Amanda S's Blog – March 2011 Archive (3)

Holi festival - I love it.

I have said it before and I will say it again, Nepal the some of the most fascinating and crazy festivals I have ever heard of. In Dhulikehel Gods chase you and steal your money, at Maha Shivaratri every one gets high, Newari girls marry fruit trees, and in some villages the trees marry each…

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Added by Amanda S on March 24, 2011 at 6:30pm — 3 Comments

Nava Durga Jatra at Dhulikhel - the festival where Gods chase you down for cash

Every town in Nepal has its own special festival or celebration. Yesterday I headed out to Dhulikhel, 30 km SE of Kathmandu, to see their take on the Nava Durga Jatra. I was told it is Nepal’s version of the Running of the Bulls, though instead of bulls masked Gods, expecting substantial pay offs, chase…

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Added by Amanda S on March 16, 2011 at 3:00pm — 3 Comments

Bratabandha - When boys become men in Kathmandu.

I was visiting a friend’s family when his mother flourished a number of worn pictures of a small boy, wrapped in orange, with big scared eyes, and even bigger ears painfully accentuated by his newly bald head. “He is ready for marriage” she proudly announced. My first impression was that Bratabandha was a haircut that turned boys into men.

Bratabandha is a Hindu ceremony where boys, between 8 and 12, take the first steps in learning the traditional laws, ceremonial roles and…

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Added by Amanda S on March 2, 2011 at 10:30am — No Comments