A Month in Nepal - Day 8

advanticle (42)in #culture • 7 years ago

Religious ceremonies occur on Mondays, the holy day for Hindus.

We had the opportunity to witness a number of holy days while in Nepal.

This was no flash in the pan event that was over in the morning. The day was spent by many in worship and celebration.

Thousands of people lined the streets to get into temples and to make offerings. Their dedication was beyond that of most other I've seen in a long time.

One lady we spoke with was in line to make her offering for over three hours. She had left home at 5am to ensure she would be able to make it and was still waiting.

All manner of things were offered up in the ceremony as a part of the holy day. We watched as the monkeys scrambled down from the heights to snatch what they could, and retreat back, nibbling on their prize.

Hundreds of butter candles were made to keep the flames going all day as a sign of enlightenment and prosperity.

The fragrance of the burning butter took me back to the Buddhist Temples of Tibet.

Colour was everywhere; in the clothing of the people worshipping, in their offerings, in the coverings made for the deities.

Splashes of red, yellow, orange and green were much more than decorative.

The red is symbolic of sensuality and purity. It is regarded as the most significant colour in Hinduism.

The orange is symbolic of fire and purity. Fire is a cleansing agent so this is extremely sacred.

The yellow is symbolic of peace, knowledge and happiness. A lot of single women wear yellow to attract a suitable husband, and to ward off any evil spirits.

The green is symbolic of life and happiness. It's the blending of these colours that I found made me feel energetic and alive. There was so much vibrance.

The fragrance of incense in the air was uplifting and the sound of the chanting caused more and more people to move in a collective as the energy grew and flowed.