Page 56 - Cornice_Grade 4
P. 56
This is an interview taken by Megha Joshi with her
grandfather, Keshav Mangal Joshi about Newari fes- An Interview
tivals and their importance. Megha enters Ba’s study
after dinner. She knocks on the door. with my
Megha: Hi! Ba. May I come in?
Grandfather
Ba: Hi! Chori. Yes, you may.
Megha: We are studying about Newars and their
culture in our Social Studies class. Can I take a short
interview with you about Newari Festivals? on Newari Festivals
Ba: Sure, I will be very happy to share.
Megha: Are there any changes in the way we cele-
Megha: Thank you Ba. Let’s start then. Could you brate these festivals now?
please name some of the important Newari festivals?
Ba: Definitely. There has been a huge change. These
Ba: Some of the important festivals are: Yomari days, people are very busy with their office work.
Punhi, Mha puja, Machhindranath Jatra, Indra Jatra, People do not have time to celebrate like before.
Sithinakha, Sakimana Punhi. It is interesting to note Everything now is done in a shortcut way. For ex-
that there is one Newari festival every 15 days. ample, during Yomari Punhi, they buy Yomari from
shops, rather than make it at home.
Megha: What is the importance of festivals?
Megha: Do these festivals showcase our Newari cul-
Ba: Each of them is celebrated for a specific reason. ture?
For example, Mha Puja is a special puja of the body
or self. It is about celebrating yourself. You take a Ba: Yes, the Newari festivals are a very important part
bath, purify yourself and do the puja of your soul of our culture and showcase our culture. These are
with your family. Machhindranath Jatra is celebrated the ways to bring our community together. We cel-
in the month of Baisakh. It celebrates the end of the ebrate them with our family members and relatives.
drought and the start of the rainy season when the Festivals are associated with music, dance, food, and
rice plantation starts. Or Gai Jatra is celebrated in festivity. It is handed down from one generation to
memory of dead ones in the family. So, all these festi- another. They have been part of our society for a long
vals have a very important place in Newari society. time. They give us identity.
Megha: How were these festivals celebrated in the Megha: Which festivals are related to food and har-
past? vesting?
Ba: Oh! It used to be so much fun. We used to cook Ba: I can think of a very important one, Yomari Pun-
delicious food, Samay Baje, yummy Newari delica- hi. It is celebrated on the full moon day of Mangsir.
cies, and invite our close relatives for a feast. To- The rice in the field is harvested and to celebrate
gether, we prepare a puja for the god related to that this, Yomari is cooked with the flour of this new rice.
festival, go to the temple, and offer our prayers. As In Patan, they make different styles of Yomari with
kids, we loved the music and dance which took place many different fillings in them. The most popular
in the open squares of our neighborhood. ones are Chaku and Khuwa.
