Ajit Karn
During the annual Sindoor (vermilion) Jatra, the Newa community of Thimi Nepal, paints the city red as the town gathers in the front yard of the Balkumari temple to celebrate the Nepali Lunar new year.
On the second day of the nepali lunar new year, devotees carry 32 palanquins filled with idols of various deities while chanting and dancing to traditional beats. The dawn of red begins when devotees make three circuits around the Balkumari Temple in palanquins.
All participants, including children, adolescents, elders, and the elderly, smear vermilion on each other’s faces and hurl it in the air in jest. The Newar community in Madhyapur celebrates on the second day of the Nepali month Baisakh. The festival also signifies the beginning of spring, Thimi.
“This is Thimi’s historic festival in which 32 palanquins are paraded throughout the city. It coincides with the Nepali Lunar New Year, which is celebrated by thousands of devotees and revelers, said Pushpa Ratna Ranjit, one of the Sindoor Jatra revelers, to media.
A day prior to the observance of Sindoor Jatra, the residents of Thimi engage in Gunsin Chhoyekegu, also known as the burning of forest wood. The following day, palanquins known locally as “Khat” are transported to Vishnuvir during the day. Deities are transported overnight from Layakhu to Kwachhen (Dakshin Barahi) on Khats.
On Nepali Lunar New Year’s Day, devotees present offerings to Goddess Balkumari and pray to her. They swarm to her temple in ancient Thimi. Since time immemorial, she has been Bhairab’s spouse. They are both guardian gods of the Kathmandu Valley.
Evenings are spent performing good deeds, such as lighting oil lanterns. Some even rest them for hours on their legs, abdomen, forehead, and arms. The following day, musicians play Dhimay Baja (traditional drums and cymbals) to enliven the ambiance and encourage the revelers.
“The celebration literally begins on New Year’s Day. The Siddhikali Jatra is observed on the first day, and on the second day, the Balkumari is the primary location of the fair. When the fair falls on a Saturday, the palanquins are transported to Dakshin Barahi, where a similar fair is held and toured,” Sanu Batra, an additional participant, told media.
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The vermilion powder that is smeared on each other and flung into the air at the beginning of the year represents prosperity. The music and vermillion powder fill the area with vibrancy and merriment as devotees spin their community chariots in celebration.
