A Day in the Life of a Caretaker Priest

Prakash Shakya feels privileged to take his turn as the caretaker priest this month at the Buddhist temple of Karunamaya (Janabahaa Dyo or Aryavalokiteshwor), also worshipped as White Machhindranath by Hindus. As part of his duty, he has to perform several rituals daily and follow strict rules to stay pure.

 The cult of Karunamaya is an ancient one. Karunamaya is revered by Buddhists across the world as "the compassionate one."

 

The Janabahaa courtyard, located in the heart of the city, is among the most important Buddhist sites in Kathmandu, and dates back to 4th Century BC. The central Karunamaya temple was added in 16th century AD. The complex today continues to be the hotspot of traditional Newaa culture, architecture and music, as well as the central location where religious activites of the Vajrayana sect of Buddhism are practiced.

 Devotees gather at the shrine as early as 4 am to pray to the deity before they start their day.

 

 Before entering the temple in the morning, which takes place at around 5 am, he needs to take a bath, in the open.

 He has to cook his own food. The diet is strictly vegetarian, but onion and garlic is not allowed. Only one meal a day is allowed -- lunch. Milk and fruits can be taken in the evening if desired.

 

Some of the rice he cooks is first offered to the deity, and then to the birds, before he can eat.

 Feeding rice to the birds before his own meal.

 

Newspapers are the only resource for him to keep in touch with the outside world.

Devotees and family are allowed to enter the outer chamber of the temple, but only the caretaker priest can enter the inner sanctuary.

 The ritual of circling the temple, while ringing the bell, is undertaken four times a day.

Mother and sister ensure all impure objects, such as shoes, are out of the way before the encircling ritual, and make sure that nobody touches him. If he does touch anyone accidentally, he needs to purify himself before he can enter the temple again.

 The encircling ritual is followed by reciting of special prayers while fanning the deity with a yak's tale attached to a silver handle. This special implement is called "chwamo" in the Newaa language.

 

Devotees of Karunamaya commonly offer butter lamps to the deity.

 

Another member of the priest clan recites the "Namsangati" prayer every evening.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Faces VI (Among the Five Thousand)

A brief, informal survey was conducted a few days ago to try and estimate the number of people who visit Janabahaa every day. Exactly 137 people entered Janabahaa between 4:45 pm and 5:15 pm from the main gate, and 24 people entered from the back gate in the western side. Assuming this traffic to be the average flow of people passing through Janabahaa from 5 am to 9 pm, we arrive at over five thousand people per day! That too on a day when no festivals or special ceremonies occur. That is a lot of visitors for a single location.

 

 

 Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Karmabhumi

She is being trained for her future occupation.

And so is he.

Enough training for today... time for a milk break, straight from mom.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Before the Big Bath... and After

Here are some glimpses of the environment in Janabahaa in the evening of Janabahaa Dyo's annual bathing ritual.

The stage is set (meaning, it is cleaned thoroughly to try and rid it of the pigeon droppings as much as possible).

The people start gathering from late afternoon onwards.

 

Representation of the older devotees is understandably  large.

A large religious crowd means a large marketplace for religious books and pictures.

It is either the old or the very young who show up. The youth, sadly, do not seem too interested.

The seven-headed serpent or "Nagaraja" protects Janabahaa Dyo.

All the "seats" are soon gone.

Only standing space is available now.

The biting mid-winter chill does not seem to deter the devotees.

 

The headgear worn by the officiating priest during the bathing ceremony.

The crown represents Janabahaa Dyo while  the idol is removed from its sanctuary.

Devotees vie for drops of the holy liquid (water from Bishnumati River, milk, ghee and honey) from which the idol of Janabahaa Dyo was given a bath.

A popular and highly knowledgeable priest of Vajrayana Buddhism talks to Avenues Television after the ceremony.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Philosophy vs. Ritual

What was the original significance behind the elaborate annual bathing ceremony of Janabahaa Dyo and the accompanying fanfare? It is hard to imagine that this display of pomp and pageantry was initiated solely to please the crowds. There must have been a deeper meaning to this ritual, as there is for every little action and icon in Vajrayana Buddhism practiced in Nepal.

But that meaning is now virtually lost. Perhaps a handful of individuals who possess that knowledge are still around, but those who are knowledgeable are perpetually stuck in enacting the rituals or watching them silently, without realizing the importance of dwelling on the philosophy behind the rites.

The bathing ritual of Janabahaa Dyo or "Nhawan" is probably its second most important annual event, after the chariot festival. It is conducted in the evening of the eight day of the waxing moon of the month of Poush (Poush Shukla Ashtami), which fell coincidentally on Christmas this year.

What happens is this: the official caretaker or "Dyo Pala" priests fetch water in seven containers from the holy Bishnumati River at Shova Bhagwati the evening before. The fact that Bishnumati is probably one of the most polluted rivers in the world now is totally ignored -- in honor of tradition. The idol of Janabahaa Dyo is removed from its sanctuary on the afternoon of the auspicious day and placed elsewhere to prepare it for the bath. It is carried unceremoniously by one of the priests in his shoulders to the dais in the south-east corner of Janabahaa, covered with ornate fabric. After half an hour of extravagant tantric ceremonies, the idol is disrobed of its dozen or so layers of clothing. Finally, several containers of the "holy" Bishnumati water, milk, ghee and honey are poured over the idol.

Drops of the thick liquid that accumulate on the pedestal on which the idol is placed are sprinkled to eagerly awaiting devotees, as the holy liquid or "jal" is supposed to have magical healing powers. The idol is then covered with decorative material and carried back to the temple.

Thousands of devotees gather to watch the ritual bath, many singing hymns in praise of Janabahaa Dyo. The most important spectator is probably the living goddess Kumari, for whom attending this event is one of the few occasions where she gets to come out of her temple-residence in Durbar Square.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Compassion vs. Passion

This lady has put up her bird feed and incense stall in Janabahaa near the main gate, and supports a family with this occupation.

She does brisk business all day long, selling a basket of grains for Rs. 30 to devotees, who feed them passionately to pigeons -- an act of earning good karma.

Neither the devotees nor this lady spend much time thinking about the ill effect that bird-feeding has in the cleanliness of Janabahaa. The high number of devotees who wish to earn good karma by feeding the pigeons in Janabahaa every day contributes to an uncontrolled growth in the pigeon population. The droppings of the burgeoning bird population makes it almost impossible to keep the area clean.

There are many who feel compassionate for those who scrape up a living off of Janabahaa,. Their compassion, however, is in direct conflict with those who are passionate about keeping Janabahaa clean.

Note: among the many names of Janabahaa Dyo, the most popular one is Karunamaya, the Compassionate One.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Do You Own a Heritage Home?

Sampadā chem̐ thuvāyā saṃrakshana myānuyala : Svaniga Viśva Sampadā Kshetra, Nepāḥ : svanigale aitihāsika chem̐ta marmata yāyagu sujhāva

(Heritage Homeowner’s Preservation Manual: Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site, Nepal: Advice for Maintenance of Historic Houses in the Kathmandu Valley)

The above might be a very, very long name for a book, but the name says it all. It has been brought to our attention, for the benefit of all of you via this blog, by Abin Pradhan, who is currently in Nepal for a short vacation from Charlotte, North Carolina in the US, where he has been living and working for the past few years.

Citing the significance of this book for places like Janabahaa where ugly matchbox concrete-and-steel structures are replacing the uniquely beautiful typical Newa style houses in an alarming pace, Abin says, "This book is a manual on maintenance and conservation of traditional residential structures, which I believe could be equally applicable - where relevant - to old temple and bahas like Janabahaa too. It is fairly comprehensive and gives plenty of examples. It is an interesting read without a doubt.. Let's keep the light on!"

With his earlier experience of working with top-level executives and decision makers of the nation, Abin is of the opinion that the grass-roots level approach to a problem can achieve only so much, and a top-down approach will do the rest to help meet the goals completely. In his opinion, formulation and implementation of national level policies that impact Janabahaa need to be created, if they do not exist already, so that the legal framework is there to enforce implementation for various problems like physical cleanliness, controlled commerce, adherence to architectural standards, etc.

Of course, much work needs to be done to achieve this lofty goal, but every major undertaking is initiated with baby steps. That is exactly what has been done at Janabahaa, with Abin firmly at the helm.

The book is written by Rohit K. Ranjitkar and published in 2006 by UNESCO (Kathmandu).The full version of the book can be downloaded from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001520/152020m.pdf.

All images are from the book.

Carpet Connection

Literally scores of carpet-bearers pass through Janabahaa every afternoon. They all enter from the main gate on the eastern side, carrying their heavy burdens on their shoulders, in groups of two or three. They walk briskly and silently out of the Bahaa, via the western exit, as quickly as they come.

Everyone knows that they are traveling salesmen, trying to get the best deal for their hand-woven Nepali carpets, which is a merchandise mass-produced in Nepal since the last several decades, but of Tibetan origin.

These hardy young men obviously are of the Chhetri caste, judging from their facial features. What motivates them to go into business, instead of following the Chhetri tradition of getting a government job or enlisting in the security forces?

Where do they come from every day, and where are they headed? Why do they always take this particular route? These questions remain unanswered, at least for now.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Of Walls and Windows

Intricate woodwork on the north, south and west walls of the ground floor of Janabahaa Dyo temple, and all four walls on the upper floor.

The ornate brass repoussé work depicting 108 Lokeshwor mounted along the north, south, and west walls of Janabahaa Dyo temple on the ground floor. This particular undertaking was completed in 2002, after about fourteen years of perseverance.

One of the last remaining Newaa-style houses inside the Janabahaa courtyard.

Photos by Alok Tuladhar.

Power Cut? No Problem.

A devotee prays at Janbahaa Dyo temple during load shedding hours in the evening, the shrine being illuminated beautifully by dozens of butter lamps. Photo by Alok Tuladhar.