Newar community people observe Mohani Nakhah rituals

Bhaktapur: The Newar community of Bhaktapur observed the Mohani Nakhah rituals today on the occasion of Bijaya Dashami.

Today on the day of Bijaya Dashami, the elders put Mohani Sih Na or the black ‘tika’, along with red ‘tika’, and ‘jamara’, as part of the observance of the Mohani Nakhah rituals.

The people from the Newar community here, during the worship of goddess Nawadurga Bhawani on the day of Mahanawami, light butter lamps in ‘pala’ at every house, and then cover them with another ‘pala’.

The black smoke coming from the burning flame of the lamp collects on the ‘pala’ that covers the lamp. This soot is used as Mohani Sihnam or the black tika.

On the day of Bijaya Dashami, red vermilion tika, jamara, and black tika are applied on the forehead as symbols of strength, good luck and victory, and the Dashain festival is celebrated with Mohini Nakhah, said Prakash Kayastha, a knowledgeable person on Newar culture. He informed that today is celebrated as the day Tripura Sundari Goddess appeared, enchanted the demon Mahishasura, and killed him, marking the victory of truth over falsehood.

This morning, following the tradition of considering Mohani Sihnam as a symbol of tantric power and ‘mohani’ or enchantment power, people applied black tika, that is, Mohani Sihnam, on their forehead at their homes during the auspicious hour of Dashain tika.

A grand religious fair is organized at the local Bramhayani Temple in Bhaktapur throughout the day today and tonight in line with the custom of every household visiting the local Bramhayani Temple, offering worship and paying homage to the goddess.

At the Bramhayani Temple, thousands of devotees today worshipped Bramhaayani Devi, considered a seat of power, with music and fanfare. Scholar Kayastha informed that the Newar community embraces the black tika as a symbol of religious, cultural, and tantric power. He informed that the Mohani Nakhah will only be completed after the Khadga Jatra ritual is solemnised at Taleju Temple at midnight today.

At night, the pantheon of deities associated with the Goddess Nawadurga are brought from Brahmayani Temple to the Taleju Temple, and after worshiping goddess Taleju, the elder sister of Nawadurga, and completing the mantra rituals, a grand procession of Nawadurga and Khadga jatra rituals are held, carrying the decorated idol of Goddess Taleju.

The idol of Goddess Taleju is paraded around the municipality, with Taleju’s chariot followed by a white horse, and then the Mohani Nakhah rituals are completed, he informed. It is not known from when exactly the Mohani Nakhah rituals started.

Since there is a tradition of Khadga Yatra (Paya) during the Dashain festival, it is believed that this practice started in Nepal since the advent of Tantrayana. The main feature of Mohani, however, is the Mohani Sinhah.

It is said that King Harisingha Deva brought Taleju Bhawani from India to Nepal in Nepal Sambat 444, and since then, Mohani Nakhah has been celebrated. The Mohani Nakhah carries different significance to the Buddhists among the Newar community.

RSS