This article is taken from a book named " Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology" Author Name: Prakash Prasad Sapkota
Note: No editing is done by me in this article.
All the communities of the world have their own ritual system,
formal action and behavior. The life cycle ritual action and behavior of
Brahmin-Chhetry, Rai-limbu, Gurung and Magar is different from each other
within Nepal, but the ultimate aim is the same i.e. happiness of supreme power,
ancestral god. Although, Magars appear similar, their way of performing
life-cycle rituals differ from one another according to their geological as
well as inherited cultural activities from their ancestors. The birth of an
individual is a truth of the beginning of life that brings a person
Kul Puja
Worshipping ancestors is the main activity of many caste and ethnic
groups. In Brahmin community worshipping kuldeuta
is to make ancestors happy and sacrificing he goat, purified rice pudding
and flat bread prepared by rice flour. Newar sacrifice goat, chicken, eggs for
their ancestor. Similarly Thulung Rai sacrificed previously human blood and kalo jureli but letter they changed into
chicken and pigs. Similarly, worshipping kuldeuta is carried out by sacrificing
male sheep, cock, pigs, he-goat and other bird species such as pigeons by the
Magar of Karnali region (Magar, 2008). In the study area Chiple and Serwai
Magar sacrifice chicken and black pigs for their ancestors. The Magars
inhabitant of different geographical area give different names such as Kot puja, Brahma puja, Jhakri puja, Barah
puja, Kulami puja for their ancestral god. In the study area the Magars use
the word Kul puja and Pitri puja.
The key element of this ritual lies in sacrifice. It’s taken for
granted that offering blood is the effective way to initiate the existence. By
offering blood, human being achieved their desired goal. They sacrifice as the
ritual killing of substitutes as a way of ensuring contact and communication
with ancestors. They employ the symbolism of killing, the shedding of blood in
minute qualities to bring about rebirth of the original order and
revitalization. For Magar the original effective rite was a blood sacrifice
laying the model for later rites which work by communicating with the ancestors
with the appropriate blood offering. These rites of Magar can be compared with
Vedic and classical Indian sacrifices, in which every act of sacrifice refers
back to the creation of the world. Every
sacrifice may be said to replicate the primal act of Prajapati who produced
creation by the sacrificial dismemberment of his own body… Any sacrifice…
(Parry,1982). The effectiveness of the communication which is linked to its
correct performance is similar to the Brahmanism tradition in which in its very carrying
According to respondents, their ancestral god must be Chandi Baraha because he accepts pig
sacrifice. There is not clear cut demarcation of the years for Kulpuja. In the study area, there is
variation in the years of Kulpuja between
the Magar clans. Generally, they arrange Kulpuja
at the alternate year of 3, 5, 7 or 9 according to their condition. At the
last of December or January’s bright half of a lunar month on Wednesday or
Friday they arrange this ritual. The small branch of Jhakro is kept on the tap on bath in the morning on that day. The
house is purified and smeared by the oil of sesamum’s (Sesamum indicum) seeds.
The already prepared pure Jaman
(unpurified local wine- called jand),
pure rice and ginger are eaten in the late morning. In the mid noon at twelve
o’clock, all the members gather in the place of kulpuja. There is not any temple or fixed place for kulpuja. The clan assembles in an
area and elder member determine the place in every ritual time. The older and
knowledgeable member of Magar prepares a hut of titepati (Artemisia vulgaris).
The side of the hut is covered by the broad leaves of bhorlo (Bauhinia vahlii). The
hut has two steps, upper and lower. The ladder of Jhakro is kept against the hut to join two steps. Hens or cocks are
also hung oppositely near the ladder of big branch of katus (Castanopsis indica).
In the corner of the hut, hangs a chino (a
dry cover of the gourd pot). Inside the chino pot they put barley and sesamum’s
seeds. Near the ladder, the effigy of kul
debata is prepared by the mixture of rice, barley, sesames seeds, ghee etc.
When the hens shake their feathers clearly, the people of Magars feel that the
god is happy, then after they start the puja. The old and knowledgeable member
of Magar worships their kul debata (ancestral
god) with aacheta, pati, cooked rice,
pure wine and flowers. At the end of worship, a lively heart of black pig is
offered by him to their god. The ritual rule is that, if pig is female, the
chicken must be male or vice-versa. From each family at least a chicken and a
black pig must be sacrificed in that ritual. At the nearly end of worship, the
priest or other older people catch the branch of Jhakro and tremble with speaking their past, present
as well as occurring future events
Kulpuja and Plants
We, humans are heterotrophic organism and totally depend up on the
plants and animals for our foods. Plants have been used by human from the early
beginning of the civilization and developed to agricultural settlement
continuously. Plants and their parts are used for food, timber, fuel, fibers,
cloths, medicine etc. by the people according to the nature of the species.
People continuously gained and accumulated the knowledge about plants and their
proper use. They categories plants in to fuel, foods, timber, fibers, medicine,
fuel, oil and recreation. The challenge of accumulation and preservation of
knowledge about ecotone species as well as medicinal plant species are linked
in certain rituals as well as ceremonies.
In the Himalaya, most of the people live in villages and use plants
as medicine, edible/food, fuel, timber, agricultural tools and various other
purposes. Age old traditional values
attached with the various forest and varieties of forest products have gained
tremendous importance in the present, particularly medicinal plants (Rana Man
& Samant, 2011 Uaha & Gyal, 2011). The elders are the information and
processing unit of a society. They are valued because they maintain the old
tradition, customs, religion and kinship systems that are imperative to the
group's survival in a difficult region. They play an important role in
traditional medicine in that most often they act as healers, diviners and herbalist.
Like
other ethnic/caste groups of the world, Lohorung Rai use waiphu (Castinopsis
tribuloides), moss species and lichen, leaf of banana titepati(Artemisia Vulgaris). If waiphu is not available they use waiphoo (Castonopsis indica) (Hardman, 2000). Similarly, Brahmin and Chhetri
use tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), kush
Behavior of Magars in Kulpuja
They purify the house and clothes by cleaning and washing. The
members of the house purify themselves by bathing. They take purified rice at a
time in a day with ginger, milk and curd only with emotionally. Emotions are
the primary source of human motivation. If emotions are simultaneously viewed
as cultural concepts, they become important as statements about and motivations
for the enactment of cultural values. If motivation is seen as culturally
constituted, study of the emotions and their development becomes crucial for
understanding the psychosocial origins of behavior (Hallowell, 1955; cited in
Hardman, 2000). This behavior is most important and restricted within the Magar
community within the period of time. It reflects the taboo but it is important
for the health and sanitation because houses, clothes, using materials and body
should remain purified by eating, cleaning and bathing behavior using herbal
medicinal plants i.e. jhakro. The
oldest and knowledgeable member completes the bathing activity early in the
morning at 3 AM, but there is no restriction to use local liquor. He remains
near the hut (temporarily prepared temple of ancestor) and all other members
remain somewhat far emotionally watching the spreading of feathers of the
vertically downward hung chickens on the strong branch of katus. The priest worships with the mixture of aacheta, til, barley and flowers continuously on hanging chicken
which spread their feathers strongly. At that time, all the members said kul aaya, kul
The chickens are in your
bandhan (confinement). We bring them for sacrifice. We are starting to sacrifice for our
names. It is yours, you accept or not: it is up to you.
Then they start to sacrifice the chicken. They take out the heart
and lever, fry it and offer for their kuldauta.
Then, from the ventral surface of the black pig, a live heart is taken by the
strong male people, symbol of active and brave within their member. The priest
as well as the member of the Magar shows the innocent behavior with their
ancestral god and the priest prays their god and says-
“O god! We sacrifice a black
pig and chicken for you, transfer by our ancestors is in your name. We hope all
the materials are purified. You are well known which activity and material are
purified and which ones are funeral. If there is any funeral activity, please
bless us.
The members of Magar as
well as priest pray and say:
We offer black pig’s heart,
heart and lever of chicken and all other materials in pure form and we
ourselves remain pure as far as possible. Please, ancestral god what do you
feel and say or show us in any symbol.
Some time letter after the prayer, the priest expresses his statements
on the basis of scent and his just emerged thinking in his mind. The members of
the Magar feel god enters within the priest so he expresses what is happening
in their future will be good or bad. All the members of Magar remain egger to
hear with fear as well as expectation for their future life activities.
From the above
behavioral activities it is clear that the members of Magar totally believe in
supreme power. On one hand they are able to take the living heart from the pig
and feel brave, on the other hand they show fear and emotion to describe
attitudes towards ancestor, elders, and parents as a response to illness or
troubles. They remain innocent, weak and helpless with their ancestral god and
believe that the unfortunate activities which are coming in their future are
blocked by their ancestral happiness.
Role of women
In kulpuja ritual, the women actively participate in the purifying
activities. Bathing of cloths, cleaning of house, preparation of Jaman , local liquor; managing of foods
for their family members as well as their guests who are invited to celebrate kulpuja are mainly performed by women.
Though, the women are the eldest member of the community, there is not any role
in the worshiping ancestral temple and sacrificing activities. In the next day
of kulpuja they arrange a party. The
invited people of the community gather in the house. In the house the role of
daughters, son in law and daughter in law is higher to prepare yellow rice,
meat, pickles, dal and wine. When
asked to a respondent about the use of besar
(Turmeric sp) in rice and make
yellow color, she replied that it checks the evil eye. The besar is one of the most important herbal medicines called as sarva aausadi in Hindu mythology. All
the members of house do their work according to their responsibilities. Elder
father and mother respect their invited people and prefer wine. The daughter,
son, daughter in law and son in law prepare food continuously. At first, they
provide wine, meat and pickle for elder respective people. When the elder
guests finish the given food and then
supply the yellow rice, dal curry and
pickle. The satisfied guests give thanks for their management. On the basis of
age and respected level, the shifting of eating people and food items are
managed carefully. I participated and observed this ritual activity from 10.50
am to 5.00 pm of that day. The women managed and completed the ceremony
actively and wonderfully!
Kulpuja : Ritual and Cohesive Force
Kulpuja ritual is the most important ritual among the different
caste and ethnic group of Nepal. Similar with other ethnic group, the Magar of
Languan it plays vital role to bind strongly the relationship between the
members. In the kulpuja ritual all
the members gather in the sacrifice place. Almost all the members use local
wine. On one hand they gather and renew their relation, share the activities of
their past life, present situation and also coming way of life. On the other
hand, they share their feeling to each
other though they are negative or positive and become one.
The members also participate in the discussion of their activities
about the ritual which is being celebrated from their ancestors, its process
and positive as well as negative impact, its improvement and change also. They
actively discuss about the role of the Magar members in the developmental
activities within their society, their identities and relation with other
caste. Present context and its impact on their own rule and regulation and
changing patterns etc. An eldest member Dil Bahadur Thapa Magar worriedly says:
The children don't take
good thinking (kura) and leave their own culture and accept others fusion
easily. Though, they studied IA and BA they have no knowledge about the good
way to spend daily life. He adds children are not allowed to use salt a day in
a death ritual. They need to bathe daily and also start to marry with their own
blood related sisters. They leave duties and responsibility but focus on
personal facilities. How can they struggle with their coming life and
environment in this behavior? I have given suggestions for change in that
society but unless the people make efforts themselves it is not possible. All the members should give their efforts
for the development of a society with own cultural identity.
Most of the elder members of the Magar, feel the binding force
between the members is deteriorating continuously in the coming generation in
the name of modernization.
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