999 Glittering Silver Sees Light of Day

On the occasion of the annual bathing ceremony of Janabahaa Dyo, a silver souvenir was released amidst a ceremony in the Janabahaa courtyard on January 12, 2011. The memento shows off the temple of Janabahaa Dyo and the words “Shri Kanak Chaitya Mahavihar, Janabahaa, Yen” and “N. S. 1131” on one side, while the other side displays the image of Janabahaa Dyo with the words “Sri Aryavalokiteshor Sharana and Janabahaa Dyo.” A limited number of the 15-gram “coin” was sold to the general public at Rs. 1,500 each.

The relic is packaged in a hard plastic case, and includes a short note about the significance of Janabahaa Dyo to society in general (both in Nepal Bhasa and English).

As anticipated, the release of this relic has generated the much-needed funds to support the never-ending cleaning efforts of the Janabahaa complex. At the same time, this exercise has proved that there is no lack of public participation for a good cause, as long as there is initiative and sound leadership. All capital investments required for this venture was raised from about fifty individuals who volunteered to provide an interest-free loan of Rs. 25,000 each for up to three months.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.