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Devotion { 15 images } Created 10 Jun 2017

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  • — Women devotees, gather in the temple’s inner sanctum to pray and recite the last scriptures prescribed for this day. The Swasthani Puja is one of the important Hindu festivals of Nepal and one of the last examples of a matriarchal tradition in our modern world. More than 200 women make the annual pilgrimage to the Kathmandu Valley to fast and pray during the month-long festival.
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  • — Every day throngs of supporters come to where the pilgrims worship to observe them as they pay homage to the goddess, Shree Swasthani. The gifts and encouragement they bring for the women help to sustain them spiritually during their arduous month-long endeavor.
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  • — At dawn, the day of worship begins with the devotees reciting the opening words of the next chapter of the Swasthani Brata Katha, a holy recounting of how the universe was formed and tales of the goddess Swasthani and the god Shiva. Each day of the month-long festival focuses on one chapter of the Hindu scriptures.
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  • — Men attendants carrying holy water on their headdress precede the devotees as they walk to the temple. The water, taken from one of the holy rivers, purifies the path taken by the devotees, ensuring that they remain pure, uncontaminated, before attending the ceremony.
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  • — Conch shells raised, blasting like trumpets, announcing the commencement of the last ceremony of the month-long festival. The low-pitched, resonating sound of a conch shell (shankha) symbolizes the sacred Om, the primordial sound associated with the creation of the universe. In Hinduism, conch shells are believed to embody the god Vishnu and are a vital part of most religious ceremonies.
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  • — Butter lamps and incense help purify the air and invoke a positive spiritual mood conducive to meditation and prayer.
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  • — The devotees take a holy bath to purify their bodies and spirits, an essential daily ritual for sanctifying the commencement of another day of worship.
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  • — A devotee offers a handful of the sacred river to the goddess, Shree Swasthani. Striving to attain physical and spiritual purity is the most important goal for Hindus, and water is believed to be the conduit for achieving this. Hindus believe that the rhythm of life is dictated by water, especially the cyclical flow of rivers.
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  • — After finishing their ritual bath and offering prayers to the gods, the devotees crowd a fire prepared by the men attendants. According to ancient Hindu texts the god of fire, Agni, is conceptualized as existing on three levels: on earth as fire, in the atmosphere as lightning, and in the sky as the sun.  Agni is considered the mouth of the gods.
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  • — Throngs of observers surround the area where the 200 devotees will take their morning ritual bath. Every day crowds visit the festival, offering both monetary and spiritual support for the women during their rigorous endeavor. The pilgrims and the observers are integral parts or principal players, acting out an ancient ritual or drama.
    160208-Pashupati-150.dng
  • — Many Hindu men and women visit the pilgrims where they are worshipping at least once during the festival. By offering them gifts of food or money, they demonstrate their support of the devotees as well as their reverence for the sacred event.
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  • — In every community, there is a designated spiritual leader (sadar) who is responsible for leading the ceremonies that are performed in their village.  Krishna Lakshmi Prajapati is the sadar for her community; she leads all the important rituals that take place in her village, including the Swasthani festival ceremonies.
    160318-Bhaktapur-604.dng
  • — The devotees wrap their bodies with blankets and towels to ward off the cold that enveloped them during their ritual bath.
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  • — In the brisk chill morning, the pilgrims arrive at the Pashupati Temple and undress to their ritual robe for that morning’s ceremony.
    160208-Pashupati-1.dng
  • — The month-long festival is difficult, testing the pilgrims’ resolve and faith. In order to overcome the hardships, the women support each other, forming alliances and new friendships that continue throughout their lives.
    Sankhu-L397-3.dng