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| Bathin in the Bagmati |
माघ
On my desk is a calendar opened at the month of Magh according to the Nepalese Vikram Sambat (विक्रम सम्वत्) date. The calendar is compiled according to lunar phases and named after Vikramaditya, a king of Ujjain around 56 BCE.
The first day, Maghe Sankranti, begins the tenth month of the year. Sankranti means the transmigration of the sun from one sign of the zodiac to the other, in this case from Aquarius to Pisces.
Because most homes in Nepal these days are very cold, being made of concrete and without any form of heating, people look forward to a change in the weather with the longest days having come to an end and the sun on it's way to the northern hemisphere. This is also the time of year when soon after you get up in the morning you go outside and hope there is sunshine to warm yourself with a cup of tea in hand as the sun is the only source of heat at this time of year.
Despite the cold, people bathe at the confluences of the sacred rivers and streams. The Bagmati River below Patan is one of the holiest and most popular bathing spots in Kathmandu and this is accompanied by holy bhajans played by musicians and singers all wrapped up in scarves and shawls.
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| Musicians playing madal and sarongi |
Particular foods are a vital part of keeping healthy at this time of year. The following are considered auspicious: sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, mustard leaf and a mixture of rice and lentils called khichari. Home brewed spirit called raksi made from millet and chhang or rice beer as well as tongba, a kind of millet beer fermented in a wooden container and drunk warm through a bamboo straw is also popular.
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| Tongba jar
Legend also has it that one should fast on the full moon day and that Shiva as Mahadev and Vishnu as Narayan performed miraculous feats on this day which resulted in peace, prosperity and enlightenment.
Our neighbour, Laxmi from Nepal, has decided to fast. Having a desire for a healthy child, she is hoping that this sacrifice during the month will help her to fulfil her heart's desire.
The fifth day after the waxing moon is Basant Panchami or the advent of spring with the buds and blossoms beginning to appear.
It is believed that Saraswati, the goddess of learning, visits Kathmandu on this day and puja is performed by students, scholars and writers as well as poets, artists and musicians. Her brother, Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, receives animal sacrifices, a rather unpleasant side of a lot of Nepalese festivals.
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