnews.com/cms/?p=40220
Dasa, S. N. (2007). Religious Marks. (Sanskrit Religions Institute) Retrieved 12 7, 2011, from Devasthanam: http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/religiousmarks.html
Debating Animal Cruelty During Nepal's Dashain Festival. (2010, 10 21). Retrieved 11 25, 2011, from English Global Voices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/10/21/debating-animal-cruelty-during-nepals-dashain-festival/
(1896). In M. N. Dutt, Markandeya Puranam (pp. 140-152). Calcutta: Elypsium Press.
Goddess Durga. (2011). Retrieved from Trinetra: http://www.trinetra.org.uk/#/goddess-durga-symbolism/4544724732
Khanna, D. R. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/tag/mahishasura-the-demon/
Mythology of Durga Puja. (2011). Retrieved 11 27, 2011, from Durga Puja: http://www.durga-puja.org/mythology.html
Ninth Day of Dashain Festival. (2011, 10 9). Retrieved 11 28, 2011, from The Kathmandu Metro: http://66.7.193.115:8080/kathmandumetro/news/ninth-day-of-dashain-festival
Roy, C. (2005). Traditional Festivals: a Multicultural Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
We all Nepali. (2011). Retrieved 11 26, 2011, from http://www.weallnepali.com/hamro-nepal/ghatasthapana
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Final paper outline
Topic:
The history and significance of the Dashain festival.
I. Introduction
In America we have few national holidays and even fewer that are religiously influenced. IIn contrast Nepal has many national holidays most of them religious in nature. The Dashain festival in particular is the largest and most celebrated festival in Nepal. For fifteen days Nepalese people celebrate the triumph of good over evil. One story depicts the battle between the goddess Durga and the powerful devil Mahishasura. The battle ends with the goddess Durga being the victor.
Throughout this paper I will explore the Dashain festival and its importance to the Nepalese people. But, in order to fully understand Dashain and its importance we first need to look at its history and examine the legends behind the demon Mahishasura and the goddess Durga. I will examine how these two characters came into existence and also their significance to the Dashain festival. I will then explore the important days of the celebration and rituals the Nepalese people perform in order to honor the goddess Durga during Dashain. And then finally why Dashain is one of the most important festivals to the Nepalese and their culture.
II. Body
a. History of the Dashain festival
i. The legend of Mahishasura
ii. The war in Heaven
iii. The legend of Durga
iv. The 10 day battle
b. Key days of Celebration
i. Preparations
1. Cleaning and painting
2. New purchases
ii. Day 1 – Ghatasthapana (establishing a pot)
iii. Day 7 – Fulpati
1. Delivering the Fulpati
a. Items
b. 160 km parade on foot
2. Government offices closed.
iv. Day 8 – Asthami
1. Sacrifice
a. Appease Durga
b. Controversy
2. Black night
v. Day 9 – Nawam
1. Official Sacrifices
a. Royal Square in Kathmandu
b. Bhaktapur
2. Sacrifice to the god of creativity
vi. Day10 – Vijaya Dashami
1. Main Celebration day
a. Great Victory
b. Family
i. Gifts
ii. Tika
iii. Blessings
vii. Day 15 – Kojagrat Purnima
1. Awake all night
2. Last Day of Celebrations
c. Significance to the Nepalese people and their culture
i. Worsip Durga
ii. Celebrate the victory of good over evil
1. Nepali all across Nepal and around the globe
2. From all social castes
iii. Like Christmas in Nepal
1. Visiting Family
a. Tika (the mind’s eye)
b. Blessings
c. Gifts
2. Time away from work.
iv.
III. Conclusion
After exploring the legend behind the goddess Durga, it should be clear why the Nepalese people take such care in preparing and performing the daily rituals in order to honor and celebrate this important event in Nepalese culture. If we Americans celebrated our 5 holidays with the fervent passion of the Nepalese we may find ourselves coming together as a nation.
Sources
Roy, Christian. Traditional Festivals: a Multicultural Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2005. Print.
THE MARKANDEYA PURANA. <http://pushpak.de/markandeya/markandeya_en.pdf>.
04 10 2011. 26 11 2011 <http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/10/03/top-story/fulpati-observed-as-dashain-proper-begins/226961.html>.
Nepal Mountain News. 28 11 2011 <http://www.nepalmountainnews.com/cms/?p=40220>.
<http://www.ruchiskitchen.com/festivals/Durgahist.htm>.
Debating Animal Cruelty During Nepal's Dashain Festival. 21 10 2010. 25 11 2011 <http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/10/21/debating-animal-cruelty-during-nepals-dashain-festival/>.
"Goddess Durga." Trinetra. <http://www.trinetra.org.uk/#/goddess-durga-symbolism/4544724732>.
Khanna, Dr. Rita. <http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/tag/mahishasura-the-demon/>.
"Mythology of Durga Puja." Durga Puja. 27 11 2011 <http://www.durga-puja.org/mythology.html>.
"Ninth Day of Dashain Festival." 9 10 2011. The Kathmandu Metro. 28 11 2011 <http://66.7.193.115:8080/kathmandumetro/news/ninth-day-of-dashain-festival>.
We all Nepali. 2011. 26 11 2011 <http://www.weallnepali.com/hamro-nepal/ghatasthapana>.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Interview #3 Prep Report
The only thing I really needed to do to prepare for this interview was to find an interviewee. This time I decided to talk with someone that serves in the NSA (Nepelese Student Association). I sent an email to them and I received a response from the association president. We worked out a few details and came up with a time and place to meet. We decided to meet on November 14, 2011 at 5:15 pm at the NSA office.
The day of the interview I printed off two additional copies of the question sheet, and put fresh batteries in the voice recorder and then I headed off to Atwood to conduct the interview. Unlike the other interviews I did not feel nervous, which was a welcomed experience.
Interview #3 Transcription
Interview #3
Interview date: 11-14-11
Interviewee: Ashwine K Jha
Interviewer: Tim Coughlin
Location: Atwood Memorial Center, St. Cloud State University
(T) I just want to make sure it’s ok for me to record this interview
(A) Yeah, that’s fine
(T) Ok, so here is a list of the questions for you.
(A) Do you want me to write down my answers?
(T) No, it’s just there for you if you want to see the questions I’ll be asking?
(A) How about I write down how to spell some of the names, because they can be difficult to spell.
(T) That would be great.
(T) Ok. Should we start?
(A) Sure.
(T) Alright, what is your name, and where are you from?
(A) My name is Ashwine K Jha and I am from Nepal.
(T) What city in Nepal?
(A) The capital.
(T) Kathmandu?
(A) Yes.
(T) Great, What is the weather like in Kathmandu?
(A) More of a tropical weather.
(T) Tropical?
(A) Yes, but if we take Nepal in general. Nepal would a small country where we could find different kinds of weather in a generally small area.
(T) Ok
(A) So Kathmandu’s extreme weather would be somewhat like this, right before the snow.
(T) Ok, so kind of like middle fall, a little chilly but not too bad.
(A) Yeah, but there is no snow. Since it’s relevantly near the equator; now if we go a little further north, near the mountains, that’s where we would find snow. So yes, the tropical weather would be more of what you would find in Nepal.
(T) So it’s pretty hot and humid?
(A) Hot and humid in the summer time and then pretty much like this in the winter time.
(T) Well that’s kind of nice; at least you know how to dress for the most part.
(A) Heh, yeah.
(T) Cool. Do you mind if I ask about your family?
(A) No, that’s fine.
(T) Great, So how many people are in your family?
(A) Uh, I have four. My sister, dad and mom, then me.
(T) Four. Is that common? The other Nepalese students that I spoke with also came from families of four. Is it typical for families to have 2 children?
(A) Well in Kathmandu it’s typically more than four; nuclear family. But those people outside Kathmandu, in ancient places, like some of the places you do not want to miss in Nepal. People from those areas have more joined families where the father, grandfather, father’s brothers and their families live together. So you could have a family of 20 to 25 members all living together.
(T) Wow.
(A) Yeah. So the tradition is, ok, Pokhara would be an example I’d like to keep. Pokhara is the third largest city after Kathmandu, it is very known for tourism, and it has a very ancient Nepalese culture… Ok, let’s say a grandfather, father, and his sons live in Pokhara. Now one son moves to Kathmandu, gets a job, settles there, and then starts a family. Now say the other son decides to stay in Pokhara and work he would remain with his family there, because it is considered bad if you have family in the home town and you live separate from them, unless there is a distance between them, like Kathmandu is a little further away.
(T) So if your family was living in say Saint Cloud it would be odd for you to live a few blocks away..
(A) Yeah, exactly. Because society would think, “Why is he not living with his parents?”
(T) Ok
(A) The concept is a little bit different in Nepal than here. Ok, so this is how it works in Nepal. A father and mother works hard to educate, feed, and basically everything else to help the child to become independent. It is there job to do whatever it takes to help their child to become a very good person. Then once the child becomes independent, it is now their responsibility to take care of the parents.
(T) Oh, ok.
(A) It’s kind of a way to pay the parents back.
(T) That’s cool; I think the US was kind of like that back in the day, but not so much anymore.
(A) Yeah, before inflation like in the early 70’s when the mom would stay home to take care of the children and dad would have a job. Then slowly the situation would change and mom would have to work.
(T) Yeah
(A) Like now, I’m an educated person with a degree from America and say I move back to Nepal and find a job. My concept would be that after I marry, my wife would stay at home, unless she would want to use her own degree and find a part time job, because I wouldn’t want to arrest everything that she had started. I wouldn’t want her to work full time though.
(T) So it is ok for women to work outside the home
(A) It is now, but it wasn’t before.
(T) So it was kind of taboo.
(A) Yeah it was kind of a taboo.
(T) Since you mentioned marriage, how old are people when they get married?
(A) There is actually a set age for ladies.
(T) Really?
(A) Yeah, there is no set age for the guys.
(T) Alright.
(A) For the ladies I would say the maximum age would be 25, after that they would be called Budi-Kanya, which means “Old lady couldn’t find anyone”
(T) Basically an old maid.
(A) Yeah. 25 is the cap for the females. Then for the males it’s like 28 to 30. There are still people that get married at like 17 but it’s generally it’s…
(T) So generally in their twenties?
(A) Yeah, the twenties.
(T) Now after the women get married, they generally stay at home, but it is ok for them to go and work if they choose to.
(A) Yes. Depending on… Actually the main authority is held by the eldest member of the family, so my grandfather has the authority to decide whether it is ok for me to allow my wife to work or not.
(T) Ok
(A) Let’s say my grandfather he decides whether it is ok for me to send my wife to work or not. So I have to go and convince him to let me send her to work and if he says no then she doesn’t work.
(T) Does that apply if you are living away from the family also?
(A) Well, if I’m in Kathmandu for examples then I have the authority. Now if we are living with my family, then the elder holds the authority; because if we do not respect what the elder wants us to do it would be considered a big offense.
(T) Wow.
(A) Yeah, so if my wife wants to work, she would come to me and say go and convince your grandfather to allow me to work. Then do you know what I would have to do? I would have to start to make allies; I would ask my dad. I would ask my mom. I would ask my relatives. Then we would all go to my grandfather and have a good talk, to try to change his perception.
(T) I’m sure that’s not too easy, especially when he grew up in a generation where the women did not work.
(A) Exactly, In fact my grandfather did not see my grandmother until the day of the wedding.
(T) So are marriages arranged in Nepal?
(A) Now days, no. Like my mom and dad had a love marriage. You see, how it works over there it depends on the caste; my last name, my surname, actually determines what community I am from and what class of caste I am from. So my last name Jha is my caste, it tells me if I am upper caste, middle caste or lower caste. It also determines my class as well.
(T) I see.
(A) So the reason arranged marriages were preferred is because love marriages do not seek that caste. Like I would not go and ask “So what is your caste?”, “Oh, Ok.” now we can love. Arranged marriages were preferred just so you can continue the blood line, to preserve the value of your name. So now if I would go and marry someone who is lower caste than me, it would be bad for my family. Now take my situation; my dad is a higher caste and my mom comes from a lower caste, so for me I have a better chance to marry anyone.
(T) So you could marry from both castes if you wanted to.
(A) Exactly right. So now like my grandfather, his parents would go to see the girl and her parents. My grandfather has not met her yet, now his parents would as the girl questions like, “Do you know how to cook?” and some few basic questions, then they test her to see how knowledgeable she is on different things. Then if they like her they will be married. So on the day of the wedding my grandfather only knows her name, nothing else. So he would see her for the first time on the day of their wedding.
(T) Heh, Surprise!
(A) Exactly, so now it has changed, parents are becoming more liberal on this, because the people are becoming more educated, so because of this the society has changed and now days it is a little bit less strict, but there are still parents that prefer to go along with the caste system.
(T) Wow! That’s really different from here, because our marriages are entirely love based.
(A) So that’s why I believe our divorce rate is only like 2 percent.
(T) Yeah, and here it’s like 50 percent.
(A) We do have domestic violence though, but the women are taught to be so tolerant. Ok, now let’s say that I were to go and beat my wife, she would not go and tell people that, because society would think that it was because she was unable to keep the family happy. It would also damage the name of the family, which is why they have high tolerance level. The maximum thing she could do would be to go to my family or to hers and then they would get us together and start counseling. Divorces happen in that way.
(T) So does your family negotiate the divorce?
(A) Yeah, because family has a key role in everything. So, if my wife and I want to divorce then we would go to our families and we would sit and talk. Then they would work together to make it not so big of an issue.
(T) So everyone would get together and smooth out the details before hand.
(A) Yes, but there is a disadvantage to that also. Let’s say my wife and I have kids. I would be off the hook, because it is my choice, since the women are considered by society better caregivers for children. Now her chances of getting remarried are very small…
(T) Because she has the children
(A) Yes, and if she were to get married again she would have a hard life.
(T) So that would be an advantage to stay married then.
(A) Yes, that’s why I think we have such a low divorce rate.
(T) So what would be a traditional food in Nepal?
(A) Traditional food would be white rice… Actually we do not have a traditional food, we have a national food, because there so many different traditions. So we have national food, national dress, and national song.
(T) Alright
(A) Ok, so for national foods we have white rice and Dhindo, we call it Gundruk, and there are tomato pickles. These are the kind of foods we eat in Nepal. Since we’re talking about national foods like this, people prefer to eat on a copper plate.
(T) Copper? Why is that?
(A) It is called more royal, because, like the king and queen they would eat from a golden plate. But if you see a picture of the national food you will see it on a copper plate, because that represents us. It is more enriched; its values are more enriched.
(T) Its better than standard clay or ceramics.
(A) Exactly.
(T) Wow, there is even meaning in the way foods are presented.
(A) Yeah, and they are served in a particular way, we can’t just put everything, like here where you just dump everything on one plate.
(T) So are foods kept separate?
(A) Well… It’s more like what they are served with. For example, if you have chicken then you cannot have milk. Like when I first came here people would eat turkey sandwich with milk, but culturally we do not do that.
(T) Really? Why is that?
(A) Heh, I have no idea.
(T) Interesting
(A) I would like to stress one more thing.
(T) Oh, Sure
(A) Food has lots of different seasoning on it. What happens is the amount of seasonings show how artistic the cook was. Like for me, it is hard for me to remember all of the seasonings. I can remember the basic ingredients. So the mixture the proportion, we call it spicy. Spiciness as a flavor and it’s a little bit hot, but not as hot as a bunch of red pepper. So you’re able to feel the heat, and taste the spice and the food.
(T) Yeah, I know what you mean. I recently ate at the Star of India. I wasn’t sure what to order but I knew I was in the mood for something spicy, so I told the waiter and he chose my meal. It was amazing, I could taste the spices, the food, and there was still a nice amount of heat there. It was really good.
(A) Yeah, you know, In March we will be hosting a Nepal night.
(T) Ok
(A) Nepal night is a huge event, we expect 700 to 800 people that night. So it’s a 2 hour program, then we’ll be serving authentic Nepalese foods, and I would really appreciate it if you would come.
(T) Yeah, that sounds fun.
(A) It is, because food is the only way to experience the taste of the country.
(T) I’ll definitely try to make it. Alright, what is the national sport? Or a type of sport in Nepal?
(A)The national sport I would say is Gulli danta. So it pretty much works like this, you have two sticks. One stick looks like a pencil on both ends, and the other is just a regular long stick. Ok, so then they dig a small hole on the surface, then they place the pointed stick on top of the hole, then you take the other stick and use it to throw the stick up, it goes far. Then whoever is holding the straight stick tries to hit the pointed stick on one of the ends so it flips. Then, depending on how far the stick goes, depends on how many times you get to hit the stick. This is played by the farmers when they check on their cattle to pass the time. We play more soccer; soccer is really intense over there. Now when we came here we called it football and people said “Yeah we play football.” Then we were surprised to see the ball was an oval, because over here they call it soccer and over there we call it football. Then there is another sport called Kabadi; to play Kabadi you need to have power, so to play you draw a line and each team stands opposite each other. Then a person has to cross the line and try to touch one of the people on the other side and run back. But, they have to hold their breath as soon as they cross the line and if they breathe they lose. So the people on the other side will grab a hold of the person and try to keep them there until they breath. It’s a lot of fun...
(T) That sounds like a fun game. We played a game similar to this when I was a kid it was called Red Rover, each team linked arms and you would call someone from the other team over, and they had to try to break through and if they did they got to take a member from your team, otherwise they became a member of the opposite team. The whole point was to try and get everyone on your side.
(A) Heh, So those are the games people play, but everyone plays soccer. They play soccer everywhere.
(T) Cool, What would be one thing that makes you proud of your country
(A) We are called brave. Bravery. Gurkha; Gurkha is a battalion of army who fought. They prevented the British from colonizing our country. They captured India, but India was very hot, so there interest was our country. The British wanted our country for two reasons. The first is if they could get our country they could use our resources like our forested areas and our colder places, because the British like cool places. The second reason is that it would be a very good way to China. So that’s why they wanted Nepal. Some of the crazy stories you hear about how the Gurkha fought is… First the Gurkha did not use guns, but they were good in the jungle. So they would place beehives along the paths the British would have to take and then hit them with rocks to get them to fall...
(T) Yikes, that’s mean…
(A)Heh, yeah, another strategy they would use rock to crush them as they moved through mountain passes. So they were surprised at how we could fight and by how brave we were because we didn’t have a lot of bullets or guns. We had Kukri, which is our national weapon. It is kind of like a machete, but it’s not straight, it has a bent blade. So after, the Nepalese started a treaty with the British where the Nepalese would go and get trained and also train the British.
(T)Cool.
(A) Yeah, another is that Nepal is also the second richest country in water resources with Brazil being first.
(T) I suppose with the huge mountain ranges.
(A) Yeah, if you dig anywhere you will have water.
(T) That’s great, especially as fresh drinking water becomes scarce, Nepal could have a big businesses.
(A) Another is our flag. The colors represent different values. Red represents blood and bravery. Blue represents tolerance. Then the sun and moon are the celestial body that the Nepalese worship and take a lot of lessons… Say I forgot to do my homework my parents would say “Did the moon forget to rise or did the sun forget to set?” They also influence our names.
(T) Really?
(A) Yeah actually all Nepalese have two names one name chosen by our parents and the other is chosen by a priest who looks at the sun and the moon the stars. So using this they set your name. This name is not to be told by anyone.
(T) So is the naming ceremony performed on the day you’re born or is it after you’re a little bit older?
(A) A little later on, let’s say about after a month, the day you get your name is the actual day you were born. A priest can actually tell what kind of person you are based on your private name.
(T) So do your parents tell you your inner or secrete name?
(A) Yes. There is a ritual that has to be done in order to tell you your inner name.
(T) What places or sites would you recommend to tourists?
(A) Pokhara; Pokhara would be a very good tourist site. Dhulikhel, that’s where my mom is from; it is a really mountainous place. Then, Chitwan it is place where you can see all different kinds of animals. Chitwan is also listed as one of the world’s heritages. Chitwan has really good weather, it doesn’t fluctuate. Then there is Rolpa and Tilicho; Tilicho is a lake actually, it is the lake at the highest altitude.
(T) Wow, I’m sure the water is freezing.
(S) There are so many places… Solukmumbu; Solukmumbu is actually a base camp of Mt. Everest. My roommate is from there.
(T) Cool
(A) Each of these offer different cultures to experience. Kathmandu in the center will have all of the different cultures, but if you go north then you will see cultures closer to china and south you will find them closer to India.
(T) Ok. What festivals do you celebrate?
(A) Dashain, Tihar, Holi. Dashain is celebrated because it is victory of good over evil. So what happened is there was a devil that received a blessing from a god so that he could not be killed by anyone. So the devil decided to kill people and he got way out of control. Then the three gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva created the goddess Durga, because the devil could not be killed by any man. She was able to kill the devil, and then good things started to happen again. So that’s why we celebrate Dashain.
(T) So the victory was a new beginning for the Nepalese people?
(A) Yeah, that’s why we go and buy new cloths, clean the houses and get together with family and friends. It was a new start.
(T) What about Tihar?
(A) Tihar is the festival of light, so we like never have darkness in our life there is light everywhere, kind of like Halloween. Actually Tihar and Halloween fall about the same time.
(T) So for Tihar do you go around and “Trick or Treat”?
(A) Yes, we don’t have trick or treat, but people go around and sing songs, to get blessings like food, drink, money or spiritual blessings.
(T) That’s neat. We’ll skip the question on family values, because I think we covered it nicely earlier.
(A) Yeah, I think family values are taken to the main authority of the family.
(T) Yeah, so what are some differences you noticed between Nepal and America, or what are some things that shocked you about American culture?
(A) There are so many things, but the main difference I think is the high context society verses the low context society. For example, here what you say is what you mean while over there it is not… Say I am “pissed” with you and I was to say “I will kill you!” That might be taken literally here, but in Nepal they would be like “Come on, go to hell”. Another thing is here you smile at strangers, but over there it could be taken as an offence. Another difference is in Nepal there seems to be more time, but here time goes by quickly. I think I would like to talk more about cultural shock. Like when I was in the airport I was so excited to come to America. Things here are done quite differently, like for studying we have tests, in Nepal we do not have much home work. But here we can talk to the professors…
(T) What is the education system like in Nepal?
(A) The education system is not really customized to the student. Its first term, second term, final; it is very strict. There might be some tests here or there but it’s nothing like here.
(T) So how do they determine if you can graduate?
(A) We go ten years, and then take a test; if you pass the test then you can go to 11 and 12 and then on to college. The second part is depending on how you score on the exams, based on your score your family then determines your field of study.
(T) Ok.
(A) So like if I scored high in science then they would want me to go into science, even though I to study management.
(T) Oh Yeah?
(A) Yeah, that’s what happened to me. I wanted to study management, but my father wanted me to do mechanical engineering because I was good in science, but I changed it anyway to international business. My dad still doesn’t know that.
(T) Heh let him cool down before you tell him that...
(A) Yeah, over there what you study has been classified like science is at the top, then management, art is at the bottom.
(T) Ok, well finally what is the form of government?
(A) Federal democratic republic it is a new system they have there.
(T) Was that in 2008?
(A) I think it was in 2007 when the king was overthrown.
(T) So it was a monarchy before that?
(A) No, before that it was a democracy. Then there was this guy who felt that the people running the country were not doing it properly so he took over power and then it became a monarchy. That did not work so well and the king was dethroned by rebels and now we have a federal republic.
(T) So it is really similar to the U.S. system now.
(A) Yeah, we are at the beginning stages of democracy. While you have been doing it for a long time, so it will take Nepal a long time to fully adopt the system.
(T) Well I think you are at an advantage starting now, because you can learn from the experiences from the other countries that have tried it potently end up with a better system.
(A) Yeah and more over it will change the culture of our country as we adopt these new beliefs. Like Nepal was one of the first countries to recognize gay and lesbian marriages, but it is still not acceptable in our society, because the society in Nepal is very old so I think there needs to be another generation to make those social changes.
(T) Yeah, as you children become adults they will be more accepting of these new social dynamics.
(A) Eventually, there will be less of a generation gap.
(T) That’s good.
(A) I think so, because our society is progressing, but we are still in the early stages.
(T) Well, that’s all the questions, did you have any you would like to ask.
(A) No. I hope I helped you out.
(T) More than you know, I think that this was one of my favorite interviews. Thank you again.
(A) No problem.
I turned off the recorder and we talked briefly about Nepal night and a few things that I learned from the other interviews.
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