Category Archives: Nepal 2012 / 2013

My nephew’s Pasni Party

Posted on February 8, 2013 | 8 comments

After the Pasni Puja in the morning everyone was tired including the little one but there was no time to rest as we had a reception organised for 300+ people that evening to celebrate the Pasni ceremony. Pasni ceremonies have become very lavish these days, with large parties of not just close relatives, but also colleagues and friends being invited for the event. As my nephew was the first grand kid for my parents and for my SIL’s parents, they wanted to make sure everyone necessary was invited.

After lunch my MIL, FIL and AS left for home to get some rest and also to get ready for the evening. So as soon as I finished eating, I rushed to my parents’ house to prepare for the evening. There was not much to do as these days you just need to order catering in the party venue and they look after everything for you.

PARTY PASNI (11) PARTY PASNI (9)

So I just made sure that mum was ok with what to wear for the evening and she didn’t need any help. My SIL had 2 of her cousins helping her to get ready. We had already decided that my nephew was going to change into a red velvet pasni dress with blue and gold embroidery that I had bought for him.

PARTY PASNI (2)

So it was my turn to be ready and be there before guest arrived. I first went and did my hair and make-up. I was so excited to wear the special sari I had designed and ordered. It took me more than 2 hours to finally be party ready. When I was done AS picked me up to go to the party venue.

PARTY PASNI (7)

When we arrived at the venue, most of our close relatives were there already and a photo session was going on with my nephew.

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He was looking really cute and adorable in the red velvet special pasni dress.We made sure we got heaps of family photos as well as photo of the little man.

PARTY PASNI (1)

Proud Grandparents

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Slowly guests started to come one by one. There were lots of relatives from my mum and dad’s sides so I spent lots of time mingling and making sure that everyone was looked after properly.

PARTY PASNI (10)

PARTY PASNI (4)

Also AS’s side of the family including his aunts, uncles and cousins were invited. Once they arrived at the party I was even busier as I had to talk to everyone and make sure they were eating and drinking properly.

PARTY PASNI (13)

By this time, the dance floor was slowly getting busy with my uncles, aunts and cousins dancing. I wanted to join them as well but it was a bit hard for me initially as I didn’t know what my in-laws would think. For me party has always been more about dancing and fun more than food but being a new DIL and having all AS’s close relatives at the party, I didn’t want to  go and jump on the dance floor.

PARTY PASNI (6)

But then one of AS’s aunt showed her desire to join the dance floor and asked me if we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves too. That was the only excuse I needed so I asked all AS’s relative to join us on the dance floor. And yes, that included my MIL as well. I am so glad my MIL took it well and did show her few moves . It was really fun and nice of everyone to just go with the flow attitude. Also AS and his cousins joined and we had a great time. I had to go away from dance floor from time to time to meet relatives who had recently arrived but I was really enjoying everything. I also had few of my good friend joining us for the celebration.

PARTY PASNI (8)

The evening went quickly and slowly guest started to leave in ones and twos. By the end of the evening only close relatives were left so we all had our meal as well. We made sure everything was OK and then left for home.

PARTY PASNI (5)

Proud Grand ma

It was really great to be a part of the celebration and it was nice to meet everyone during the celebration.  One of the nicest memories I had from Nepal this trip.

PARTY PASNI (12)

Happy Fufu

And my nephew was an angel whole day. He didn’t cry and was smiling at everyone. He was held by more than 200+ hands that evening but he was just smiling and playing with everyone that everyone was so impressed to see such a playful happy baby.

He is growing up so fast and every time I see him, there are some nice changes with him. These days he has learnt how to move his fingers in the “come here” sign so it is so cute to watch him do that. Sometimes he is so amazed that he can do that, he keeps on looking at his own hands. Also he is falling in love with himself. Every time he is in front of the mirror, all he does is smile,

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Posted in Family, Nepal 2012 / 2013, Nepali Culture, Newari Culture

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My nephew’s Pasni Puja

Posted on February 7, 2013 | 5 comments

As I told you before the main reason we went to Nepal this time was because my nephew was having his Pasni ceremony. My brother, SIL and the little one had gone to Nepal a week before us to prepare for the ceremony. Me and AS landed 10 days before the ceremony and all we did until the ceremony was to prepare for it.

AS I am married now we need to take gifts for everyone which included little nephew, my brother, my mum, my aunty and uncle (they being the head of our family) as well. So we were shopping for the first 7 days straight.

Also my mum and SIL had to give saris to all our relatives so I went with them to buy the saris. Saris seem to be so expensive so we had to increase our budget significantly to get the type of sari we wanted. After going to a few saris shops, finally we were happy with a sari and luckily they had 35 pieces of them so we just took them all. Also we needed to buy Pasni outfit for the little one which took another hour as there were so many choices.

sari

We went to many shops and after many days we managed to buy everything we needed for the ceremony. As I was living at my new home, I needed to go to my parent’s house whenever required to help my parents to organise the ceremony which kept me busy as well, traveling back and forth.

I also ordered a sari for myself in a boutique for the party. I went to many boutiques in Kathmandu and they were all pricy but they didn’t have what I was looking for. Luckly I found a small boutique in Kupondole who were happy to make what I designed. So I ordered my design and was pleased to get the sari that I wanted. The price was really high but as I got what I wanted, I was happy at the end. 🙂

Once everything was set at my parents end, it was my time to help my MIL for the ceremony. We needed to take Sagun (eggs, bara, chicken, fish, yogurt) for the day along with gifts from my new home. So the day before the ceremony, the whole day I and my MIL were in kitchen making bara, chicken, fish and other items. We also went out and bought rotis and fruits.

My BIL and AS helped to wrap all the trays beautifully with wrapping paper and bows.

my nephews's pasni (1)

Finally, the morning of the Pasni ceremony, me and AS left for my parents’ house early in the morning to help around. My in-laws were coming in few hours later.

When I reached there, most of our relatives were already there. Everyone seemed to be busy doing one thing or other.  I help my mum and SIL to get ready.  The auspicious time (saayit) chosen by an astrologer for Pasni was 9.45 am so around 9.30, the priest started making preparation for the puja.

my nephews's pasni (10)

This puja is performed so that baby can taste all kinds of food. Although this is a centuries old tradition, modern science has also established the fact that child’s digestive system is capable of processing solid food when they are approximately 6 months old.

pasni puja

my nephews's pasni (19)

Normally, the baby needs to have a bath but as it was winter, we just cleaned the little man and he wore new cloths. He sat in his mum’s lap with his dad beside her and the ceremony began. My aunt started the puja with the help of the priest. The first step was to worship Lord Ganesh and sukunda and all the gods. Then she put tika on the forehead of the baby, and he was given a special outfit which was made of silk in red colour (Taas) embroidered with golden threads along with gold ornaments like chain, earrings, bangles and silver ornaments like anklets (kalli) carved with dragon at both the ends to keep the bad omens at bay.

my nephews's pasni (18)

 He was also given a tray of stuffs like books symbolising learning, jewels symbolising wealth, a pen symbolising wisdom, clay symbolising property, food items symbolising a love for food. When the tray was given to him, the first thing he touched was a book so we are hoping he will be a big scholar one day.

my nephews's pasni (20) my nephews's pasni (16)

The priest asked the baby to be changed into the special outfit so I helped my SIL to change the baby into the red Taas outfit. He was really happy to play with us while we were changing him. We also put golden chain, bracelets and anklets on him but he cried a lot when we exchanged the earing he had on, on his recently pierced ears with the gold earring. I felt so bad that he was crying because it hurt but after a while he was ok.

my nephews's pasni (17)

Again, my nephew, SIL and my brother sat down to continue the puja. The next step was to feed him his first solid food. As per our newari custom, it was Thaa Bu (Big plate with rice, eggs, yogurt, wine, fruits, Roti, meat, fish, vegetables and much more). Of course the little one is not going to eat everything but he got to taste salty food for the first time.

my nephews's pasni (14)

my nephews's pasni (12)

After that it was my parents turn to feed the baby. Then it was my turn to give sagun. By then my MIL had arrived with my FIL. So I helped my MIL to give sagun to everyone. All the work we had done was for that moment. We stared with my nephew followed my SIL, my brother, my aunt, my uncle, my dad and my mum. Then we gave sagun to all the family members. We also gave the clothes we had bought for everyone.

my nephews's pasni (9)

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Then my SIL’s parents gave their sagun followed my aunties and other family members. Everyone gave my nephew clothes and jewelleries. Once everyone was done, my SIL’s maternal uncle put tika and garland on the baby and took the baby from my SIL.

my nephews's pasni (15)

my nephews's pasni (21)

Everyone took some sindoor, rice and flower and threw it towards my nephew so the maternal uncle could now take the baby outside for a temple visit. With the help of the priest, we took the baby to all the nearby temples and did some puja. It took almost an hour so when we came back home, the little one was so tired, he was fast asleep.

my nephews's pasni (23) my nephews's pasni (22) my nephews's pasni (11)

By the time we returned home, lunch was ready in the party place nearby so all of us went there for lunch. Before the lunch, we took family photos and lots of photos of the little man. He looked amazing in the red outfit and was smiling a lot enjoying his big day.

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My parents and my SIL’s parents were really pleased to witness their only grandson’s pasni in Nepal.

By the time we finished eating. We had less than four hours left for the guests to arrive for the Pasni party in the evening. I will write more about the Pasni party in my next post.

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Posted in Nepal 2012 / 2013, Nepali Culture, Newari Culture

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Kailashnath Mahadev – Sanga, Kathmandu,Nepal

Posted on February 4, 2013 | 5 comments

While I was in Nepal I was always planning our day. I really didn’t want to spend our free days (whatever was left after all our lunch and dinner invites from our relatives) staying home. My MIL even told me once; I probably have chakras on my feet because of which I can’t stay in one place for long. I am sure that is true and I have even admitted that in my post here. 🙂

One of the days, I, with my MIL, FIL and AS, went to Kailashnath Mahadev which is a Shiva statue situated in Sanga, the border of Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok districts in Nepal. It is is spread in 400,000 sq feet area and houses a 16 delux room resort, spa, yoga, health club and meditation centre.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (8)

This is the World’s tallest Lord Shiva statue till date, standing 143 feet high. It depicts Lord Shiva with a Trishul in his hand while a king Cobra is resting on his shoulder.  The construction for this gigantic statue started in 2004 and completed in 2012.  It was inaugurated by Nepal’s President Ram Baran Yadav on June 21 2012.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (9)

The statue has been made of copper, cement, zinc and steel. The place also has a children’s park, physiotherapy clinic, steam and sauna bath facilities.

To make this statue cope with landslides and other natural incidents, there was a 100 feet foundation which had to be constructed as it is situated on a hillside, there were also many other precautions which needed to be considered.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (4)

There seems to be two entries to the area. The first one which is the main gate is the entry to the resort, physiotherapy clinic, steam and sauna bath facilities and costs Rs. 100 to get in and it includes entry to where the statue is also. The second is and entry to only the statue and costs Rs 25 or maybe even free, depending on who you ask. My brother and parents had been to the temple before so had warned us not to pay the Rs. 100 entry fee, i.e.  don’t go from the main entry, as we were not interested in the resort and all. But somehow we end up going through the same entrance as them where we have to pay RS 100 a person to get in, this is I believe since the motorable road leads to the entrance. It was not a lot of money but considering that you can enter for free, it is a bit stupid to pay money especially if you don’t intend to avail of the other facilities in the resort/ clinic.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (5)

Once we parked our car, the only thing, I could think of was food so we decided to go and eat at one of the canteens they have. They serve only vegetarian food which was a big letdown for AS. We ordered Puri tarkari, veg momo and chowmein. It was nice but I have to admit it was really pricy for the place. All the items were RS 200 but we get RS 100 discount if we show our entry ticket. I know it was all business and we are one of their millions visitors who fell straight into the trap. I am calling this a trap because, just 500 meter away from that canteen there is another canteen near the entrance for the statue (yes the free one) and they are selling everything for less that RS 100.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (6)

Anyway after enjoying the food we went to visit the temple. As I had seen the photo before, I knew what to expect but still it was really great feeling to see the idol from up-close. We took lots of nice photos and walked down to the main entrance.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (7)

There were lots of people there mainly Nepali but there were a few tourists as well. Being the world’s tallest statue of Hindu God Shiva, Kailashnath Mahadev Statue has become a famous tourist attraction in Nepal and is visited by thousands of tourists from across the globe.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (10)

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (1) It seems to be a nice place, a short drive away from Kathmandu for people from Kathmandu to getaway.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (2)

My BIL was having his Rotaract District Conference, in the resort there so when he was done, he also joined us at the statue. It was a nice family get away for us so close to Kathmandu.

Kailashnath Mahadev , Sanga (3)

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Posted in Nepal, Nepal 2012 / 2013, Travel

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Khandeko golbenda ko achar (Pickled tomatoes)

Posted on February 3, 2013 | 10 comments

I learned so many recipes from my mother in law while I was in Nepal. I’m sharing one of them now.

Ingredients

  • 1 litre glass jar
  • 1/2 kg ripe Tomatoes cut into cubes
  • Garlic 50 gms chopped
  • Ginger 20 gms chopped
  • 3 Green chilli chopped
  • 1.5 teaspoons Cumin powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons Coriander powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons Red chilli powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons Turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoons Mustard seed powder
  • 2 teaspoons Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Mustard oil

I used a glass jar which came with 1kg honey estimating it’ll hold around 1 litre of water. The idea is to fill it with the ingredients with a bit of space to spare. The tomatoes should fill about 80% of the jar and the ginger and garlic 10% with 10% empty. Chilli is to taste.

Process:

  • Cut the tomatoes into cubes about 1/2 inch big and chop Garlic, Ginger and Green chillies and put them in a large bowl.

Khandeko golbera ko achar (2)Khandeko golbera ko achar (1)

Khandeko golbera ko achar (3)

  • Add the spices as mentioned in the ingredients and mix them all together.

Khandeko golbera ko achar (4)

  • Fill the glass jar to around 90%.
  • Put a clean wrap or plastic bag on the month of the jar and close it tightly so no air can enter.

Khandeko golbera ko achar (5)

  • Leave the jar where it can get direct sunlight.

Khandeko golbera ko achar (6)

  • Every few days, open the jar and move the tomatoes around. Close the jar, tightly.
  • The pickle will be ready in 4-5 days. Enjoy!

Khandeko golbera ko achar

10 Comments

Posted in Nepal, Nepal 2012 / 2013, Nepali food

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From Kathmandu to Sydney

Posted on January 30, 2013 | 6 comments

It is always hard to say goodbye and farewell but that is the reality of life. So with a heavy heart I left Nepal for Sydney.

I had an awesome time in Nepal and it was fun but it was time for me to get back to reality after 6 weeks of holiday.

Before I left I went and said my good byes to my grandparents in law. They were happy that I visited them before I left. As I mentioned in my post before, granddad is 94 and grandmum is 89 but both of them are still very healthy for their age.

grand parents

While having a conversation, granddad asked me why I was wearing Kurta Suruwal , not pants. My MIL explained to him that I normally do wear pants but out of respect for them, I chose to wear a traditional outfit every time I visited them. I was really surprised what I heard next. He said I should wear pants even when I visit them as it is comfortable and acceptable these days. I never expected to hear such a modern thing from him. He even went on saying to my MIL that she should wear pants as well as they are more comfortable than Saris or Kurta suruwal. So hats off to him for changing with time and having an open mind.

His one wish is to see a great grand son from us (he already has 5 great grand daughters) so asked us to come to Nepal with 3 members in our family and not just 2 the next time :).

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I also visited my maternal grandma and it was so sad to see her eyes full of tears while saying goodbye to me. She is 80 now and not as healthy as she would like to be. I really love her and wish she can be happy all the time.

As I told you before I did heaps of shopping for gifts before we went. I am pleased to let you know now that I was spoiled equally with heaps of gifts from everyone. I got a pendent with Ganesh, a bag, shoes, shawls and scarfs, earring, necklaces, titaura, sunnies, sukunda, and a cute teddy from my cousin. It was really nice to get all of those gifts as I feel loved and cared in return. 🙂 Also my MIL bought a nice sari for me as well as beads and some necklaces .Thank you everyone for making me feel so special.

The day before I was to leave for Sydney, I went to my new home from my parents place. Many people told me it is not necessary to leave for Sydney from there but I wanted to do the right thing by everyone so it was best to leave for Sydney from my new home. My parents were already sad from the previous few days before as I was leaving. I was the last one to leave after my brother’s family with my little nephew, then AS and now me. I told them to make sure and visit us soon so we can all be together again. So the afternoon I went to my new home, my MIL along with my FIL came to pick me up. It was a sad goodbye to my birth home but I knew that was necessary.

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Once we were at my new home, there were heaps of friends and relatives calling to wish me a safe journey. Also my cousin, aunty and few of my friends came over to say their good byes. I was distracted the whole evening and I didn’t feel sad . After everyone left and we had dinner it was 10pm. My MIL came to my room and the two of us chatted about various thing till midnight. It was really nice to have such a great time with her as we didn’t get lots of time with just the two of us. I feel blessed to have her in my life as I know how bad some MILs law can be.

The next morning I woke up early, finalised the packing and had breakfast. There were still some last minutes shopping left to do so my BIL was helping me with that. After a while my MIL gave me sagun and we left for the airport. On the way there, we picked up my parents and all of us headed to the airport.

At the airport, my mum put tika on my forehead and blessed me. I spent 20 minutes outside and it was time for me to go inside the terminal. In Kathmandu airport once you go in, you can’t come out. So after check-in and immigration, I was in the lounge all alone for 2 hours while my parents and in-laws went back home. I am so glad that my mum didn’t cry this time otherwise I would be crying with her as usual.

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From the airport, I called and messaged most of my friends and relatives while AS was constantly on the phone making sure I was ok and not crying. I felt really sad there but I didn’t cry. I really wished AS was with me that time but I knew I was going to see him in 24 hours.

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The plane took off from Kathmandu and I was in Bangkok airport after 4 hours. There I had 14 hours to kill before I would board my flight to Sydney so AS insisted on me getting a dayroom there and I am so glad I did. It was really expensive and they charged for every hour but still the rest was worth the money spent. The room was comfortable and cozy but the bad thing about the room was that I could constantly hear the PA system of the airport announcing various messages. I couldn’t sleep in the beginning so I went and got some cotton to put in my ears and finally I went to sleep.

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After a nice conversation with AS on Skype and a good sleep and breakfast I felt better when I boarded the plane for Sydney.

For the first time in many years I was unable to get a window seat so it was a bit annoying to stand up every time someone had to go to the loo. But I did manage to watch 3 movies before we landed in Sydney. I had an easy run with customs and immigration and finally I was outside in Sydney. It felt really good to be back as AS was waiting for me. It was nice to hug him after more than 2 weeks.

The weather was kind to me that evening as it was raining and cool after being super-hot for over 2 weeks. The temperature had gone up to 46 0 centigrade last weeks.

After a short drive , I was home after so long. AS had some food ready for us for dinner and home was in perfect shape . I was so glad to finally be back home but at the same time was missing family in Nepal. I went to sleep straight after a light dinner.

Today is my first day back at work. There were so many things from Nepal that I want to share with you in the coming days.

Till my next post take care everyone. 

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Posted in Nepal 2012 / 2013, NSW - Australia

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