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| Stego's FAQ on Nepal travel v.3 - Culture & Religion 1/2 |
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Keywords: Books, Culture & Religion
From: Frank F Kroger <fkroger@coho.halcyon.com>
| Date: 96.02.13 | (Id.: 66) |
See: Tribal Ethnography of Nepal, 2 Vold, Dr Rajesh Gautam, Asoke Thapa-Magar,Book Faith, 416 Express Tower, Delhi 110033, India, Distributed by Pilgrims Book House,POB 3872 Kathmandu
ISBN 81-7303-024-3 (set)
The book describes: historical background, physical characteristics, language, houses, family, dress & ornaments, life cycle rites,(including marriage rites, death rites), religion and festivals, traditions etc etc.
Frank
*Frank Kroger, fkroger@halcyon.com, (volunteer) Seattle WA US
** World Neighbors: Strengthening the capacity of
*** marginalized communities to meet their basic needs.
**** "LOCAL PEOPLE ARE THE EXPERTS"
http://www.halcyon.com/fkroger/wn.html
From: Martin-B <martinb@worldlink.ca> , <educa@travel-net.com>
| Date: 96.11.06 | (Id.: 120) |
We specialize in the worldwide language dictionaries and language learning books. We represent many publishers from India who publish books on the Indian, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Burmese dictionaries, history, voyages, travels, adventures, Archaeology, art, Culture, religion, Philosophy, Literature, Caste and tribes, Customes and Manners, Mythology and Folklore, Music, dance, Yoga, Indian Medicine, Goa (Portuguese books reprints), Tibetan etc. Pl. do not hesitate to inquire. Catalogue available on request. (The catalogue will be avail. on www, we are working on it). For quick response - send email.
Laurier Books Ltd
Asian Educational services
P.O. Box 2694 Stn D
Ottawa, On. K1P 5W6
CANADA
Tel. (613) 738-2163 , Fax (613) 247-0256
Keywords: Culture & Religion
From: Raju Tuladhar <tuladhar@enci.ucalgary.ca>
| Date: 95.11.19 | (Id.: 7) |
: I visited Nepal in 1994 and I was fascinated by the Kumari. Since then
: I have been looking for a book on the Kumari, but haven't found one.
: Perhaps any books written on the Kumari are still in the original
: language and unavailable for Western readers. Unfortunately I only
: know English. If there is a good book in a different language or in
: English I would like to know about the title, the date of publication and
: how a copy could be obtained. Thanks for your help. Namaste.
: nalini_shaw@maillink.berkeley.edu ~ I don't remember the name of any book about Kumari that is written in English, but most of the books about Nepal has some information about Kumari.
To satisfy the curiosity of Nalini Shaw, I share some knowledge about the history related to Kumari, and for those interested netters.
This is not claimed to be true authentic story, it is what I learned from my elders when I grew up in Kathmandu.
::::::::::::::::
Some time back (3 - 400 years), when some Malla king was ruling the Kathmandu valley, it was said that this Malla king was spiritually so developed that when he prays the mother goddess appears in front of him, and used to play the game called "Pasa" (of dice) between the king and the mother goddess.
One day unfortunately, the king's mind lost balance by the glamour of the mother goddess, and the king ill-intentionally tried to grab her hand, at which she was so furious that she disappeared instantly and above from the sky she cursed the king that you and your dynasty are done with.
The king realizing his mistake begged and prayed to mother goddess for her forgiveness. He even promised to build a temple for her (which in now called the Taleju temple now located at Durbar square in Kathmandu valley), and hold a chariot festival for her. But from that day, the mother goddess never appeared in front of the king. Seeing the king repenting, she told the king that she will appear in form of a human child (girl) who will be born in a caste which was of less social hierarchy than the king himself, and the king will have to receive the "Tika" (auspices red mark on the forehead during Dasain) from that girl of lower social order than the king.
The mother goddess granted the forgiveness for himself, but said that his dynasty will soon end.
The kumari is selected only from the "Shakya" clan, and should be a virgin girl before reaching puberty who has never drained even a drop of blood from her body (through cuts or injury). She should also remain one night alone in the Taleju temple without crying. The yearly festival is held to respect Kumari which is none other than the manifestation of the mother goddess.
The fore-founder of the present dynasty of kings, the Prithvi Narayan Shah, after winning the Kathmandu Valley, continued to show respect and have faith in Kumari, and so was the tradition of Chariot festival of Kumari was continued. And the King even now receives the "Tika", the auspicious red-mark on the forehead on every Dasain.
This is the brief history of what I knew about Kumari from my elders (mother and grandmothers etc). Its authenticity is not claimed here. For more true authentic story, historians will have to be brought in.
R. Tuladhar (tuladhar@enci.ucalgary.ca)
Keywords: Culture & Religion
From: Omraj <>
| Date: 96.02.08 | (Id.: 65) |
>During my visit to Nepal I picked up a bagh chal-set (sorry if
>misspelled), which came complete with the rules of this game, which is
>also known as "tigers and goats". Somewhere it says that the goats win if
>they succeed in "surrounding a tiger". What exactly does that mean? Is it
>enough if for one turn at least one of the tigers can't move? We are
>playing it like that now, but it seems that the tigers can only loose
>this way.
>
>Any light on this matter would be highly appreciated; thanks!
>
>Ron Willems
>niro@molyvos.net
There are 25 spaces in the board and alltogether there are 24 pieces (20 goats and 4 tigers). After all pieces are placed one by one (and if non of the goats are "eaten" by tigers during this, then), there is one space is left for movement, either for the "bagh" or the bakhri (goat).
Now, the aim for goats is to make the remaining one (or more) space(s) safe so that NON of the tigers could move and thus (tigers) get defeated. Whilst the aim of tigers is to take as many goat pieces as possible so that goats could not form safe space(s).
In this case goats give up sorrounding tigers and accept defeat.
In this game both have equal chances of winning, some prefer to play with bagh and some with bakhri.
Hope that's clear.
Keywords: Culture & Religion, Ecology
From: Padam Sharma <sharma@plains.nodak.edu>
| Date: 96.02.14 | (Id.: 67) |
Nedervold) wrote:
>Drinking boiled water would achieve the same kinds of health
>improvements, though it seems more cost-effective (and better for
>deforestation) to focus on latrine-building: keep the water sources
>safer in the first place, rather than trying to clean the water up
>after it's been dirtied.
I thank Eric for highlighting the importance of clean water and pointing out the importance of proper disposal of human excreta in eliminating communicable diseases. His example of an enlightened Rai family does demonstrate that, even poorest of poor can make individual efforts to stay clean and remain healthy.
Building latrines still needs land, material resources, and some knowledge of the disposition of accumulated sewage and its aerobic and anerobic byproducts. People generally choose to build their latrines near a waterway (kholsa) for convenience of washing their hands and feet after disposal. These are also the most obscure places (and hence easy to build latrines with a piece or two of jute bag) due to presence of trees and bamboo bushes. To build latrines away from kholsa, they need quite a know how and material support which generally includes lumber. Except for the middle class people, the poor and landless among them can not afford to build latrine on their own. The culture and economic reality dictates them to visit the kholsa whenever one needs to relieve.
People generally get their cooking and drinking water from upstream souce from the latrines. The cleanliness of this water still depends upon the behavior of upstream neighbors. To be safe, boiling the water is the surest way of killing unantipated germs. As you suggested, it only takes the excess heat generated during food preparation to boil a kettle of water. I don't believe it takes any significant amount of wood (and hence deforestation!) to warm extra water. They can do so with little branches and twigs. Even if they did consume some extra wood, I think the poor can afford to do little bit of damage to the environment. Actually, the massive deforestation takes place in Nepal due to greedy elements felling the trees to meet black market demand for timber in Nepal and India.
Anyway, use of clean water is the first key to remain healthy. Upstream soil erosion control, safe disposal of sewage, and pre-consumption water treatment are needed to achieve this goal. Still education is the key to all this and education does require external stimulus.
PPS
Padam Sharma
812 West Divide Ave
Bismarck, ND 5801
701-258-2066 Email: sharma@plains.nodak.edu
Keywords: Culture & Religion, Ecology
From: Padam Sharma <sharma@plains.nodak.edu>
| Date: 96.02.15 | (Id.: 68) |
F Kroger) wrote:
>Better to obtain water from a spring, because the water is generally
>clean(er).
>>For my account of a visit to Tamekoshi Sewa Samiti in Ramechap see:
>http://www.halcyon.com/fkroger/tss.html I visited there 2 years ago and at
>that time TSS, with the help of World Neighbors and other organizations,
>was helping 27 villages build drinking water systems at the same time,
>which I thought was quite a feat in that there are no roads, telephones
>etc and a lot of coordination is required to collect materials at the
>nearest roadhead, mark the location of the trenches, dig the trenches,
>collect sand and rocks, supervision by engineers etc.
>>In order to participate each village is also required to build and use > latrine(s).
>I read the efforts of TSS to provide drinking water by mandating that villagers also construct and use latrines. It is an excellent volunteered group-coercen approach. If it takes a whole village to educate a child, it also takes the whole village to keep him/her alive!
When they built new latrines around the Tundikhel in Kathmandu, the latrines could not be used after one year due to misuse (people do patti on pee places and walkways!) and lack of water to flush and clean. In fact, the underpass walkway near Ratna Park was abandoned due to its use as public latrine!
Is there any followup study done on evaluating the effect of the TSS project on latrine going behavior of villagers, their cleanliness and maintenance. I'd like to believe that the villagers are more civilized than the citizens of Kathmandu Metropolis. Is there any documentation on monitoring of the effect of latrines on incidence of water borne diseases in the village?
PPS
Padam Sharma
812 West Divide Ave
Bismarck, ND 5801
701-258-2066 Email: sharma@plains.nodak.edu
Keywords: Culture & Religion, Ecology
From: Frank F Kroger <fkroger@coho.halcyon.com>
| Date: 96.02.17 | (Id.: 70) |
>In article <4ftjkh$8lk@news1.halcyon.com>, fkroger@coho.halcyon.com (Frank
>F Kroger) wrote:
>>For my account of a visit to Tamekoshi Sewa Samiti in Ramechap
>>http://www.halcyon.com/fkroger/tss.html
>>In order to participate each village is also required to build and use
>>latrine(s).
>I read the efforts of TSS to provide drinking water by mandating that
>villagers also construct and use latrines. It is an excellent volunteered
>group-coercen approach.
I wouldn't say that the building of latrines involves coercion. Rather, an attempt is made to teach the villagers about the relationship between cleanliness and health, so presumably the latrines are willingly built and used with understanding of their purpose.
>Is there any followup study done on evaluating the effect of the TSS
>project on latrine going behavior of villagers, their cleanliness and
>maintenance.
Yes, World Neighbors is engaged in long term projects that are designed to continue and grow after WN withdraws. (WN is currently withdrawing from the Bahuni Pati area after an engagement of 15+ years.) The WN (or other donors) match the money raised by villagers to purchase hardware (pipe, faucets, cement etc), the extra money is used to start a community bank, the capital is also a resource used to maintain the system.
>I'd like to believe that the villagers are more civilized
>than the citizens of Kathmandu Metropolis.
The situation in a crowded urban environment, such as Kathmandu is a little different than the situation in the country side where there is a limited number of people using the facility. I would not say that public behavior in Kathmandu would stand improving but I also think that with the limited resources available it is difficult to maintain a clean facility.
The latrines that I visited and used in the TSS area were clean and well kept...and USED. One had an ingenious lid over the latrine: the lid had a long handle/stick so that the lid could be removed and replaced without having to touch it, thereby avoiding occasion to get one's hands dirty.
>Is there any documentation on
>monitoring of the effect of latrines on incidence of water borne diseases
>in the village?
Yes, WN likes to have something to show for the money and effort that is expanded and that is measurable results. Measuring effectiveness allows future resources to be allocated in the most efficient and effective way, also it helps the villagers to know in a concrete way that the effort they have made is paying off and may encourage them to undertake greater projects in the future.
Records are kept about the incidence of disease and child mortality, this is often in conjunction with the establishment of health posts, and the training of lay health workers.
Frank
*Frank Kroger, fkroger@halcyon.com, (volunteer) Seattle WA US
** World Neighbors: Strengthening the capacity of
*** marginalized communities to meet their basic needs.
**** "LOCAL PEOPLE ARE THE EXPERTS"
http://www.halcyon.com/fkroger/wn.html
Keywords: Culture & Religion
From: Benja Chanasit <bchana@gil.com.au>
| Date: 96.03.07 | (Id.: 74) |
One Year Later, Archaeologists Reveal the News
Asiaweek, February 23, 1996
_____________________________
For centuries, pilgrims have wandered the foothills of the Himalayas, hoping to find the exact birthplace of Lord Buddha. Now the searching may be over. An international team of Archaeologists says it has discovered final proof the Buddha was born in Lumbini, in southwestern Nepal. The first foreign journalist on the scene was Asiaweek Contributing Reporter Thomas Laird. He filed this report:
Even though it is in ruins, the Maya Devi temple at Lumbini, about 240 km from Kathmandu, is central to the history of Buddhism. Reported to be nearly 2,600 years old, it has long been thought by most - but not all - Buddhists to be the birthplace of the founder of the faith. But experts had been unable to establish the precise spot in Lumbini where the infant was born.
Archaeologists say they have now uncovered the vital missing piece of evidence - a "flawless stone" said to have been laid in the floor of the temple in 249 B.C. to make the location. The stone, measuring 45 cm by 15 cm, was found nearly five meters below the surface of the ruins, embedded in what was once a tiled floor.
The discovery was made on Feb. 18 last year by Archaeologists Babu Khrishna Rijal of Nepal and Satoru Uesaka of Japan. But the announcement was delayed for nearly a year until outside experts from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka could confirm the findings. Rijal and Satoru said the experts were "in full agreement" with their conclusions.
The two Archaeologists told me: "Chemical analysis of the discoveries and other technical programs will be ongoing for some time. But as we continue to dig here, it seemed that, after one year of peer review, it was time to announce our discoveries." Their statement was met with cynicism in some quarters. One Kathmandu newspaper challenged their interpretation of their findings. Satoru retorted: "So many rumors have been fabricated. All of this comes from jealousy. Let everyone study the full reports and their doubts will vanish."
The whereabouts of the Buddha's birth site is of paramount importance to the estimated 350 million faithful around the world. In Christian terms, it is the equivalent of finding the Bethlehem stable in which Jesus Christ was born. The Buddha once promised that visitors to his birthplace and to three other important sites would be reborn "in a heavenly state." So the discovery is expected to give a major boost to Nepalese tourist arrivals.
The announcement, on Feb. 4, was surprisingly understated. It was made in Nepali and to local journalists only. The Lumbini Development Trust - one of three parties in the excavation project, along with the government's department of archeology and the Japan Buddhist Foundation
- claimed to have informed overseas media. But few correspondents seemed to know about it.
By last week, there was no official reaction from Buddhist authorities in India, where some scholars have maintained the religious leader was not born in Nepal at all, but in the Gorakhpur district of what is not Uttar Pradesh state. Lumbini is just 10 km inside Nepal, across from Uttar Pradesh.
According to holy literature, Buddha's mother, Queen Maya Devi, was passing through Lumbini in 623 B.C., on her way to her parents' home in Rangram, when she went into labor. She bathed in a sacred pond and then walked 25 paces into a grove of trees to deliver her child. Many Buddhists believe the baby, Prince Siddhartha, sprang out and took seven steps.
Nearly 400 years later, Emperor Ashoka, who ruled over most of the subcontinent and is said to have spread the faith to East Asia, undertook a pilgrimage to the locations associated with Lord Buddha's life. At Lumbini, according to religious texts, he placed a stone on the precise position of the birth. He also erected a pillar close by, with an inscription referring to the stone.
A number of temples were built on the site, but by a thousand years later, Lumbini had slipped so far into decline that its location became lost for hundreds of years. In 1895, the Ashoka pillar was found lying on its side. The site remained in such disrepair that U.N. Secretary General U Thant, a Buddhist, wept when he visited it in 1967.
Excavation work began three years ago, with 200 workers.
They uncovered the foundations of 15 rooms. At the center, they opened up a trench. This exposed the stone believed to have been laid by Ashoka. Nepalese officials insisted it was precisely 25 paces from the pond where Queen Maya Devi was said to have bathed. Said Lok Darshan Bajracharya, former chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust: "This proves the authenticity of descriptions given in Buddhist literature and religious tests about the exact sport where the Lord was born."
Two days after the announcement of the discovery, Nepal's King Birendra, accompanied by Queen Aishwarya and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, visited the site and were shown the stone and the Ashoka pillar. Until the royal visit, no outside photographers had been allowed at the excavation, which was shielded from view by a yellow plastic sheet.
I watched as His Majesty quizzed Rijal and Satoru about the stone, which could be seen beneath and Ashoka-period brick arch. They explained that it was a "conglomerate stone," not native to the region. It had been carried to the scene and placed at the center of the temple, they said. King Birendra asked if it was the same stone as the one mentioned on the Ashoka pillar. He was assured it was. The royal party then made offerings at a nearby statue of Maya Devi and left.
After their departure, Rijal and Satoru told me they would be leaving the next day for a conference in India.
They seemed surprised when I suggested this was a major breakthrough and they should stay in Kathmandu to meet the foreign press. "We cannot miss this conference in India," they said. "We can talk to the media later," Evidently, after all this, a few more days don't matter.
_______@___________@________________
Benja Chanasit
Thai E-Mail Group (TMG)
"We Support Thai Language Internet"
Keywords: Culture & Religion
From: Dr. Jai Maharaj <jai@mantra.com>
| Date: 96.03.08 | (Id.: 75) |
The following article is from Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi, Vedic Astrologer, who may be reached at jai@mantra.com and jai@eskimo.com or by telephone at 808-948-4357 in the USA.
==========================================================
That Siddharth was born in Lumbinee has been known for a long time and the information has been available in literature written in many languages. As one example, the following excerpt is from THE BUDDHIST TRADITION IN INDIA, CHINA AND JAPAN, published by Vintage Books, Random House, in 1972:
"There was a king of unconquerable Shaakya race, descended from Ikshavaaku, named Shuddhodana. Endowed with wealth and virtue, he was loved and esteemed by his people, as the moon in autumn.
"This king, as powerful as Indra, had a queen comparable to Shachee, Indra's spouse. As steadfast as the earth and as pure in heart as the lotus flower, she was called Maayaa . . .
"In her sleep, Maayaa saw a white elephant entering her womb and thereby conceived; yet she was free from anxiety or illusion.
"She longed however for the peace of a secluded wood, and as the Lumbinee grove, with its fountains, flowers, and fruit trees, was quiet and suitable for contemplation, she asked the king to let her go there.
"Knowing her intention, the king, in delight, ordered his followers to accompany the queen to the grove.[1] "In that lovely grove, the queen became aware that the time of her delivery was near; thousands of waiting-girls greeted her as she proceeded to a couch overspread with an awning.
"Then, when the constellation Paushya was most clear and serene,[2] from the side of the queen, who was purified by her vows, a son was born for the well-being of the world without causing her any pain or illness . . .
"[1] Since the Sanskrit manuscript is missing, the translation thus far has been based on the Chinese text TAISHO DAIZOKYO, IV, 1a.
"[2] In Chinese translation, the day is specified as April 8, which has traditionally been celebrated as the date of his birth throughout the Far East." [ End of excerpts]
As celebrated in Bharat (India) this year, Buddh Jayanti falls on May 2. The constellation mentioned above in the excerpts is actually the Nakshatr Paushya. In Jyotish science, popularly known in western countries as Vedic or Hindu astrology, a Nakshatr is the 1/27th equal division of the sidereal zodiac.
Over the years, I have calculated detailed charts for Siddharth based on various sets of birth data. Other astrologers are invited to correspond in an effort to corroborate recent archaeological conclusions such as the ones reported in the news item appended below.
Jai Maharaj <jai@mantra.com> Jyotishi, Vedic Astrologer
%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%
*-=Om Shanti=-* %:%:%
The above is a follow-up to the following:
In the article <313e49a2.24212819@news.ipswich.gil.com.au>, of Thu, 7 Mar 1996 02:42:18 UTC, bchana@gil.com.au (Benja Chanasit) wrote:
: 'We Have Found Buddha's Birthplace'
: One Year Later, Archaeologists Reveal the News
: Asiaweek, February 23, 1996
: _____________________________
: For centuries, pilgrims have wandered the foothills of the
: Himalayas, hoping to find the exact birthplace of Lord Buddha.
: Now the searching may be over. An international team of
Keywords: Culture & Religion
From: Raju Tuladhar <tuladhar@enci.ucalgary.ca>
| Date: 96.05.08 | (Id.: 6) |
: In article <1996May7.153309.23115@roper.uwyo.edu>, bishwa@UWYO.EDU (OHMIC_FLUX) writes:
: >Hi all,
: > Mercury:"Som"
: > Venus:"Budh"
: > Earth:"Prithvi"
: > Mars:"Mangaal"
: > Jupiter:"Brihaspati"
: > Saturn:"Sanischhar"
: > Uranus:???
: > Neptune:"Rahu"
: > Pluto:"Ketu"
: >
: I think venus is "Shukra" not "Budh" and Mercury is "Budh". There is no planet
: called "Som." I might be wrong though.
: Sagun Karmacharya
Sunday (Aaitbar) is for sun, and "Som" monday is dedicated for moon.
Keywords: Culture & Religion
From: Shaligram Pokharel <SPOKHARE@SYSTEMS.watstar.uwaterloo.ca>
| Date: 96.11.10 | (Id.: 125) |
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© J. Mário Pires, 4 Mar 97
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