Festival & customs of Newar (caste)

Newar, one of the castes of Nepali community, has different customs and traditions particular to their community, besides, the customs and traditions they share in common with the other castes of Nepali community.

The script of Newar is called Ranjana Script and it is highly developed that one can even do PHD in this language, therefore, their literature is of considerable standards. The contribution of Newar in the field of craft and smithsmanship, such as gold, bronze and copper are of great importance that have been internationally acclaimed.

Newar consists of both the communities that either follow Hinduism or Buddhism and are engaged in different types of professions and trades.

They altogether form a distinct cultural group quite different from the rest of the other Nepali community, with distinct and particular types of food habits, code of dressing and culture and traditions that are particular to their community and nowhere else. Some of their peculiarities are as follows.

The daughters of Newar should be married with a beel before they are actually married to a boy. This customary marriage with a beel is known as Beel Karma. From spiritual and religious point of view beel is considered to be the vegetative form of Lord Shiva. It is his concrete form whereas Shivalingam is his abstract form.

The reason why Newars marry their daughters to a Beel before they are actually given in marriage to a mortal may be because they want their daughters to be offered to Lord Shiva being inspired by the mythology in which the daughter of Himalaya, Goddess Parvati, undergoes acute hardship and penance in order to realize her cherished dream of becoming Lord Shiva's wife and no one else.

The ritualistic performance of Beel Karma is exactly the same as a real marriage. Maidens, which marriages are to be solemnized, are kept in pairs and are given sindur and portray the items considered sacred and inevitable in a Hindu marriage, along with other gifts and presents.

The marriage is solemnized either by a Hindu Brahamin or by a Newari priest. The contribution and physical presence of maternal uncle of the bride is considered very important and essential in the ceremony. After the Beel Karma of their daughters, the parents releave a sigh of relief and remain unbothered about her second marriage, with a mortal groom, of course.

The Beel Karma finally ends with a family feast in which all relatives are invited and entertained to their full contents.

Maha in Nepali means self. Therefore, Maha puja means worshipping self. This custom is prevalent only in Newar Community and not at all, found in other Nepali communities anywhere.

Guru puja also known as Bahar puja or Gobardhan puja is performed in Tihar in the month of Kartik, i.e. in the month of November. Guru puja is performed in the morning, and in the evening the Maha puja is performed by all Newars. On this auspicious evening all the members of the family gather together dressed in their best of apparels and perform the puja for themselves.

Each member of the family, first of all, choose a clean place of their liking in a corner in their house and draw either seven or twelve circles called rekhi on the floor and within that circular space, make a platform of about few inches high, with paddy on which they makes a light of clean thread, meant for themself. Then they feeds themself with boiled egg which they call solo, soyabean fried on a pan without oil, non vegetarian curries and locally prepared liquor. A bit of superstition attached to this tradition is that, the Newars believe that they would have a long life if the light that they offer for themselves lasted till they finished eating, otherwise, it is thought that they would have an immature death.

It is not wrong to say that this Maha puja inculcates self respect in a person and impells him to lead a life of self content and happiness. Gita has all support for this custom. It says, “Uddaraydatmanataman natmannawasadya” which means, 'let all strive to boost up ones morale and let no one despise and look down upon oneself.'

Gaijatra, a festival which is celebrated in memory of the spirits of deseased relatives and family members is also unique and particular to Newar community

Within a year of the death of their relatives, the photo of the deseased along with a copper statue of cow and bull are kept in a wooden chariot and taken out in procession in the vicinity with the accompany of musical instruments like madal, majira, dholak, etc. wishing peace for the departed soul. The jatra (procession) ends at a temple where the statue of the animals are abandoned. But during the jatra, instead of mourning for the death of relatives, they indulge in merth and merry making as in the festival of holi. Unlike other festivals, the Gai jatra is marked for criticizing and pointing out the faults and follies of the so called leaders and responsible persons of the society and the country as whole.

Gai jatra, previously, used to be celebrated in Sikkim too, but now this custom has receded too far that it is not seen any longer. The reason it’s being called Gaijatra is because of the fact that the procession or jatra contains the statue of a cow or gai.

Goothi is a social organization formed by Newars to perpetuate Newari custom, tradition and culture and to extend help to one another in times of need, specially, during such events as death, birth and marriage when customary formalities are to be maintained. Each goothi is governed by its own rules and regulations which may vary from the rules and regulations of other goothis, although all goothis are formed by Newars only.

In Sikkim too, there are many goothis. Non Newaris are not given membership of a goothi or non newars are not made a goothi bhai. These goothis are important in preserving the cultural life of Newari community.