Category Archives: Nepali Festivals

Story of my Jamara….

Posted on October 7, 2011 | 3 comments

 As I have mentioned on my previous post (Dashain Aayo), I tried growing Jamara this year and I am happy to let you know that, it came out well

If anyone wants to try it for the next year, this is what I did.

  1. Soak barley seeds over night. I used a Jamara mix (barley, corn, wheat) from Nepali grocery shop. 
  2. Get a deep bowl or container with a flat bottom. Fill it with a layer of sand about one or two inches thick.
  3. Sprinkle a layer of soaked Jamara mix into the container. Make sure it is only one layer of the seeds so they have enough room to sprout.
  4.  Cover the seeds with thin layer of sand. 
  5.  Sprinkle some water in the container. The sand should be moist , not be soggy. 
  6. Cover the container and put it in a dark place away from sun.
  7. Check the container daily to make sure that the sand is moist.  
  8. Hurray, Jamara is ready for Tika.

 

My Jamara in Tika day

I’ll try with just barley next year as I think that would be even better.

Happy Dashain !!!

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Happy “Nawami”

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 1 comment

On the ninth day of Dashain which is called ‘Nawami’ or “Maha-Navami” , we worship Vishwakarma, the god of creativeness. All artisans, craftsmen, tradesmen worship their tools, equipment and vehicles like cars, bikes, trucks etc. for protection against accidents during the year. So we got into the spirit of Dashain today and we worshipped our Car with a Puja. 

Normally animals are sacrificed during the Puja and the tools are given their fill of blood but we used a hard shelled coconut instead and let the car have the coconut water! 

 

L-R Puja Thali, AS performing Puja and cracking coconut
 

L-R cracked coconut, AS pourning coconut water

Happy Dashain !!!

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Happy “Asthami”

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 2 comments

 The eighth day of Dashain is called ‘Asthami’. In Newari culture, we eat “Kuchi bhwey” to mark the day.

Yesterday, we went to my cousin’s (K didi) house and we were so happy to see that they had prepared “Kuchi bhwey”.

It consists of 9 Newari dishes which are

  • Chiura (beaten/flattened rice)
  • Chicken curry
  • Spinach
  • Black eye bean
  • Alu achaar 
  • Chicken Choila
  • Kachi La (lamb dish)
  • Fried soybean
  • Fried Garlic

    Kuchi bhwey

 It was really yummy!!!

Happy dashain!!!

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Dashain aayo

Posted on September 27, 2011 | 4 comments

As anyone who is slightly related to Nepal in anyway will know, Dashain ( 15 days long celebration of Hindu) is just around the corner. This year it starts from 28 September and Tika (Dashami) is on 6 October.

Australia is in Southern hemisphere so the weather for Dashain will be windy and wet unlike in Nepal where  it is perfect weather for celebration but we have to make most of the situation.

As this is going to be our first Dashain as married couple and we are away from our family, we are planning to have jamara on Ghatasthapana. As I have missed last 6 Dashain and AS have missed last 10 Dashain @ home, we thought having jamara will help us to be involved in our culture and at the same time I want to prove my in-laws and my mom, I can be modern and traditional at a same time. 🙂

So we are going to  get some sand. I have bought some barley seeds. I hope it will work and  turn into five or six inches long yellow grass by 6 October.

Will let you know the progress.

Happy Dashain !!!.

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