By Katie Lillie Gurung, May 19, 2014
We arrived back in Sundar Bazar at his aunt’s house and after a day of relaxing there (although a little difficult to relax anywhere this time of year because of the heat…) we headed back to Bijaya’s village. We planned to leave early in the morning around 5 or 6 to beat the heat. However that morning his aunt planned to have Puja (a day of prayer or worship) which requires the oldest male of the house to initiate the Puja. In this case, they were worshiping the white snake god, so the oldest male had to do a number of things, including using a mixture of flower and water to make a simple painting of two white snakes, lighting incense, and giving tikka to all the family members. This was supposed to be done by Bijaya’s “grandpa” (actually his great uncle), however ever since he moved to Sundar Bazar and left the village around 4 years ago, his grandpa has started drinking alcohol daily almost all day long. So we woke up early to leave to go to Bijaya’s village, however his aunt called down to Bijaya and asked him to initiate the Puja because his grandpa had already drank in the morning and is therefore was impure to perform anything religious. So Bijaya had to take a shower to cleanse himself and then went to do the Puja for his aunt. Long story, but that’s how we ended up leaving late. Not that I was surprised, Nepali time is a whole different thing, if someone says they will be there in 5 minutes, it means at least a half an hour; if we were going to leave “at the latest by 7” that means we would probably not leave until 8. Which in that case, according to Nepali time, we left right on time!
We stayed in Bijaya’s village for two or three days. There were a few more people in the village this time because of the small festival (Buddha Jayanti- Buddha’s birthday, also the school’s name is the same!). The day that we got there we were walking around and went to the central meeting place where festivals in the village take place and there were a few men and younger guys getting the area ready for the festival the following day. They had cut long tree branches to use to prop up the tarp that people would sit under to stay out of the sun or rain (which rain happened to be the case the following day.) Some younger guys also brought large pieces of wood that they starting carving into different objects which is traditionally done to perform a certain song/program.
The following day we came to the same place and most everyone from the village was there. The mother’s group in the village made tea over the fire in a giant teapot and handed it out to everyone. Then later a group of young guys (including Jeewan) came dancing up as a group with drums and all- all dressed like women, make up and all. This is traditionally done for this festival, and it definitely makes everyone laugh a lot! They dance around certain people until they pay them some money (the money is used for things needed in the village, repairs, new ideas, etc.)
After this holiday, many different Gurung villages choose a day to call friends from other villages to come and they have a huge party. Each village practices their singing and dancing to try to be the best. Unfortunately fewer and fewer people are in the village – especially so few young men as just about all the men at working age are now working abroad and therefore, as Bijaya has explained to me, all the festivals such as this one, just aren’t as much fun as they used to be. His village hasn’t called other people to come for that big party in three or four years now. All the villagers talk about how it’s just not the same now. Nevertheless, we had a good time for sure.
The next day we took an early bus to Pokhara. Our first bus went to Dumre, and then we had to change to another bus. After a couple hours into the second bus ride our bus stopped and one of the guys that works on the bus jumped out to look underneath the bus, at the same time we were covered in a sheet of white smoke that was very difficult to breathe. The bus guy determined it was fine….and we kept on driving….while the bus was smoking and smoking. I could hardly breathe, and Bijaya and I soon got of that bus (even though we paid for the whole trip) and hopped on another. We could still see the giant cloud of smoke far in the distance where the other bus was. Travel is difficult in Nepal.
While in Pokhara we got invited to Bijaya’s friend’s brother’s oldest sister-in-law’s baby’s Rice Eating Ceremony. Yes I know that was a mouthful, trying to keep all the relations straight is very difficult for me. Often I am told, “oh, she is his uncle’s wife’s (second oldest daughter), son’s friend who we met before, you don’t know who I’m talking about?” Haha. I’ve been to one other rice eating ceremony before, and there is not much to. Again, there is a tray of the usual things, flowers, water, candle and tikka. The first few people (close relatives) come to give the baby tikka, but first feed them a couple grains of rice- which they feed off a coin instead of a spoon for the ceremony, and everyone gives money also. This is the first time a baby is allowed to receive tikka, before their rice ceremony, they do not receive tikka. When baby boy’s reach 6 months, the parents consult with a religious leader about which day is best to have the ceremony. The same thing for baby girl’s, except theirs is done when they are 5 months. I’ve asked the reasoning, but again, have yet to find anyone who knows the reasoning. We had a great time yesterday at the ceremony, everyone in the family is really nice- so we stayed later than planned, of course!