Mha Puja: God is within us
November 3, 2019
The Green Lion
It is believed that one’s culture is their identity. In Nepal, the lifestyle of people is vastly influenced by its culture from birth until death. Nepal is a country with a variety of cultures belonging to different castes, religions and ethnic groups. The traditions and way of life may differ among people of the same geographical region as well as the people of the same caste and ethnic group. Among these countless communities and their festivals happening in Nepal, Mha Puja festival of Newar community is one. This month, at The Green Lion Nepal HQ, we celebrated the Mha Festival with the locals.
Mha Puja is an annual ritual performed by the Newar community of Nepal. It is the most important festival in the Newar community as it is called the “worshipping of the self “. During Mha puja, people are said to be worshipped as gods. It is celebrated on the 3rd day of Tihar. As Mha Puja is celebrated only in the Newar community, on this day, people of other communities celebrate Goru puja and Govardhan Puja.
In Newari language βMhaβ means our body. So, basically, Mha Puja is a day when we actually worship our body or inner self. Mha puja is the purification, strengthening and understanding of oneβs self. The Puja symbolizes that God is within one’s self.
The regular Mha Puja is celebrated in every Newar household and is usually performed on the floor in the dining area. Mandala is an essential part of Mha Puja celebration. First, the floor is purified by sprinkling holy water collected from a sacred stream. Next, Mandalas are created on the floor in front of the row of the seats where the family members will be seated to have their meals. The mandala symbolizes the world and fruits and Shagun symbolize offerings made by the earth. Moreover, people believe that this celebration and feasting which takes place with the lights around the mandala help to strengthen the family relationships.
The Mha Puja is done in a special Mandap decorated with flowers, garlands, sweets, meat, lentil and fruits in each. A female family member offers a Shagun which consists of fried eggs, fish, fruits and local alcohol.
During the ceremony is set up, they place flowers, a new broom, bamboo tray, and water pot. A crow is drawn as a symbol of ever watching Yamaraj, the ambassadors of the death who is always ready to take sinners to hell. After dinner, the plates and leftover food are left untouched until the next morning. The floor is swept clean the next day. Mha Puja is the most important and auspicious cultural event of the Newari people. Mha Puja is the most unique festival of Newars as it is done at night and mainly done for the worship of the inner self and soul.
On this special day, we also decided to celebrate the Mha Puja with our Participants to showcase these aspects of our culture. All participants were excited to participate in the event. All the participants were in the dining hall before 17:00. The event started after the participants sat in the mattress for the Puja.
Firstly participants made a light red circle with red soil on the floor to make the Mandala. Coordinators instructed them to make drawings inside the circle with an oil brush. Participants made different drawings and used different colours to decorate the Mandala. It was fascinating for them as they had to colour their drawings using their hands. Making the Mandala drawings this way was unusual for them but fun.
After the Mandala was done, everyone got Tika, a flower and a lamp from the coordinators to worship the Mandala. Participants worshipped the Mandala, they offered Tika, flower and lighted the lamps.
Our coordinators offered flowers to each participant three times. Coordinator held the copper bowl which was full of flowers. They made the bowl touch the participantβs knee, shoulder and forehead, and put flowers on the head. After Mha Puja, everyone got Parsad in a small leaf bowl. The Parsad included fried Egg, dried Ginger, dried Fish and fruits. After Parsad, everyone got a special meal in a leaf plate. This meal was also a traditional food item of the Newar community and they also enjoyed ice cream as dessert. After the feast, everyone joined a cultural night organized by the community.
The Green Lion
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