Hello Dear Friends WARNING: NOT MEALTIME READING
Well, I was going to further your enlightenment by telling you about the
teachings we heard this morning from Drupon Rinpoche, but this afternoon was so
vivid and amazing that it will take precedence for now.
In the "Events Calendar" of the Lonely Planet Guide to Nepal
there is mention under "MARCH-APRIL" of something called Chaitra Dasain
that is described, "Small Dasain, this festival takes place exactly six
months prior to the more important Dasain celebration. Both Dasains are
dedicated to Durga and . . . goats and buffaloes are sacrificed early in the
morning . . . The autumn celebration of ['Big'] Dasain "Lasts for 15
days and celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the forces of evil
(personified in the buffalo demon Mahisasura) . . .hundreds of thousands of
animals are sacrificed . . ."
Now from the guidebook to our afternoon adventure.
We went to visit Bhaktapur because it has a fabulously interesting, very
well-preserved medieval center of three squares with royal palaces and temples
that date from the 13th to 17th centuries when the city was one of three
prosperous and powerful city-states in the Kathmandu Valley. We were taken there
by our guide Jawane, Karma's friend, and started with lunch at tourist
restaurant overlooking Durbar Square (palace square = every big city has one). We were chatting away when Donna said, "Hey, look, what's that red stuff
down there in the square?"
We deduced that it was probably blood rather than red paint when we noticed that there was a big blob in front of the Vatsala Durga Temple and a trail leading into and out of the former royal palace. Then we saw a headless buffalo calf being dragged away by a couple of guys and a group of 6-8 men walking across the square. Two carried bulging black plastic bags and one had a very large knife in a sheath.
As we learned when we visited the old royal palace that has a temple inside,
after the animal is sacrificed, its body is dragged around a temple, in this
case the one that is inside the former palace (as well as the little pause in
front of the Vatsala Durga Temple). I have to say it was more than a
little bizarre to be gazing attentively at the fabulous Newari woodcarvings on
the palace and its temple and trying to understand the clipped English of our
Nepali guide while attempting to avoid stepping on the 6-8 inch wide swath of
buffalo blood on the stones under our feet.
We continued to tour the Durbar Square with its variety of Hindu Temples,
some with Buddhist iconography too. Down a couple of narrow (think maybe
4 people abreast max) streets and we were in an even more exotic square called
Taumadhi Tole which contains two spectacular temples. In front of one,
Bhairabnath, there was a huge crowd gathered. Some people were pressed
around a quartet of elderly men, three were playing symbols and one was playing
a drum that had mountain sheep horns protruding form one side. Most of the
crush was immediately in front of the temple.
When I got close enough to
see what was happening, I saw a man with bloody arms smearing blood onto an
offering area and the headless body of a bigger buffalo. The first
picture below shows the Bhairabnath temple and the crowd and the one below that
was taken 20 minutes later and shows the sacrifice area with kids hanging out.
Parental discretion advised.
Well, I have to say that was certainly not your average afternoon of
sightseeing in say, Sienna or Alexandria. I was stunned and fascinated at
the same time. I've never seen anything like it, but then, I guess there
is really not anything like Dasain, in small or regular size.
After visiting Bhairabnath we wandered to the potter's square and Donna got
a hands-on lesson on the wheel of a willing potter. A thunderstorm broke
out and we were escorted to a Thangka painting school where the refinement of
the art was about as strong a contrast to the buffalo sacrifice as I could
imagine.
Back home in Boudha and after showers and a walk to the stupa, for dinner
all four of us ordered spaghetti and had ice cream for dessert. I guess we had
had enough exoticness for one day.
More on the teachings tomorrow.
Much love to all, Marian and Company
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