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Gurkhas Celebrate Dashain At British Army Base In Afghanistan
By KTM Metro Reporter
September 30, 2011: Royal Gurkha Rifles have celebrated the Hindu festival called Dashain near Laskhar Gah in Afghanistan. Gurkhas have prayed Goddess Durga for blessing their battalion. They sacrificed a goat to the goddess.
Dashain commemorates the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahisasur.
Major Jamie Murray, Officer Commanding of B Company, said the point of the ceremony is to honor the Hindu gods--particularly Durga Mata, the goddess of war.
“Tradition dictates that the buffalo's head must be cut off cleanly with a single blow in order to secure the regiment good fortune for the coming year. When the Maar ceremony was common practice…a successful kukri (the Gurkhas large curved knife) or khonra (curved sword) wielder would be honored with a white pheta or turban to signify his achievement, but if the sacrifice was a failure then it was believed to be a very bad omen for the coming year and the unsuccessful swordsman would be chased and splattered with blood from the sacrifice in an attempt to appease the gods.”
Since no buffalo were available for sacrifice, the Gurkhas of B Company substituted five goats that they purchased from local Afghan farmers. One of the goats did indeed lose its head after a single stroke from Rifleman Yadesh’s sharp kukri as the assembled soldiers applauded and cheered approvingly. According to Major Murray, for the Gurkhas, the goat’s quick decapitation means a bright future lies ahead.
“If there is a clean chop as you saw today, that is very good luck and very auspicious for the battalion for the next year to come.”
As the sacrificial ceremony concluded, some of the blood from the animals was sprinkled on a representative sampling of the Gurkha’s machine guns, pistols, knives, and other weaponry. The soldiers then lined up to liberally apply a blood-red paste to a smiling Rifleman Yadesh’s face congratulating him for a job well done. Later that night the Gurkhas and a few invited guests enjoyed a curried goat dinner. (Source: dvidshub.net)
