Bhaktapur [Nepal], July 15 : The Newa community of Nepal on Saturday afternoon welcomed the season of festivities by dragging the demon deity-Ghantakarna around the town welcoming the festival season.
Falling on Trayodashi (third day) of month of Shrawan (July/August) known as Ghantakarna Chaturdasi is celebrated in memory of mythical demon Ghantakarna’s death.
“Gathemangal in Newa: language is called as Gatha Ma: Chare: On this day scabies also is thrown off as well as the demon. From today onwards, the festivities will formally begin. Now festivities (small or big) will be observed every week, soon we will be observing Naag Panchami, Gai Jatra leading to fortnightly festival of Dashain,” Rajesh Shrestha, a resident of Bhaktapur’s Thimi town told ANI.
Farmers after cultivation of paddies in Ashar; clean premises as well as surroundings of our house and make Gathemangal using the hay-straws and other decorative. Each of the ward and tole burn the effigy, there’s a scientific benefit behind burning of these effigies; at this time, the weather is fruitful for breeding of mosquitos and other insects.
Burning of the effigies and hay-straws ignites smokes which would shoo off mosquitos, this tradition recurs annually.
On the day of Gathemangal, locals of Bhaktapur use hay-straws to make the effigy using bamboos and tie it with hay-straw and other decorative. They stick on carving of Ghantakarna on weaning board and stick it onto head to give it proper looks.
Also, people wear on the metal rings on their hand which is believed to keep the demon at bay and protect the humans.
“The metal ring would keep the Gathamangal-the demon far from the human beings. The person wearing on this metal ring would not let the demon touch or harm humans,” Bhishar Shrestha, another resident of Bhaktapur told ANI.
According to legends, the demon Ghantakarna use to terrorize villagers by stealing children and women of village and demanded money and other gifts as ransom for their release.
His body was painted in red, blue and black and he wore a pair of bells on his ears. He looked very scary and every time he moved, the bells jingled. He got his name from the bells on his ears, i.e. Ghanta meaning ‘bell’ and Karna meaning ‘ears’.
The fear of dreadful monster kept people inside their homes most of times. Even during the season of plantation they didn’t dare to get out of their home. However, one day, a large number of frogs came to the village and began to croak near Ghantakarna’s place.
He became furious but frogs did not stop. They croaked even louder and when he tried to catch them, they jumped into the water. He, too, jumped into the water without realizing that it was a swamp and soon started to drown. The frogs swarmed around his head and he drowned to death. In this way, the frogs saved the village and the villagers from the demon.
This festival also is celebrated as a symbol of cleanliness, even though the garbage inside and outside the house is cleaned and disposed of in a systematic manner. This festival is celebrated by cleaning the garbage by calling it a ghost to get rid of it as it does not pay attention to sanitation during the planting period and various insects are causing grief at this time.
On the day of Gathemangal, a person is appointed as a symbol of the offspring of a demon named Ghantakarna and asked to pay for his deeds. It is customary to drive out ghosts by burning torches day and night. In the evening, idol of Ghantakarna is dragged to a nearby river and burnt. It is customary to put a three-legged or five-legged fortified iron, brass or copper ring on the doorstep of the house after the bell has rung.
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