MinnesotaMel

Dashain: a Nepali festival

Dashain is the Nepali equivalent to Christmas. It is a holiday celebrated within the family, with some unusual twists, at least from a Western point of view. As a part of Dashain, there is a special day when all "tools of your trade" are blessed. Vehicles, tools, and all forms of equipment are lined up and the puja is performed over them. The puja consists of offerings of food, drink and blood from a newly killed goat or chicken.

In the GSO section, we performed this ritual on a Sunday. The goat and chicken killing was done in a ritualistic and very speedy manner, which made it easier to observe. Being chosen as the goat or chicken to participate in this ritual is believed to be a very auspicious thing, and the goats and chickens are thought to be destined to be humans in their next lives, skipping other normal intervening steps. The goats and chickens are asked if they want to be sacrificed. Then water in sprinkled on their heads. If they bow the heads up and down, they agree to being used. If they don't bow their head, or shake it instead, they are not to be used in the ritual. Most goats and chickens bow up and down and get used.

Dashain Festival Photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=16nw59zt.7o144xc5&x=0&y=dbzqib

posted by MinnesotaMel @ 12:08 AM