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| Mha Puja (half of the family missing |
Mha Puja and Nepal Sambat are celebrated on the same day. It is a unique tradition of celebrating New Year, Nepal Samabat of Newars. It signifies an auspicious beginning of the New Year. Mha Puja meaning worshipping of the self. It celebrates the spirit within oneself. It provokes prosperity and longevity of oneself.
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| Mha Puja Mandap |
The ritual is usually in the evening. Half a day was spent on prep and the rest on decorating mandap. The eldest female of the family, in this case my mom played the role. We decorated mandap for all the members of the family while moms (mom & aunty) were busy in the kitchen. Different colours, grains, fruits and flowers were used for its decoration each playing a significant role. Uncle drew a mini mandap of oil within a mandap which represented the human soul. The reason it being inside is that a person shall prosper throughout the year. A person is believed to be blessed by each deity represented by fruits and grains. It is a must, one should wash his/her body before the ritual. I waited until the last minute and mom calls me 'basi khwa'. Yes, I didnt wash my face the whole day.
Enthusiasts on this day celebrates New Year with a rally called 'Nhu Daya Bhintuna' meaning Happy New Year. This day is regarded as auspicious and of religious importance.