Photo Exhibition, Now Online!

A week-long photo exhibition on the topic of Janabahaa and Janabahaa Dyo was held for the first time ever this year on the occasion of the annual bathing ritual of Janabahaa Dyo. The exhibition, held from January 12 to 19, 2011 in the Janabahaa complex, was seen by tens of thousands of visitors every day for the entire week. It was thus probably a photo exhibition with one of the greatest number of viewers held in Nepal so far.

Here are the pictures displayed in the exhibition (you may click anywhere on the slide show to view larger pictures).

Symbolism in Stone

There are more than fifty commemorative structures spread around the Janabahaa courtyard, dating back from a few decades to a few centuries. Most of them have beautiful hand-carved deities, and is full of amazing symbolism. Here is a high-resolution stitch of a votive chaitya (stupa or chorten). Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

All Decked Up, Almost Ready to Go Back In

This photo was taken on January 18, a day before the image underwent elaborate consecration ceremonies and placed inside in its sanctum in the temple. Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

Janabahaa Architecture Under the Microscope

A group of post-graduate architecture students from the Institute of Engineering, Lalitpur have been visiting Janabahaa recently to prepare a presentation to their class. The group, specializing in urban planning, is studying the relevance of Buddhist monasteries (bahaa and bahi) of Kathmandu in urban space management, and has selected Janabahaa for their detailed study, which includes the various stages of architectural and social development within the Janabahaa courtyard.

Tri Ratna Bajracharya (right) briefs the IOE students on the unique features of Janabahaa and points out a stupa (center) that has no statues and opines that it is possibly from a period when the art of making statues was not developed.

Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

108 Lokeshor Repousse Series (North-east Corner)

This gold-coated copper facade is on the north-eastern corner of the ground floor of the Janabahaa Dyo temple. You can browse around, zoom in, take snapshots of areas of your choice, examine the details and leave comments. Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

Annual Paint Job of Janabahaa Dyo: A Work in Progress

This photo was taken on January 17, 2011 -- two days before painting of the image was completed. Feel free to zoom in, browse around, take snapshots and leave comments.
Photo by Alok Tuladhar

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.

Annual Bathing Ritual of Janabahaa Dyo (with New Additives)

The annual bathing ritual of Janabahaa Dyo was held on January 12, 2011 in Janabahaa, accompanied with some brand new activities.

Three unique events highlighted this year's ceremony. First, on the occasion, a 15-gram silver souvenir coin was released; a week-long photo exhibition of Janabahaa and Janabahaa Dyo was launched; and an ancient visual footage dating back to 2024 Bikram Sambat (1968 AD) of the Janabahaa Dyo rath yatra (chariot pulling festival) created by Corneille Jest of France was shown to a large audience in a huge screen. Some pictures of those events are given below.

 People of all age groups watching the photo exhibition.

Old pictures attract attention from a viewer.

Carefully reading the captions to understand the story behind the pictures.

Janabahaa was literally jam-packed with people during the three-in-one event, which some have started calling the kickoff of the Janabahaa Festival.

Honoring senior citizens during the silver souvenir release ceremony.

A banner inviting guest to attend the silver coin release ceremony.

Janabahaa Dyo returning back to the temple after the evening ritual.

Janabahaa Dyo wrapped in brocade cloth returning back to the temple.

A senior priest leading the Janabahaa Dyo procession.

Butter lamps lighting up the entrance offering space inside Janabahaa.

A large crowd gathered to witness the annual Bathing Ritual.

Priests performing Puja (offering) as part of the ritual.

A large crowd is still eagerly watching the photo exhibition late in the evening.

Photo exhibition draws a large crowd to the Janabahaa premise.

In the main street outside Janabahaa, a live streaming of the annual bathing ritual was shown on large screen for those who were unable to watch it inside due to over-crowding.

A large crowed gathered to watch the live streaming of the ritual that was taking place inside Janabahaa.

People eagerly watching the 1968 A. D. footage of Janabahaa Rath Yatra.

A crowd of all age groups watching the visual from 43 years ago on a large screen.

A screen shot of the footage that shows the people in Kamalakshi, near Ason Tole in 1968 A. D.

Living goddess Kumari returning after witnessing the Janabahaa Dyo bathing ritual.

Members of the general public queuing up to purchase the silver coin memento.

Devotees offering their prayers as they watch photos of Janabahaa Dyo.

Additional pictures are available as slideshow below.

Photos by Surendra Sthapit.

Another Gigapixel Compilation

Here is another giga-pixel photo from the Janabahaa complex. Feel free to browse around, zoom in and take snapshots.



Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

The Shining Silver Souvenir Promise

What an ingenious solution!

Hard cash is required (to pay the salaries, mostly) to continue the cleaning of Janabahaa. And, people do have a huge appetite for valuable mementos.

Just perfect!

A group of youths from Janabahaa, led by Bijay Shrestha, have come up with a plan to raise the much-needed funds by selling a limited number of specially-marked silver souvenirs. The 15-gram relic will be released on the occasion of the annual bathing ceremony of the image of Janbahaa Dyo (Karunamaya Aryavalokiteshor), which falls on January 12, 2011 this year, and will be available for sale to the public on first-come-first-served basis.

A lot of financial planning and resource mobilization goes into a task such as this. “Investment” for procuring the silver was raised from local individuals, who happily provided an interest-free loan of Rs. 25,000 each.

Each of the lenders has pledged that he/she will not ask that the money be returned until all the mementos are sold.

A small “profit” from the sale of each unit of the souvenir, amounting to no more than a couple of hundred rupees, will be deposited in the Janabahaa cleanliness fund.

As the souvenir will be of 99.9 % sterling silver, its monetary value is bound to appreciate quickly. Additionally, as the token is directly linked to Janabahaa Dyo, many people will consider it a priceless possession, of which they will want never let go.

If you wish to ensure that you get your unit of this unique sterling silver souvenir, book it today by calling Bijay Shrestha (cell: 977.98510.35097) or  Prabodh Kasaa (cell: 977.98414.79388).

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Weekly Free Clinics Resumed

Dr. Matina Tuladhar has resumed her voluntary service as the physician on duty at the weekly clinics run by the Janabahaa Society (please see earlier post about this here).

Clinic timings are 8 am to 10 am every Saturday morning, and the venue is the Janabahaa Society office in the Janabahaa complex.

The clinic is completely free. All are welcome.

Note: Karunamaya Aryavalokiteshor (Janabahaa Dyo), being the compassionate one, is believed to relieve the suffering of his devotees. In earlier times, when the holy water from the shrine of Janabahaa Dyo was sprinkled on the sick, they would be cured. The free clinic is one more way to help relieve the suffering of the ailing and the needy in modern times.

Caption Contest

Send in your caption to this photo. The caption should be thought-provoking or funny. Just type it in the comments box below and submit. Top five entries will be published in this blog.

Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

Repoussé art in Janabahaa

Repoussé (French, pronunciation: [ʁəpuse]) is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is ornamented or shaped by hammering from the reverse side. There are few techniques that offer such diversity of expression while still being relatively economical.

Repoussé is used to work on the reverse of the metal to form a raised design on the front. The technique of repoussé utilises the plasticity of metal, forming shapes by degrees. There is no loss of metal in the process, as it is stretched locally and the surface remains continuous. The process is relatively slow, but a maximum of form is achieved, with one continuous surface of sheet metal of essentially the same thickness.

The zoom-able photo below shows some of the Repoussé art found on the ground floor or Janabahaa Dyo temple.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar

Dilemma No More

Not sure about the date of upcoming events and festivals? No problem. Just go to Janabahaa and check out the calendar hung next to the gate of the main shrine of Janabashaa Dyo.

This is an example of how Janabahaa has been of practical use in one’s daily life for centuries. The debate about the dates of the Swonti (or Tihar) festival this year is addressed by this calendar – which authoritatively states that the Mha Puja and Nepal Sambat 1131 New Year’s day falls on Sunday, November 7. Happy New Year!

Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

It's Gigapixels Now, No More Megapixels!

One of the topics covered in the photography workshop organized recently by the Janabahaa Society is this: Take some photos in Janabahaa with any mega-pixel camera. Or shoot with your mobile phone camera, or even with your old-school film camera. Then create extremely high-resolution (hundreds of giga-pixel per photo) with your shoot, and share it with the entire world instantaneously. Here is an example: You need the Adobe Flash player installed, and JavaScript enabled to use this viewer.

Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

Vote for... compassion

Being the only large space in the locality that is easy to secure, Janabahaa has been used by the government as a polling station for numerous elections in the past. Yet another contribution that Janabahaa makes to society.

The Election Commission is currently sending out teams all over the country to collect data on eligible voters. One such team arrived in Janabahaa on Monday. Many residents of Janabahaa enlisted themselves by providing the required information to the data collection team, ensuring that their voter's ID will be issued by the government in due course.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Janabahaa to Go On Air

Getting some close-up footage of the gilded copper repousse work on the Torana on the eastern facade of the temple.

Bodhi Television (All Tradition Buddhist TV Channel) is in the process of producing a short documentary about Janabahaa, with assistance from the Janabahaa Society.

Nabin Shakya of the caretaker priest clan talks about the various festivals related to Janabahaa.

The documentary will be aired on Nepal Television 2 soon. Do check out this blog periodically for an update on when the documentary will be aired.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Danke, Herr Nunnemann!

This is Friedlelm Nunnemann’s eighth visit to Nepal. He comes here every two years from Germany to trek the Himalayas, and in the course of his travels to Nepal, he has developed a deep interest in the unique heritage of Nepal. Sixty-eight year old Friedhelm (which means "peace helmet") is a retired exhaust emission and quality management expert who has worked for Mercedes and for the Environment Protection Agency of the United States government.

Friedhelm discovered an important document in November last year about a research carried by a Japanese university team about Janabahaa, and shared it with us. Details about that find are posted in this blog here.

Herr Nunnemann hanging out at Janabahaa.

Herr Nunnemann enjoys a cup of Nepali milk-and-sugar tea.

Herr Nunnemann gets introduced to Babu of the canine security corps of Janabahaa.

Friedhelm visited us at Janabahaa earlier this week and spent some time discussing the many architectural and artistic treasures of Janabahaa, and how his passion for Nepal’s heritage can be converted into something useful for a global audience who share his passion. He also made a generous cash donation to support the ongoing activities of the Janabahaa Society.

In honor of his continued interest and support to Janabahaa, we have decided to dedicate one of the flower pots that are being placed around the Janabahaa courtyard in his name.

Mit tiefer Dankbarkeit, unseren deutschen Freund! With deep gratitude, our German friend!

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Learning How to Click the Mouse

Photo by Bijay Shrestha

The first Photography Basics Workshop organized by the Janbahaa Society concluded today. The workshop not only helped draw the participants' attention to the living heritage of Janabahaa, but also helped to raise some much-needed funds to carry out the regular activities of the Society.

"Novice participants produced some fantastic results after just seven or eight hours of instruction," said instructor Alok Tuladhar. He continued proudly, "the workshop has definitely proved that Janabahaa is a wonderful location to practice photography."

Raj Prajapati, a participant, says, "My last SLR was a vintage Mamiya. I have now decided to buy the Canon 60D immediately. I feel I am already a semi-professional photographer, thanks to the workshop."

Shown here are some of the works produced by the participants during the course of the workshop.

Photo by Bijay Shrestha

Photo by Bijay Shrestha

Photo by Bijay Shrestha

Photo by Himan Raj Shrestha

The Compass Buddha

If you get lost, and there are no stars in the night sky to help you find the direction, just go to a chaitya near you and locate the Akshobhya Buddha. He always faces east.

Akshobhya (Sanskrit for “the Immovable One”) is the next important Buddha among the Dhyani Buddhas after Vairochana. Akshobhya was a monk who vowed never to feel anger or disgust at another being. He was immovable in keeping this vow, and after long striving, he became a Buddha.

Dhyani Buddhas are abstract aspects of Buddhahood. They are often called Tathagata or Pancha Buddha. They are so popular in Nepal that they are found in almost every chaitya, and found painted in the main entrance of many Buddhist houses.

Akshobhya is a heavenly Buddha who reigns over the eastern paradise, Abhirati. (Note that the eastern paradise is understood to be a state of mind, not a physical place.) Those who fulfill Akshobhya's vow are reborn in Abhirati and cannot fall back into lower states of consciousness.

In Buddhist iconography, Akshobhya usually is blue. He is most often pictured with his left hand resting on his lap, palm facing upward, and his right hand touching the earth, palm facing inward. This is the earth-touching mudra, which is the gesture used by the historical Buddha (Siddhartha Gautam) when he asked the earth to bear witness to his enlightenment.

In Buddhist tantra, evoking Akshobhya in meditation helps overcome anger and hatred.

So how many images of Akshobhya can be found in the Janabahaa complex? Well, it is surely worth counting.

Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

Soap Nuts and Elephant Ears

Much has been achieved in the course of the renovation and cleaning efforts undertaken in recent years in Janabahaa. Perhaps the most visibly striking result so far is the polishing of the Halampo (gilded copper repousse banners) hanging from the lower roof on the eastern face of the temple.

Age-old local techniques were used to remove the decades-old dirt (see earlier blog post entitled “Glitter under the Grime: Citrus Juice to the Rescue”). To give finishing touches to the cleaning job, two more home-grown commodities were used.

Hathan (Rittha or Soap Nuts). Scientific name Sapindus mukorossi. This natural soap is a locally grown product, and has been used traditionally as a natural cleanser.

Fakan (Karkalo or Elephant Ear/Taro). Scientific name Colocasia esculenta. The Elephant Ear plant grows in abundant quantities in the valley during the monsoon, and is used widely as a nourishing and tasty vegetable. The huge leaves of the plant is dried in the sun and boiled in water. The resulting liquid is applied on the soap-nut washed metal surface to bring out the rich glitter.

Finally, acrylic epoxy spray is applied on the surface for waterproofing.

The brilliantly-polished and waterproof Halampo will now hopefully remain so for the next few years, after which the whole process will need to be repeated.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.