Worshipping the self

NOV 05 -
The Gregorian New Year is one among the many New Years that are celebrated across the world. Different cultures mark different days as their New Year, and here in Nepal, Baisakh 1 is generally considered to be the New Year. But not so for the Newars, the original inhabitants of the Valley, for whom Tihar is not just about celebrating the goddess of wealth, but also about ushering in the New Year with a celebration of the self.

The first day of Nepal Sambat, as the calendar that the Newars follow is called, falls on the day after Laxmi Puja. Newars draw a mandala, a religious symbol, which is supposed to be a reflection of their physical selves and worship it in the hopes of good health, longevity, success and prosperity. Colloquially known as Mha Puja (Mha means body), the worship can also be interpreted as worshipping the divine being within oneself.

There are as many variations of the mandala as there are Newar households, yet each mandala has its unique significance; each circle drawn inside a larger one carries their own meaning. One of the most popular mandalas is made in the shape of a lotus flower, bearing eight petals.

The lotus represents purity in Hindu religious symbolism because of the conditions it grows in. “Though the seed is sown in a swamp, the lotus blooms to be a beautiful flower above the swamp,” says Deepak Bajracharya, a Newar priest from Patan. “The flower is also a message of hope for all of us. It symbolises how a man can achieve success despite hard luck.” The eight petals of the lotus symbolise the Ashtamangal—the eight symbols of fortune: Nagpasa, Kamal, Dwanja, Kalash, Chamar, Matsyayugma, Chhatra and Shankha.

According to Bajracharya, Mha Puja is intended to be a celebration of the self. “We worship ourselves and the elements that make up the human body—agni (fire), jal (water) and vayu (air)—which are respectively represented by lawa (popped rice), paddy and aakhe (a special kind of rice) placed in the centre of a mandala.” Bajracharya says families often also use black soybeans and black lentils to represent Shani and Rahu, the two forces that can bring bad luck to daily lives.

Each family has a mandala that is unique to them. The Lacoul family from Gahna Pokhari near Handi Gaun, for instance, adopts a design made of circles and angles and is more complex. There are three circles in the centre of a larger circle, and a square and a diamond are drawn around the circumference of the outer circle. This is the core of the mandala, where the five symbols—lawa, paddy grains, aakhe, black soybean and flowers—are placed in each of the four triangles formed in the centre of the rings. “These are the symbols of the five elements that our body is made up of,” says Manogya Prasad Lacoul. Their mandala resembles the intricate mandala that is designed at the Maitighar

crossing.  The construction of a mandala ends only after drawing a red curve that represents a lock of hair. According to scriptures, it is from the top of the head that the soul escapes

when one dies. The Lacoul family also makes a circle out of water and oil, which represents the liquid present in the human body. “The entire mandap actually represents the human anatomy,” he says.

This process is repeated for every family member, and another mandala is drawn for the house deity. Some families also draw two smaller circles that represent the gods of death. Before the actual puja begins, daily household items like the broom, the kalash (water pot), and the nanglo (bamboo tray) are worshipped in the belief that these are necessary household equipments and therefore must be revered. Khwelu Ita, a long thread dipped in oil, is lit after the puja ceremony begins. This oil lamp should not burn out till the end of the ceremony.

Once the puja is over, family members receive swogan, the sacred offerings made to the gods. As one worships the self during Mha Puja, one receives the swogan as the deity—which is unusual because at all other times, one can only eat after the offerings have been made to the gods. 

The swogan is a mix of boiled egg, fish, and meat, and local aila. But before the swogan is offered, the naki (the family’s matriarch) overturns a mix of walnuts, makhmali flowers, and lawa on each family member. The walnut and the makhmali flower are symbols of durability and longevity.

The ceremony ends when the naki sweeps away all the mandalas, sweeping away all the evils from the house and inviting Laxmi to dwell in the residence for another year.

The intricate procedures that are a part of Mha Puja signify a different aspect of the self. There are multiple interpretations as to the ritual significance of this puja, but on top of the list is the Hindu belief that god resides in the hearts of all living beings. It is also a festival of the harvest, borne by the agricultural produce used in the rituals. As Newars were originally farmers, this festival also pays obeisance to the gods for a good harvest.

But, like many aspects of Hinduism, Mha Puja too has multiple meanings. And it is up to each family to discover the meaning themselves.