360-degree View of Janabahaa Dyo Chariot Festival in Asan

Views: Kathmandu, Nepal by Alok Tuladhar

Karunamaya, the deity of compassion, is on a week-long journey across the old part of Kathmandu starting today, riding in the cabin of a 48-foot tall chariot pulled by hundreds of devotees. The chariot is "parked" tonight at the historic bazaar of Asan, where people light oil lamps in his honour. Click and drag on the photo to see a 360-degree view of the event.

Janabahaa, the Perfect Location for Anything

A music video was shot in Janabahaa some time ago. Not too surprising, eh? But what is surprising is the fact that the song is actually about a Brazilian city called Aracaju by JL Stiles and the Pax Armada. Produced by Sea of Art Productions, this video was filmed by Mira Arad from Israel. Notice how all the people who appear in the video do so without the slightest bit of hesitation, giving it a totally natural, easygoing look.

Sea of Art Productions has created a lot of beautiful and touching content in Nepal and in other exotic countries.

Remembering the Venerable Tirtha Dai

There will be a condolence meeting in Janabahaa at 9 am on Saturday, February 16 to pay tribute to the late Tirtha Dhar Tuladhar. All are welcome to attend.

Sharing the Meaning Behind the Bathing Ritual

The Week, the Friday edition of broadsheet daily Republica, today published a photo story about the recently completed annual bathing ritual of Janabahaa Dyo. The text and photos for the story was contributed by Alok Tuladhar. You can get the full version at http://e.myrepublica.com/component/flippingbook/book/1144-republica-08-feb-2013/1-republica.html (pages 8-9).

Tirtha Dhar Tuladhar: The Living Legend

Renowned social worker Tirtha Dhar Tuladhar was cremated in accordance with Newa Buddhist tradition today, after Theravada Buddhist monks prayed for him at the cremation site. For the past four decades, he has led the renovation and maintenance of many historic and religious sites in Kathmandu, including Janabahaa, Manjushri, Chhusyabahaa and Pulan Guhyeshori. He has patronized many literary organizations, including Pradipta Pustakalaya, Nepal Lipi Guthi and Asha Safu Kuthi.

Most notable amongst his contributions to the preservation of Nepali heritage are the various renovation works of the Janabahaa Dyo temple and the Janabahaa courtyard complex that he initiated in the last few decades.

Battling cancer for almost a year, the living legend breathed his last on Sunday, aged 76.

Rath Jatra ya Artha to see light of day

Rath Jatra ya Artha - Trailer from Alok Tuladhar on Vimeo.

Rath Jatra ya Artha, a documentary film that highlights the philosophy behind the great chariot festival of Janabahaa Dyo (aka Karunamaya and White Machhendranath) of Kathmandu, will be released by Impact Productions (http://facebook.com/ImpactProductions2011) soon. You can view the short trailer above.

The Great Annual Rath Jatra: A Door-to-Door Visit?

Is this mega event simply a door-to-door visit? Or is there much more behind what one sees, hears and feels?

Find out all about it in upcoming documentary film "Ritual vs Philosophy" produced by imPACT! Productions. Click on the play button below to see the trailer of this film (contains some footage from the second day of the chariot festival held in downtown Kathmandu this afternoon).



Ritual vs Philosophy (1-minute trailer) from Alok Tuladhar on Vimeo.
Coming soon to a browser near you: Ritual vs Philosophy. A film by imPACT! Productions.

This trailer contains some footage of the chariot festival of Janabahaa Dyo (Karunamaya Aryavalokiteshor or White Machhindranath) held in the historical core of Kathmandu every year.

Is this mega event simply a door-to-door visit by Karunamaya, the compassionate one? Or is there much more behind what one sees, hears and feels?

Time Travel: Rewinding Three and Half Decades

What has changed in 34 years? Not much, at least, not in the way the annual chariot pulling festival of Janabahaa Dyo is celebrated (depicted in the first two minutes of this footage of Kathmandu streets and festivals from 1978, posted online by 55-year old artist from the Netherlands Ed van der Kooy).

Can you spot some other shots from Janabahaa and its periphery later in the footage?

New Year Triple Bonanza

The 2012 New Year's day coincides with the annual bathing ceremony of Janabahaa Dyo In the evening of January 1, the deity will be brought out from its sanctum in the main temple in the Janabahaa complex and carried to the raised platform in the south-east corner of the courtyard, where the image will be given a shower with holy water, milk and honey after an elaborate tantric ceremony. The bathing water is brought from the holy river known as Bhacha Khushi, located just below Byasah (Bijeshwari) by a group of caretaker priests the day before. From the next day onwards, a week-long process of repainting the deity from head to toe by designated caretaker priests of Janabahaa takes place in the open courtyard, from approximately 10 am to 3 pm every day.

The living goddess Kumari will grace the deity's ritual bath in person. This is one of the thirteen times in the year that the Kumari comes out of her beautiful temple abode in the Kathmandu Durbar Square.

The audio tour of Janabahaa that has been planned for quite some time will also be launched the same day, just before the bathing ceremony.

If you come to Janabahaa at about 4 pm in the afternoon, you will be guaranteed a few hours of festive atmosphere, local music, centuries-old religious tradition and a religiously awakened crowd. If you carry a large camera, you might even be invited to sit on one of the chairs reserved for the press with a good vantage point.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Janabahaa Audio Tour in the Offing

An electronic guided audio tour is currently being rolled out on a trial basis in the living heritage site of Janabahaa. This kind of service is being made available for the first time anywhere in Nepal. The automated tour provides not only authentic and updated information about the historic and cultural monuments and practices found inside the Janabahaa premises, but also gives insights on the past, present and future efforts for the conservation of this "open museum" that is of great importance to the Buddhist community of Kathmandu.

This new service, designed for the benefit of visitors to Janabahaa, was announced via this blog a few months now. Thanks to the hard work of volunteers in both hemispheres of the globe, this service is now all ready to be launched. The content of this new offering was circulated to a large number of well-wishers and friends of Janabahaa, and many of them responded with encouragement and highly practical suggestions for the initiation of this novel task.
 
Watch this space over the next several days for updates on its actual launch date. Meanwhile, here is the full content for you to listen to, even without being physically present at Janabahaa. You may wish to download this to your mobile device and bring it with you, together with a pair of earphones, the next time you drop in at Janabahaa.

Click on the link below to listen to or download the guided audio tour recording.

Janabahaa Audio Tour

Starting Early, Keeping Janabahaa Clean

Orange peel?

Right into the dustbin it goes.

And I will be a good boy and run back to get more stuff for the dustbin until Janabahaa becomes spotless.

Ah yes, we youngsters have the zeal, and we know how to lead by example.

Did any one of you elders notice how clean Janabahaa has been lately? Drop in and see for yourself. And tell us how to improve, because there is still room for much improvement.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Make Space for the Chariot

The annual chariot festival of Janabahaa Dyo is one of the most colorful and important festivals in Kathmandu. Here is the full text of a comprehensive article about the festival published in the May-June 2009 issue of Spaces magazine.

The chariot festival of SETO MACHENDRANATH  by Sabina Tandukar

A crowd of more than thousand people, dancing euphorically to the tune of classical music, some singing religious hymns, some praying fervently and others looking around in awe; and amidst this crowd is the towering monumental moving temple - a 'Ratha' or a chariot. This mesmerizing scenario is the procession of Seto Machhindranath in Kathmandu valley. Full of life, colour and excitement, this festival enlivens the inner spirit and gives joy to the infinity. These processions along the routes of the medieval towns were meant to foster the culture of community living besides paying homage to the revered god. A source of religious entertainment for the mortals of Kathmandu valley, these chariot festivals started since the early days of the Malla period. Myths The festival is said to have been started by King Pratap Malla. But judging by the available inscriptions in the courtyard of Janabahal, it is clearly older than this time. The deity was perhaps originally from the Hamhal monastery in Ranipokhari and later shifted to Kel Tol. A myth also supports this hypothesis saying that initially Jamal was a different country called Jamadesh and Yakshya Malla was the then ruling King. The Kantipuri was such a divine place, where every morning, people used to bathe in the holy river and visit Swayambhunath; such works of virtue led them to heaven after their death. Once the god of death 'Yamaraj', saw that none of the dead from the Kantipuri went to hell and on looking further he understood that the divine power of Swayambhunath was the cause. So with his fellow men he set himself on visiting Kantipuri and paid homage to the sacred god. While he was returning, King Yakshya Malla, along with his Tantric guru, captured them and asked for immortality. Yamraj himself being a mortal could not give such a blessing and said so, but the King would not let go of him unless he bestowed such power on them. The frightened god then prayed to Arya Awalokiteshwor and requested to free him. The Lord hearing such a prayer appeared instantly before them from the water. With a white colored body and eyes half closed looking downwards, the lord said that wherever the Kalmati and Bagmati meets, a temple needs to be established and whoever pays him a visit shall always be prosperous and live long. He told the King to organize a Ratha Yatra every year for three days starting from 'Chaitra Sukla Astami' so that he could travel to the houses of those people who cannot move, are disabled or stay longer at their houses and bless them with happiness and long life. The Ratha Yatra was to start from a place from where the god originated which happens to be the present Ranipokhari area. Janabahal The temple of Arya Awalokiteshwor is located in Janabahal. It is one of the few monastic courtyards which have a full fledged storied temple standing in the middle of a court with a shrine in the wing at the far end from the entrance. The temple is highly ornamental with gilt-copper roofs, ornamental metal banners, tympanum, and struts illustrating the diverse forms of Awalokiteshwor. While prayer wheels line the pedestal, lions and gryphon's guard the approaching step to the shrine doorway. The courtyard is large, spacious and stone paved with numerous chaityas and stone pillars holding aloft various Buddhist deities. At present the use of full length iron grills all around the temple has ridiculed its beauty and urgently calls for a better alternative to protect the enshrined gods and the historical works of art from possible theft. Ratha Ratha or a chariot is a moving temple. The Ratha with 13 stories (including those of the gajura) conforms to the shikhara style forming the Trayodasak Bhuwan; with the first storey being the "Pramodidabha" and the final one being the "Gyanawati". Each step leads up to the path of nirvana. Triangular shape determines stability, showing the right flow of energy; with each vertices of the triangle pointing to the three "Lokas" of this universe: Swarga (heaven), Martya (earth), and Narka (hell). The festival of the most compassionate divinity aims to end the sorrows of all those in these three lokas. While '32 lakchyan yukta' means the one with all the positive energy of this universe, this principle also guides the construction of the Ratha. The principle has that the total length of the Ratha from the bottom to the top of the Gajura must conform to 32 haat, even the horizontal length conforms to this principle. The circular wheels have a diameter of 16 haat (1 haat is approximate the length from the elbow to the middle finger tip). The four wheels of the Ratha are symbolic representation of the four Bhairabs - namely; Yamantak (black), Pragyantak (white); Padmantak (red); and Bigmantak (blue). The idol of the god is placed in the chariot which is believed to be circumscribed by the 'Das Dig Lokapala' (other gods) during the entire procession. More than 300 pieces of wood are joined together to form this Ratha. The 100 pieces of the total goes to the wheels each confirming to the exact 25 pieces. Woods of different species (around 8 types) are used, each making a vital part of the Ratha. Na-shin (a type of wood) forms the wheels as it has good compressive strength and the woods with higher flexibility form the towering portion of the Ratha. No iron nails are to be used so woods are joined together using lap or tongue and groove joints and tied together using 'beda' (local vine). The Ratha is not the product of an isolated effort of a single group of people but rather various groups of people specializing in various activities come together to construct it. Since the earliest, two groups of Newar Jyapus, each from the Thane and Kwane have been constructing the Ratha. This time the troop lead by the Maharjan brothers - Prakash Maharjan and Pradeep Maharjan successfully completed the construction of the Ratha. A ritually important flower "la swan" is required which is especially grown by the Munikars. These activities bring unity and harmony among the caste groups of the valley. The Route On the day of Chaitra Sukla Astami, the priests, who are Shakyas, take the image of the chief deity, Padmapani Avalokiteshwor, out for a procession to Jamal beside Ranipokhari where the large wheeled chariot is waiting to receive it. The two leaders from Thane and Kwane lead the Ratha. The procession starts with the people of various castes playing their musical instrument and dancing to the tunes. This colorful procession is so exhilarating that any observer is bound to feel energized, the towering chariot making its way down the alleys of the town, the enthusiastic youths pulling chariot with the rope, the peoples singing the hymns and praying, the lights, the smell of the incense sticks all create an aura magnanimous and full of divine power difficult to discern. All groups of people unify and come forward in the procession and pray for their long life and prosperity. The very first day of this divine procession covers the Jamal, Ratnapark, Bhotahity and Ason area. On the second day, the procession starts from Ason to Balkumari, Kel Tol, Indra Chowk, Makhan and rests in the Hanuman Dhoka. Here the living goddess Kumari also comes out to pay her visit. On the final day, the Ratha moves through Hanuman Dhoka, Maru, Chikan Mangal, Jaisidewal, Jya Baha and finally reaches Lagan Tol. After circumambulating a special tree for three times the procession completes. The religion says that the festival must complete before the Purnima or the full moon day of the month. On the fourth day, after a special puja, the image of the god is carried back to the temple and restored there. The whole procession with its starting, finishing and stopping points enroute, interestingly shows the hierarchy of open spaces and the path-space configurations, giving a new socio-cultural meaning to existing religious sites, squares and streets. Everyday the procession pierces through the dense settlement of the city and at the end of the day stops at the Chowks or the Durbar squares that are the points of religious or political importance. These places act as the congregational points where locals come forward to perform religious activities. Present scenario Even to this day the Jatra holds the same value and importance to the city dwellers. Guthi sansthan is the government organization that works for the construction of the Ratha and continuum of this festival. This year a whole new set of Ratha was prepared using only about 20% of the old resources. However due to lack of time only one type of wood (Agrakh) was incorporated in its construction and few iron straps were seen in the junction and wheels to ensure its strength. The culture of a nation is one of its most valuable assets. However, some additions to the new urban fabric has torn apart such values and beliefs. One such addition is the construction of the overhead bridge in the Ratnapark - Baghbazaar junction which lies in the route of this chariot festival. The clear height of the bridge is far less than the height of the Ratha. Last year, the Ratha toppled over at this point because of this obstruction and level differences created in its path as the towering Ratha had to struggle through the narrow space leftover by the bridge. Such unplanned development works should be checked by the concerned authority and greater public awareness is needed regarding such public activities. Conclusion Festivals and Jatras make the heart of the Newari culture. The Jatra of Seto Machhindranath in Kathmandu, Rato Machhindranath in Patan, and Bisket Jatra in Bhaktapur are famous and unique in their own style as the architecture of these towns itself. These cultural activities give us our identity and are the part of our glorious past. We must consciously work for its continuity, making it a living heritage of the city. Acknowledgement Purna Ratna Bajracharya Padma Sundar Maharjan Guthi Sansthan References • Kathmandu Valley, The Preservation of Physical Environment and Cultural Heritage. A protective inventory prepared by HMG of Nepal in collaboration with the UN and UNESCO, the Austrian Federal Government and the JDR 3rd fund. • Tiwari, S.R: The Urban Spaces of Kathmandu Valley Towns: a historical perspective • Shakya, Gyanendra: Nepalese manuscripts on architecture: published in Vaastu vol. 5, pg: 53 • Bajracharya, Kamalananda; Janabahadyo Ya Bakha: Aaju publications. Purna Ratna Bajracharya is the acting chairman of 'Shree Seto Machindranath Ratha Nirman Committee, 2066 B.S.'. After the Ratha toppled over last year during its procession, the committee was entrusted to construct the Ratha with special instructions that the untoward incident of the previous year does not recur this year too, as such incidents are considered to be a bad omen for the country. A graduate in Fine Arts, Bajracharya is also associated with Gorkhapatra Sansthan (Nepali National Daily) and has been working in various temple restoration projects. His works include the design and restoration of 108 Lokeshwor in Janabahal and restoration works in Nala Karunamaya temple.

The online version of the article is available here. Also, a video of the spectacular festival can be seen here.

Cleaning Up, Strengthening Family Ties

The immense popularity of Janabahaa as a place of worship poses an immense challenge of keeping the place clean of all the "holy grit" that results from the elaborate rituals and ceremonies carried out by devotees in this complex. One common form of worship is to light oil wicks in the hundreds of metal lamps laid out around the main temple and around various stupas in the courtyard. Cleaning the lamps of the residue left by the oil and the burnt out wicks is a perpetual task, carried out by volunteers and devotees.

Shown here is the family of Sarbagya Tuladhar lending a hand in keeping the "daloo" lamps clean.

Photos courtesy Sarbagya Tuladhar.

Tears of Compassion

This  photo has been submitted to the Postal Services Department of the Government of Nepal for use in an upcoming postage stamp that the Department will publish soon. The two small figures seen at the bottom of this picture are the White Tara and the Green Tara, who represent two drops of tears shed by Karunamaya Aryavalokiteshor (or "the compassionate one") upon seeing the sadness and misery persisting in this world. These two Tara figures remain unveiled only for four days after the re-installation of the image of Karunamya in its sanctum upon completion of its annual bathing and repainting ceremonies.

Photo by Alok Tuladhar.

Two Hours Outside Janabahaa

One can easily spend half a day, without knowing how much time has passed by, inside the peaceful courtyard of Janabahaa studying the innumerable intricate artwork strewn all over the temple complex and the human activity happening all day round oblivious to the centuries-old art masterpieces.

Step out of the complex's main gate in the south, and one will encounter Kel Tol -- one of the busiest thoroughfares in the core area of Kathmandu city, joining the ancient trade center of Ason with Wongha (Indrachok). And one can also while away another couple of hours effortlessly in the middle of Kel Tol watching life go by, as afternoon hues give way to dusk, evening sights and sounds and the inevitable power cut.

Earlier reference to this this street on this blog can be found at Padmapani Rediscovered and Reclaiming the Streets.

Video by Alok Tuladhar.

A Taste of Compassion, for the Whole World

All Ears in Janabahaa

Okay, what is going on here? Not only does Janabahaa offer you a visual treat, but it will also excite one more of your senses with this new offer. Stay tuned to find out.

Colorful, Resourceful Devotees

At 00:36 you will see see how a devotee uses the reflective surface of the camera lens as his mirror.

Templescape

A timelapse video of Janabahaa. Once in Janabahaa, one rarely notices time go by.

Some More to Study

Masters-level students from the Institute of Engineering, Lalitpur are back again in Janabahaa, this time to conduct a detailed socio-economic survey of some random households in Janabahaa. The twenty-strong group is in the process of preparing their report about the significance of ancient Buddhist courtyard complexes (bahaa and bahi) of Kathmandu valley in modern-day urban planning and space management, and have chosen Janabahaa as their place of study.

Community leaders were interviewed at length, using digital recorders. It was obvious that the scholars were highly interested in what they were researching.

The students have even pooled in some cash amongst themselves and made a generous contribution to help in the ongoing cleaning efforts of Janabahaa.

Once the study is complete, the resulting documentation is expected to be extensive, and a very valuable reference for any researcher on the socio-economic development of urban Kathmandu.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Global Demand for Nepalese Silver

Friedhelm Nunnemann, a retired engineer and environmental/quality management expert from Germany, is a great fan of Janabahaa and the ancient architectural heritage of Kathmandu Valley. He makes it a point to drop in at Janabahaa every time he comes to town. Through this blog, he found out about the silver souvenir production, and asked his friend Bikas Maharjan, who is on his way to Germany, to pick up a few units of the precious relic on his behalf.

A Russian tourist who had happened to drop in at Janabahaa had also picked up the memento, seeing it being sold by volunteers at a counter.

Similary, Scott Faiia, an American development worker presently based in Nepal, is also the proud owner of the glittering souvenir.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

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.