Chiiz Volume 1 : Pushkar Photography

Bisket Jatra:
New Year officially commences.
As soon as the lingo is down,
men get together to pull a huge
and ponderous chariot carrying
the images of lord Bhairav and
goddess Bhadrakali in another tugof-war
event.
Skanda Gautam
Kathmandu, Nepal
Pulling the chariot is, perhaps,
the main highlights of the event
and one of the most exciting and
exhilarating parts of the fest.
The chariot is paraded through the
streets of the city for the duration
of the festival. A massive tugof-war
between the eastern and
western residents of town creates
a highly competitive atmosphere,
for the winning side is considered
blessed with good luck and fortune
for the following year. To keep in
sync with the ancient traditions of
the event, one of the important part
of these rituals is also the sacrifice
of animals, birds and snakes for
the puja and family feasts. Large
number of devotees gather around
the city to perform this ritual.
Newari culture. On the second day
of the New Year, the people of the
town exhibit a Sindoor Jatra (or
Balkumari Yatra).
Sindoor Jatra is, perhaps, one of
the most spectacular colour and
musical festival that happens
around the city.
More than 32
palanquins are
carried by the
men on their
shoulders,
followed by their
own musical
bands and
processions.
The participants
throw vermillion
(a blood-red
powder or
sindoor) and
other colours
at each other to manifest their
happiness. The processions
then finally converge near the
small space in front of the town’s
Balkumari Temple for the final
ceremony.
A Splash Of Faith
Canon EOS 5D MarkIII 35mm F/2.8 1/400s ISO100
Mashal Jatra
On the very day when the lingo
is pulled down in the city of
Bhaktapur, another ritual called
Mashal Jatra commences in the
town of Thimi to provide a truly
enthralling experience to the
devotees. Mashal Jatra event is
celebrated late in the night at around
11:00 PM when one resident from
each house of the town comes with
Mashals (or fire torches) in their
hand to gather at a specific spot in
the central Thimi. Thereafter, they
all proceed to rally around the town
and move down the valley towards
the Mahalaxmi temple to worship
the goddess. Thereupon, they carry
a huge statue of the goddess on a
chariot towards the Central Thimi
with their fire torches.
In Bode, another village in
Bhaktapur District, the New Year
celebrations are starkly different,
by virtue of a tongue-piercing ritual.
On the second day of the Nepalese
New Year, a local farmer spends a
whole day with iron spike piercing in
his tongue and roams different part
of the city by carrying multiple fire
torch on his shoulder.
New year festivals in Nepal are not
only associated with deep-rooted
religious faiths and traditions, but
are also aligned to unite the people
and bring a great dose of excitement
and lasting memories.
Sindoor Jatra at Thimi
(Balkumari yatra)
Thimi, an ancient Newari town
located 10 Km east of the capital,
Kathmandu, has its own spectacular
way of celebrating this festival. It is
one of the few townships where
one can experience a genuine
Apratim Saha
Kolkata, India
The Mashal Jatra
Canon EOS 5D MarkIII 16mm F/2.8 1/80s ISO12800
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