BOTEY

Boteys  are distinctly a different group of people in spite of their proximity in culture and social behavior with such groups of people like Danuwars, Darais or Majhis. Some Boteys live on fishing and others are dependent on agriculture. They are termed differently as Pani (water) Boteys and Pakhe (land) Boteys by their professions. They inhabit the banks of the Madi, Seti and Kali Gandaki rivers of Tanahu and Kaski districts. They have their own language and different religious practices.

BOY SCOUTS

The international movement of Boy Scouts founded by Robert Baden Powell in 1908 with the motto “Be prepared” has taken deep roots in Nepal. Almost every educational schools in Nepal has troops of Boys or Girls scout. With its Headquarter in Kathmandu, Nepal Boys and Girls Scout caters for wolf cubs for young ones aged upto 11, Scouts for boys and girls aged between 11 and 18 years and Rover Scouts for older ones. They train all kinds of scouts ready, resourceful and helpful to the society and the mankind at any time. Their international gathering is called “Jamborees”.

BOUDDHA NATH STUPA

More than 2,500 years old, this huge stupa stands out prominently in Kathmandu Valley with the four pairs of eyes supposed to be of Lord Buddha in four cardinal directions to signify that the stupa keeps eternal watch over the activities of human beings as a whole. The belief that anything, right or wrong, done by anyone is seen by the Lord through these pairs of eyes, as it is so believed, make all people alert to always abstain from evil deeds. Many festivals and rituals are attached with this stupa. A great number of Tibetan Buddhists also flock here every year. Several Tibetan style monasteries are there surrounding the stupa.

BODHISATWA

The enlightened one who still keeps rotating in the wheel of existence in one form or other for safeguarding humanity is known as Bodhisatwa. Lord Buddha is believed to have rotated many a times in the wheel of existence as Bodhisatwa before he became Buddha. See Buddha, Gautam. The term Bodhisattva is derived from the words Bodhi, meaning  intelligence or enlightenment and Sattwa  meaning nature or essence. He is therefore the one who has become enlightened, i.e. one who has attained knowledge and insight necessary to enter Nirvana or  blissful detachment from all worldly desires and attachments, and has reached the end of  birth-death cycle, but still refusing to accept Buddhahood because of his desires to guide all mankind to Nirvana. There are several Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism, but those most popular in Nepal are Avalokitesvara, Manjusri and Vairapani

BISWAPANI

Literally meaning universal appearance or universal God, Biswarupa is the representation of all Gods in one. With many heads, gentle and terrible along with many hands holding various implements and weapons in various poses, it uniquely depicts the combined features of all Gods. A representational God, a symbolic combination of  many Gods in one, his  rear circle of arms depict  hands in all the various hand-poses; other circles hold all the implants and weapons.

BISKET JATRA

Once in the days of yore, whoever became the King of Bhaktapur died on the night of assuming his throne. This continued for a long period. But once a courageous king of the solar race took over the reign of Bhaktapur who kept awake the whole night to know the cause of such mysterious deaths. At about midnight a snake came creeping towards him so as to bite him to death. The king however struck it dead with a sword. many people as well as Gods in human form came to see the snake displayed the next day by the king himself. Muni Acharya, a famous Tantric (one with powers begotten from Tantrism) found out by his virtue of tantrism that along with the many Gods, Shree Viswanath, the presiding God of Benaras was also present there. Muni Achraya used his magic power in an attempt to capture him and as Lord Viswanath tried to escape, the Acharaya chased him. Just when he was about to be captured Lord Viswanath assumed the form of god Bhairav and tried to sink into earth. In the mean time, Muni Acharya chopped off his head leaving his body alone to sink into the earth. It is, therefore, believed that Kala Bhairav (the form assumed by Vishwanath) at Benaras of India is still headless and the mere head of Bhairav is found installed in Bhaktapur. In the year 634 A.D. Jagat Jyoti Malla the then King of Bhaktapur is believed to have built a chariot for Bhairava and introduced the practice of drawing chariots with Bhairav and Kali in them round the town of Bhaktapur.
Another legend to justify the origin of ‘Bisket Jatra’ says that a king of the Lichchhavi dynasty named Shiva Dev was facing invasion by a more powerful Kirati King. The king sought advice from Goddess Bajrajogini who advised him not to worry about the battle and asked him to seek the help of his preceptor, Shekhar Achrya. At the request to king Shiv Dev the latter converted himself into thousands of tigers and drove away the Kirati King. However, he had a bad day in course of time when he converted himself into a snake at the request of his wife. By fear and mistakes of his wife both of them had to remain as snake for good till they both eventually committed suicide. The city state of Bhaktapur had drought that year which reminded the king of his preceptor Shekhar Acharya whose house was later found deserted. By following the track of serpent, they came to conclusion that the serpents lying dead in a hole there were none other than his preceptor and his wife. “Bisket Jatra” was started by the same king to commemorate their sad demise.

BIRGUNJ

Headquarters of Parsa district of Narayani Zone, this town is just at a point of Nepal-India border, thus, forming a popular entrance into Nepal from India, This town is, therefore, known as the gateway town of Nepal. It has several industrial settlements, large and small, including the biggest sugar factory of the country. There is also a steel factory, cigarette factory, agricultural tools and implements factory etc.

BIRATNAGAR

Biratnagar is the headquarters of Morang district. It is mostly known for important industrial settlements and factories making it the biggest industrial town of the country. Named after a famous monarch Birat of ancient history of Nepal, this town is the hub-nub of eastern Nepal for political and economic activities as well as for being the important trade of the whole region. See Morang.

BINA

Bina is a stringed musical instrument resembling a Sitar or a long form of the violin. This traditional musical instrument is the favourite instrument of goddess Saraswati. Saraswati is the goddess of learning or wisdom. At the same time she is also the Goddess of arts and music. Therefore, she holds the book in one hand and the musical instrument or the Bina in the other.

BIKRAM SAMBAT

The official era of Nepal is Bikram Sambat or Bickram Era. This Era is believed to have started after the name of King Bikramanditya of Ujjain which was a renowned kingdom of North India two thousand years ago. He started this era after his victory over Sak kings in 57 A.D.