Ghoda jatra: Festival of ‘Pahan Carhai’ and Horse Race

By Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

On the new moon day of the dark fortnight in the month called Caitra (March-April) in the Vikram calendar, Kathmanduites celebrate the festival called ‘Ghoda jatra’. The indigenous people of Kathmandu called Nevah celebrate it for three days: one day before the ‘Ghoda jatra’ the Nevah community celebrate ‘Pahan carhai’ making offerings called ‘puja’ to guardian grandmother goddesses called ‘Ajimas’, and the guardian God called ‘Luku Mahadeo’ means hidden Lord Shiva, the second day they take a white horse belonging to Living Goddess Kumari to the open space called Tundikhel in Kathmandu to trample the evil spirit there and the third day they celebrates the outings of the grandmother goddesses and their meeting at ‘Ason’ square.

The Nepalese history has it that King Gunakamdev built a city-state called ‘Kantipur’ currently known, as Kathmandu in the form of a large double-edged knife called ‘Khadga’ in 724 A.D. ‘Khadga’ is the symbol of power and authority. He enshrined eight grandmother goddesses at eight peripheral sites and God Pacali Bhairava at the main entrance to the city-state in the south to protect the citizenry from demons and evil spirits.

In the order of the protocol of seniority, these eight grandmother goddesses called ‘Ajimas’ were enshrined in the following eight peripheral sites of ancient ‘Kantipur’: ‘Pasiko Ajima’ Brahmani at the Sanskrit School, ‘Lumari Ajima’ Mahesvori (Bhadrakali) in front of Singha darbar, ‘Phibva Ajima’ Kaumari at the army headquarters, Nai Ajima’ Vaisnabi at Pacali, ‘Kanga Ajima’ Barahi at the Visnumati River, ‘Luti Ajima’ Indrayani further north at the Visnumati River, ‘Thabahi Ajima’ Camunda at Thabahi and finally Candralakhu Ajima’ Mahalaxmi in the Narayanhiti palace. If you draw a figure joining all these sites then you will find a shape of ‘Khagda’.

In 1460 A.D. more than seven hundred years later, King Amar Malla set the tradition of honoring these eight grandmother goddesses once every twelve year. Later on, religious-minded kings transformed the twelve-yearly festival into the current day annual festival of the outings of the grandmother goddesses, worship of the hidden guardian god called ‘Luku Mahadeo’ and the horse race show called ‘Ghoda jatra’.

The indigenous community called Nevah celebrates the first day festival called ‘Pahan carhai’ on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight. Possibly, the word has derived from the word ‘pisaca‘ means demon, and ‘carhai’ means fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, as the Nevah community reveres ‘Luku Mahadeo’ believed to be the demonic incarnation of Lord Shiva on this day.

Formerly, residents of ‘Kantipur’ including the then rulers made Tantric offerings to the eight powerful Tantric grandmother goddesses enshrined at different peripheral sites believing that these deities would protect them from various diseases, natural calamities and so on which at that time they thought were caused by the spells of evil spirits and demons. Today’s Nevah simply followed their ancestors.

On the first day of the festival, early in the morning, Nevah men, women and children carrying a brass tray or a container with the full of items of offerings altogether called ‘puja’ visit eight grandmother goddess at their sites. After making offerings to grandmother goddesses, the Nevah community feasts on various festive dishes and drinks.

In the evening, the Nevah community retrieves the hidden Tantric God called ‘Luku Mahadeo’ from the waste pit at every courtyard, and then decorates him with the yellow flowers of mustard and white flowers of radish symbolizing the decorations of the god with golden and silver flowers. Then, they make a garland of green garlic plants and decorate the god with it. All these decorations have Tantric meanings. Thereafter, they make the offerings of a Tantric feast called ‘samhya’ that comprises puffed rice, roasted meat, roasted black soybeans, pieces of ginger, home-brewed drink and home-distilled alcohol. Then, they consecrate the rest of the dish touching it to the ‘Luku Mahadeo’ and eat it. This is how they get the blessing from ‘Luku Mahadeo.’

Following the tradition, the Nevah community of Buddha Vihar sets up a ‘Luku Mahadeo’ at the waste pit in the courtyard at the Brahma Tole in Kathmandu. On the eighth day of the dark fortnight of ‘caitra’ in the Vikram Calendar, a group of devotees goes with a musical band to Pashupati shrine in Kathmandu, and brings a small ‘Lingam’ on a small chariot carried on shoulder poles, and hides it at the waste pit in the courtyard of Buddha Vihar at the Brahma Tole, and call it ‘Luku Mahadeo’ means hidden Mahadeo. Some people believe that the ‘Lingam’ thus hidden in the waste pit is ‘pisaca‘: the demonic incarnation of Lord Shiva, and explain it in different myths.

On the night of the first day of the festival, as the revelers at other courtyards, at the Brahma Tole, too, revelers symbolically dig ‘Luku Mahadeo’ out from the waste pit, wash it, and clean it up. They decorate it with yellow mustard flowers and white radish flowers, and a garland of green garlic plants, and make offerings of the Tantric dish called ‘samhya’. While making Tantric offerings to ‘Luku Mahadeo’, they keep lighting a wick oil lamp on a stone stand and cover it with a clay bowl collecting soot in it. They mix it with mustard seed oil and apply it on the eyes believing that wearing such gel would protect them from evil spirits.

Two different myths unravel the mystery of ‘Luku Mahadeo’:

The first myth is about a demon called Bhasmasur practicing transcendental meditation for a considerable time pleased Lord Shiva and received a boon of transforming everything into ashes by his touch. After being pleased with the dedication of Bhasmasur, Lord Shiva appeared before him to grant him a boon of his choice. “O! Bhasmasur, I am pleased with you very much; so, I am here to meet your wish you have on your mind.”

Rising from almost the state of hibernation and clasping his hands together at his chest, Bhasmasur first touched the feet of Lord Shiva, and then said, “Please grant me the boon of converting everything into ashes by the touch of my hand.”

Lord Shiva said, “So be it.”

Then, Bhasmasur wanted to test the newly acquired power on none other than Lord Shiva. So, Bhasmasur went after Lord Shiva. Then, to escape from the chase of Bhasmasur, Lord Shiva hid in a waste pit before Lord Vishnu tricked Bhasmasur to touch his own head and burn out himself to ashes.

So, we call Lord Shiva hidden in a waste pit ‘Luku Mahadeo’ and retrieve him and bring him under the Tantric net and let him enjoy the Tantric dishes and drinks on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight in ‘caitra’ in the Virkam calendar. So, we call this day ‘picasa caturdasi’ means fourteenth day of demon.

Another myth is about Goddess Parvati wishing to enjoy meat dish and alcoholic drinks. Goddess Parvati is the consort of Lord Shiva. One day having the nostalgic feeling for enjoying a lavish meat feast and drinks she had enjoyed in her incarnations of powerful Tantric goddesses such as Kali, Devi and Ajima, Goddess Parvati said to Lord Shiva, “O! My lord, I have the strong feeling of enjoying hot and lavish meat dish and drinks, why don’t you meet my wishes when you meet the wishes of everyone of your devotees?”

Being the Vedic god, Lord Shiva cannot think of accepting any such dishes and drinks that consort Parvati wished for. So, he has to take a different form that could enjoy such dishes and drinks. Lord Shiva went to hiding in a nearby mustard field and took the form of ‘Luku Mahadeo’: a demonic form of Lord Shiva.

Sensing Lord Shiva took the form of ‘picasa’ means a demonic form, the Nevah community retrieved him from the mustard field and called him ‘Luku Mahadeo’ means hidden Lord Shiva, and offered him all sorts of meat dishes and drinks on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight in ‘caitra’. So, the Nevah community celebrates this day as the day of ‘Pisaca’. In Bhaktapur, the Nevah community even today calls this day ‘pasa carhai’ probably derived from ‘pisaca’ whereas in Kathmandu this has been distorted to ‘Pahan carhai’.

On the night of ‘Pahan carhai’, the residents of a neighborhood called Nyatai in the northwestern part of Kathmandu hold the dance of Nyata-maru Ajima along with the dance troupe of other Tantric gods and goddesses. The dance begins with the performance of Lord Ganesh; then Lord Bhairava performs ritual dance and then one grandmother goddess after another performs ritualistic dances. The performances continue the whole night and even last until the next morning. At the end of the performances, all performers of dances of gods and goddesses perform ritualistic dances together. All these performances are Tantric and the rituals done are in codes. Currently, Nyata-maru Ajima is popularly called Naradevi.

During the performances of dances, dancing for the gods and goddesses, the masked dancers take the sacrifices of animals: three male buffaloes and five male sheep. Stretching the four legs of buffaloes and forcing them to sit on their bellies, attendants to the divine dancers help the ceremonial butcher in cutting the veins at the necks of the buffaloes and then in sending a jet of blood to the mouths of the divine dancers. Divine dancer God Bhairava himself takes the sheep and cuts their veins and directs the jet of blood to the mouths of other divine dancers. Thus, impersonating gods and goddesses, divine mask dancers ceremoniously drink the blood of three buffaloes and five sheep.

On the second day of the festival, all women of this area wedded during the year bring an auspicious offering called ‘sagun’ to Naradevi. ‘Sagun’ comprises hard-boiled peeled and then fried eggs, fried dry fish, alcohol and yogurt. All these four items represent five life-supporting elements such as earth, air, water, heat and ether. So, offering ‘sagun’ means offering the life sacrifice. This is a gesture of reverence to tutelary Goddess Naradevi expressed by the married women. From the second year onward, they simply make a visit to Goddess Naradevi on this festival day.

On the second day of the festival, residents of Kathmandu performs the rituals of feeding their children that have not lost a first tooth yet a special dish called ‘marha ja’ at their respective neighborhood called ‘tole’. They believe that in doing so children would be immune from diseases. At each neighborhood, members of the association called ‘guthi’ responsible for holding the feast called ‘marha ja’ cook rice, lentils, vegetables, meat, and beans following the Tantric rituals.

Feeding the children ‘marha ja’ stats off at about 11:00 in the morning. Parents bring their children and seat them on long narrow rice straw mats laid on the street in a row. Then, members of the association set one leaf plate to each child. Such leaf plates are made of broad leaves stitched together by needles made splitting bamboo following the Tantric principles. Each leaf plate is made of eight leaves. Two leaves stitched together forms the base and then six other leaves stitched round the two-leaf base make a leaf plate. The eight leaves represent eight mother goddesses.

One attendant after another serves various items of the dish called ‘marha ja’. First, an attend serves the rice then another attendant serves meat and so on. Then, children eat ‘marha ja’ by hands. Sisters or mothers feed the children that cannot feed themselves. Anybody wishing to serve any food item or offer a coin to children can do so on this occasion.

In the afternoon, attendants to Living Goddess Kumari take the white horse belonging to Goddess Kumari to an open place called Tundikhel to trample a demon called Guru-mappa or Tundi believed to be residing there. Most of the people believe that the name Tundikhel of this place was derived from the name of demon Tundi. Once the demon had troubled the residents of Kathmandu. So, Living Goddess Kumari sent her white horse to trample the demon and subdue him forever. Attendants to Goddess Kumari repeat this trampling of the demon every year.

Living Goddess Kumari watches the trampling of the demonic spirit from a special building built at the place where the current building of the Nepal Airlines Corporation stands today. Currently, Goddess Kumari watches the trampling of the demonic spirit from one of the rooms of the Nepal Airlines Corporation allocated to the goddess for this annual ceremony of watching the subduing the demonic spirit. This annual trampling of the demonic spirit at the Tundikhel is called the ‘Ghoda jatra’.

After the return from the tour of the European countries, the first Rana Prime Minister set the tradition of the horse race show after the trampling of the demonic spirit by the white horse belonging to Living Goddess Kumari. Initially, it was a simple horse race show but it has developed into the current pompous show.

Currently, the Nepal Army stages a horse race, motorbike performances, bicycle race and so on at Tundikhel. The Nepal Army also holds various contests for the public in general and awards the winners of the contests. Sitting at the Nepal Army pavilion, high-ranking civil, army and police officials and invited foreign dignitaries watch various shows.

On the midnight of the second day of the three-day festival, the festival of seven grandmother goddesses out of the eight enshrined at various peripheral sites of Kantipur is held at Tundikhel. Attendants bring six-grandmother goddesses on their respective chariot carrying on the shoulder poles to Tundikhel and kept them waiting until the third Grandmother Goddess ‘Kanga Ajima’ arrives on her chariot carried by the attendants.

Upon arrival at Tundikhel, Grandmother Goddess ‘Kanga Ajima’ goes round other sister Goddesses on their respective chariot. Thereafter, she bows to the senior most Goddess ‘Lumari Ajima’. Then, the torchbearers swap the torches on behalf of the goddess they have accompanied. Thereafter, the chariots of goddesses touch each other for symbolically taking leave of each other. This is called the ritual of colliding chariots. Then, porters carry them back to their respective town abode.

On the third day and final day of the three-day festival, the festival of meeting of seven Grandmother Goddess is held at Ason Square in old Kathmandu. The senior most grandmother goddess called ‘Lumari Ajima’ presides over the meeting of the seven divine sisters. This meeting is held to find out the reasons for one of their divine sisters not attending the festival.

Attendants and porters to each grandmother goddess wearing caps of the color allocated to them to distinguish from others carry their own grandmother goddess on a chariot and bring each grandmother goddess from the alley allocated to each of them to the Ason Square. Musical bands lead each chariot and the procession of devotees follows it. All younger grandmother goddesses pay a special homage to the senior most goddess, then hold a meeting and then return back to their respective town abode. This is called ‘Ason jatra’.

Grandmother Goddess ‘Luti Ajima’ did not participate in the festival of meeting of the divine sisters, as she reached one-day later and missed the first day of the festival. So, the special festival of ‘Luti Ajima’ is held eight-month later on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight in Marga (November-December) of the Vikram calendar.

She missed the first day of the festival, as she got misinformed about the festival when Lord Pashupati went to invite all sister goddesses to ‘Pahan carhai’. A week before the festival of ‘Pahan carhai’, devotees carry a ‘Lingam’ that represents Lord Pashupati on a chariot from his resident at Deupatan to eight different grandmother goddesses, and perform the rituals of invitation to each grandmother goddess’s field shrine. This is called du-du cyan-cyan.

Another version of the reason for ‘Luti Ajima’ not attending the festival of divine sisters is the host humiliated her at one of the feasts held for all sisters at their natal home. Other seven sisters were rich. So, they wore expensive jewelry on top of the extraordinary clothing. Poor ‘Luti Ajima’ and her children were poorly dressed. None of the hosts was in a mood to entertain ‘Luti Ajima’ and her children. So, ‘Luti Ajima’ and her children were sitting on one of the corners of the abode. Nobody served them any food and drinks. When her children cried for food, someone hurled dry and hard bread on them hitting one of them and wounding her.

Next day, to her surprise, ‘Luti Ajima’ found the bread turned into gold. Then, she could afford to wear expensive clothes and jewelry for the party held for all sisters. Everybody appreciated her rich clothes and jewelry and served her nice food and drinks but she refused to eat and drink anything thinking that food and drinks served to her were not actually intended for her but for the expensive clothes and jewelry she wore. Since then she had refused to attend the festival.

As all our festivals have, this festival of ‘Ghoda jatra’ has also many activities with the full of spiritual meanings. Our ancestors had once developed and designed various Tantric rituals to protect themselves from the presumed demonic evil spirits. We continue to follow these rituals as our cultural heritage. In course of time some of the activities and even names were distorted.

March 21, 2009

Note:

The names of eight grandmother goddesses called Ajimas given next to the Nevah names are the Shastriya names of Ajimas.

Ghoda Jatra is on March 26 this year.