If you are from the Newar community, or have grown up with Newar friends, you know the value of iron rings. On the day of Gathemangal (celebrated every year on Shrawan Krishna Chaturdashi), Newars wear iron rings on their fingers with a belief of protecting themselves from the demons and evil spirits.
Wearing those rings is just a part of the festival; Gathemangal is a lot more than that. This year it was celebrated on August 1, and various rituals were seen in different parts of the City on the day.
A group of sturdy looking men of four were tying a bundle of green reeds with straw ropes at Naradevi. Some elderly men were helping them by making ropes out of the straw. All these men, who belonged to the Swetakali Guthi of Naradevi, were making the effigy of Ghantakarna (a mythical being) to celebrate the Gathemangal.
Communities that are members of their respective local guthi erected such effigies in their localities — Kilagal, Chikanmugal, Teku, and more. They even pasted a painted picture similar to that of Akash Bhairab, but with huge bells as his earrings on the effigy.
It is a must for people to work together with other guthi members, as per 73-year-old Rameshwor Maharjan, a member of Kilagal Guthi and a resident of Khusibun. “If we don’t do so, we are fined by the guthi.”
However, that does not mean, they are unhappy to be a part of this festival. “We work together and even celebrate eatingSamaybaji (a food platter of beaten rice, black soybean, garlic, ginger, chhoila, black eyed pea, and potato), prepared during the festival,” shared Maharjan.
Houses are cleaned and different rituals are performed on the occasion of Gathemangal.
Like every other celebration, this festival also brought together a number of vendors selling rings, nails and henna on August 1. People buying iron rings and nails from these vendors, touching those items to the effigy of Ghantakarna (to increase power and get rid of ghosts and spirits) were a common scene.
Also, there were some offering money, clothes, salt, handmade dolls, et cetera to the effigy of Ghantakarna. Baal Khadgi from Swayambhu was at Naradevi offering clothes, salt and money to the effigy for his wife. “It is believed that if you offer those things to Ghantakarna, you won’t be disturbed by evil spirit or ghosts. My wife is not so well, and we hope to get rid of the bad omen with these offerings.”
After all the aforementioned rituals, the effigy is set on fire and pulled towards rivers — on August 1, an effigy was pulled from Naradevi to Bishnumati River with people chanting “Om shanti Jay Nepal, Aaju Dyo Ha”. A male, representation of the demon, also sat on the effigy as it was being pulled. During the day, the locals gave him money — it signifies people getting rid of impurities and evil beings, as per cultural laureate Hari Ram Joshi.
This year’s celebration has ended, yet the festival is of much importance to those who celebrate it every year. And it has different myths associated with it.
Joshi explained, “According to the etymology of Gathemangal in Newari language, it can also be pronounced as ‘Gaanthaamo’ or ‘Gathaanmo’. Here gaan means bell and mo means head where Gaanthaamo refers to one who walks ringing the bell. This implies to Ghantakarna.”
According to 66-year-old Paanaman Bajracharya from Naradevi there was once a demon who wore bells in his ears. “As he walked, the bells rang. So, people named him Ghantakarna — ghanta means bell and karna means ears. That demon troubled people by stealing their children. Then frogs came to the rescue — they helped kill the demon by drowning him in the river water. The festival is the celebration of the same, victory of people,” shared Bajracharya.
But Sangeeta Amatya from Kilagal has a different story to share. “People work hard during the time of rice plantation. That is why it is also calledShinajya (working very hard even though body gives up, in Newari language),” shared Amatya.
Connecting people’s hard work to the celebration of Gathemangal, she explained, “It is believed that once people took help from ghosts to complete rice plantation. But these creatures ate a lot and it was impossible to feed them for a year. To get rid of those ghosts, people started celebrating Gathemangal. They chased ghosts away from their houses to the rivers.”
However, Joshi interpreted the essence of Ghantakarna a bit differently. He argued, “Ghantakarna is known as Aaju Dyo. Lord Bhairab is also called Aaju Dyo. That is why Ghantakarna is regarded as one of the incarnations of Lord Bhairab. Ghantakarna could also be the incarnation of Lord Kumar, son of Lord Shiva where there are evidences of Kumar wearing bells in his ears and such idols can be found in the temples of Ganeshsthan of Kamaladi and at Kumbheshwor of Patan.” Therefore, “it is wrong to say that Ghantakarna is a demon” opined Joshi.
“In ancient times, there used to be less tolerance between people of different religious beliefs,” he said.
“Lord Krishna’s son was about to marry Usha, the daughter of demon king Baanaashur. Baanaashur was against this decision. So, he fought with Lord Krishna with the support of Shiva and Kumar. But Baanaashur’s team was defeated and Kumar ran away. Burning the effigy of Ghantakarna symbolised the defeat of Kumar,” Joshi said as example. “Kumar belongs to Shaivism, while Krishna belongs to Vaishnavism sect of Hindu religion. And calling Kumar’s incarnation Ghantakarna, a demon, indicates the conflict between Vaishnavism and Shaivism.”
There is one more story related to Gathemangal celebration to which Joshi divulged, “In Newari language,gaa means house, thaan means pillars on which the houses are made and mo means tying up. So, Gathaanmo also means binding the pillars of a house. When the chariot of Rato Macchendranath is made, there is the tradition of tying wooden poles together to erect the chariot, and this tradition is also calledGathaanmo Chigu.”
A similar process is used to make the effigy of Ghantakarna — reeds are tied together with straw ropes to erect the effigy. That is why if Bhoto Jatra festival of Rato Machhendranath has not been conducted tillShrawan Krishna Chaturdashi, people in Patan do not erect the effigy of Ghantakarna for the Gathemangal as the process Gathaanmo Chigu is already done while constructing the Rato Macchendranath chariot.”
In this context, Gathaanmo also signifies strong pillars of temples, chariots, houses and the nation, and the festival is celebrated for the welfare of the entire nation, as per Joshi.
Source: thehimalayantimes.com
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