SANN News
The Newar community in the Kathmandu Valley and abroad, in order to keep their habitations, toll-neighborhoods and roads clean, strong and safe, by properly manipulating all the unholy objects, ghosts, phantoms, vampires, demons, spirits, flies and diseases etc. inside the house they Celebrate the festival. Gathamug can be considered as a festival of cleanliness celebrated by the Newar community. On this day, first of all, it is customary to clean the house and courtyard and to cover the entire room, chaota and chhindi and make it holy and worship Kumar Kartikeya, who is revered as his favorite deity. During the rainy season, farmers are busy planting crops. Since the house is not clean due to the busyness of work at this time, there is a possibility of accumulation of garbage entering the house and causing grief.
That is why it is said that in the dark corners of the house and in the garbage, there are demons, evil spirits and ghosts that cause misery to people. Since garbage is also a cause of disease, the garbage accumulated in the corners of the house is taken out and cleaned nowadays. The garbage collected in this way is considered as a monster and is packed in useless plants such as sorghum, reed, bojo, sisno, marijuana etc. It is made into a ghatamug by giving it as much artistry as possible and the same monster is abused and thrown out of the house.
From time immemorial, the Kathmandu Valley has been regarded as the center of spiritual practice. The Siddha Tantrics here used to invoke ghosts, phantoms, vampires, witches, vultures, Shakinis, Rakinis, etc. to plant in the rainy season on the day of Akshaya Tritiya in the month of Baisakh. At night, with the help of these ghosts, complex work and farming was done. After cultivating in this way, in this day and age, it was customary to bid farewell to the ghost. So by cleaning the corners of the house. It is believed that ghosts will come out of the house after cursing with lights and torches. Today, it is customary to collect the ghosts from house to house in Dobato and take them to the river bank in the evening, chanting the abuses of the city dwellers. Bhairavnach (Lakhenach) is performed after the ghosts that have settled in the house are appeased. From today, the cultural bajagaja, which has been kept since Kumar Shashthi, will be taken out and worshiped and played.
There is an interesting legend about Ghantakarna Chaturdashi. In ancient times there was a devilish heretical demon. As much as he hated the gods and goddesses, he used to wear 16-17 dharni bells in his ears to hear the name of the deities and religious deeds in the society. His name was changed to Ghantakarna as he used to walk with a bell hanging in his ear. The bell-ringing demon disturbed the worship and caused misery to the gods and gentlemen. He used to harass people wearing jewelry because he liked iron. Jagat (tax) was levied on the passers-by at the crossroads and they would kill and eat the non-payers. The victims of that man-eating monster were mostly helpless women and children. Seeing that the whole human settlement was conquered by the terror of Ghantakarna, a Tantric disguised as a frog came to the place where Ghantakarna was.
At that time, Ghantakarna was huddled with people at the crossroads, starving. At that time, people were hiding in their houses for fear of being eaten by the bells. Ghantakarna requested to meet the frog and show him the way to the human settlement. The frog-like Tantric pointed to the swampy area and said that human settlements would be found after reaching some distance from there. The monster got stuck in the swamp and spent the night screaming, hoping to find food. The next day, the villagers gathered and stoned him to death. Some even tell the story of Ghantakarna’s death by falling into a well. Shravan every year in the happiness that the terror of the oppressive Ghantakarna has ended forever On the Chaturdashi day of Krishnapaksha, an idol of the tyrant Ghantakarna is made and burnt so that the terror of Ghantakarna does not have to be endured again. It is made into a three-legged monster by mixing green reeds, dried gooseberries, bronze, reeds, etc.
Today, children hang ropes on the road, block passers-by, and sit around begging for the clock. On this day, it is customary for people to have fun by wearing different colors in the guise of Ghantakarna. In the evening, it is customary to burn the bells placed at the crossroads in an open place (chhavase) near the gauntol or on the river bank, abusing, rubbing and tearing. In this way, when the bell is tilted, a three-legged or five-legged fortified iron, brass or copper ring is placed on the main door of the house. There is a belief that after knocking on the door, ghosts, demons, etc. cannot come into the house and wearing a ring, ghosts, sorcery, etc. cannot touch people.
In some places, ghosts are also appeased by placing curd, chiura(beaten rice), samyabaji etc. in the crossroads. After cleansing the house this evening, special worship is done to Kumar Kartikeya, son of Shiva Parvati. On this day, according to one’s clan and tradition, one can worship Ardhanarishvara, Agam Devtaand Bhairav.
