Situated at Mahabouddha area at Okubahal, Patan, this masterpiece of terra-cotta reveals the craftsmanship of the Nepalese. Built by Abhaya Raj, a prist of Patan, his temple contains images of Lord Buddha in its every brick adding up to the astonishing total of more than nine thousand Buddhas and thus, giving it a name- The temple of Million Buddhas. The present temple is not wholly original as the upper part of the temple was rebuilt after 1935 A.D. as when it fell down due to earthquake. However, reconstruction of that part has done perfect justice to the original part which is still preserved.
MAHABHARAT
This great epic poem of the Hindus is most probably the longest in the world. It contains about 2,20,000 lines divided into 18 Parvas or sections. The central figure of this huge epic is Krishna who is known as he eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The leading subject of the epic is the battle of Kurukshetra, the main object being the kingdom of Bharatvarsa of which Hastinapur was the capital.
The main story starts from Kind Vichitravirya who was a decendent of legendary Bharat after whose name present day India was given the name Bharatvarsa He was the king of Hastinapur
And that he had two sons, Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Dhritarashtra, the elder one being a blind person, younger brother Pandu became the successor of the throne. In consequence of a curse or due to his disease suspected as leprosy, he took retirement and went to the forest for leading retired life. So Dhitarashtra had to become King inspite of his being blind. Pandu had two wives Kunti and Madri, out of five sons of Pandu, first three namely Yudhisthir, Bhimsen and Arjun were from Kunti and the rest Nakul and Shahadev were from Madri. The paternity of these children is attributed to different gods and that Pandu had acknowledged them. These five sons are jointly known as Pandavas. The eldest son Yudhistir is known as the son of Dharma, the judge of the dead and is, thus, known for his firmness and justice. Bhima or Bhimsen, the second one is known as he son of the wind-god, Vayu. So he is renowned for his extraordinary strength and courage. The third son Arjun, the very important character in Mahabharat is known as the son of Indra, the king of the heaven. Generosity, bravery, kindness and skill in warfare etc. are considered as his qualities. Two younger sons were also brave and spirited, but they are not taken as very important personalities compared to their elder brothers.
Dhritarashtra, the reigning monarch of Hastinapur had one hundred sons, Duryodhana being the eldest and most dynamic. Those hundred sons were commonly known as Kauravas. They are known for their jealousy and cruelty, specifically Duryodhan being almost the personification of all evils of a prince. So when Dhritarashtra nominated Yudhisthir as his successor instead of his own son, vehement opposition began from his sons. Duryodhan even plotted to kill his cousins i.e. Pandavas by setting fire to their residence, but they escaped to the forest where they lived in disguise upon alms. There, they came to know that Draupadi, the daughter of the king of Panchal had proclaimed a swaymvara at which the husband of Darupadi is to be selected by herself from princely suitors. So, Arjun went there and won the race by bending the mighty bow. On returning back home with Draupadi, Arjun told his mother about his great acquisition, but not knowing what it was she ordered to share it among five brothers. That is how, Draupadi became the common wife of Pandavas.
Dhritarashtra later divided his kingdom between his sons, Kauravas and Pandavas. Hastinapur was in the share of Kauravas and the Chief city in the share of Pandavas was Indraprastha. Yudhisthir who became the king of Indraprastha conquered many countries performed Rajsuya Yanjan (sacrifice) with a view to be the king of kings. Duryodhan, the king of Hastinapur became furious with hatred and envy. So he started playing tricks against Pandavas. Yudhisthir was invited by him to gamble and was mischievously defeated depriving him from all his possessions, kingdom and even Draupadi. Pandavas had also to pass twelve years in exile incognito, beside insults and degradation they encountered.
After completion of their period of exile Pandavas determined to restore their lost empire with the help of Lord Krishna. It is during this battle that Krishna had spoken divine song “Geeta” or Bhagvat Geeta addressed to Arjun. The great battle was fought between Pandavas and Kauravas in the battlefield of Kurukshetra which lasted for 18 days. Kaurava’s army was commanded in succession by Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Salya.
Almost everybody in both sides except five brothers of Pandvas died in he battle. Then, Yudhisthir and his brothers went to negotiate with Dhritarashtra and thus, Yudhisthir was put to the throne of Hastinapur.
This battle gave a great shock to Dhritarashtra and also Pandavas for the death of a large number of their kith and kin. So pandavas, later, performed Aswamedh Yajna (a great worshipping in which a powerful horse is sacrificed). Because of deep sorrow, Yudhisthir abdicated soon and went to the Himalayas on way to the heaven on Mt. Sumeru. Pandavas had also to repent and realize various mistakes and philosophical misunderstanding regarding ideal life before they are entered into the heaven at the insistence of Yudhisthir.
The eighteen Paravas or sections of Mahabharat are as follows:
1. Adiparva- This introductory section describes the genealogy of Pandavas and Kauravas, their rivalry upto the marriage of Pandavas with Draupadi.
2. Sabhaparva- The assemble section describes how Yudhisthir lost his kingdom etc. and had had to retire into exile.
3. Vanaparva- The life of Pandavas in the forest.
4. Varatparva- Adventures of Pandavas while extending their help to king Virat after completion of their years of exile.
5. Udyogparva- Preparations of war o both sides.
6. Bhishmaparva- Description of the battle when the Kaurava army was under the command of Bhishma.
7. Dronaparva- Battle scenes during Drona’s command of Kaurava army.
8. Karnaparva- During Karna’s command of Kaurava army.
9. Salyaparva- Battle scenes during Salya’s command of Kaurava army.
10. Suptikaparva- Mighty attack of Kauravas on the Pandav camp.
11. Striparva- Description of women including Gandhari lamenting over the slain.
12. Shantiparva- Discourse by Bhishma on morality and princely duties with an intention to assuage the grief of Yudhisthir.
13. Anusasanaparva- Bhishma’s discourses and his death.
14. Aswamedhikaparva- Performance of Horse sacrifice by Yudhisthir.
15. Ashramparva- Retirement of Dhritarashtra, Kunti, Gandhari etc. in the woods and their death.
16. Mausalaparva- Death of Krishna and Balram. Mutual fight of Yadavas resulting into their self-destruction.
17. Mahaprasthanikaparva- Yudhisthir’s self-abdication and departures with his brothers towards the heaven.
18. Swargarohanparva- Entrance of Pandavas and Draupadi into heaven.
MAGAR
Magars of Nepal are settled mostly in the middle regions of Nepal. They are also found in eastern Nepal and other parts of the Kingdom. Tihun Rana, Thapa, Ale, Pun, Budhathoki and Gharti are all the different classes of magars and that they discriminate between higher and lower class Magars. Magars are in general Buddhist by faith, but those in the southern parts of Nepal have changed themselves in the lines of Aryan culture in their way of life and religion. Those in the north are directly influenced by Tibetan religion and culture.
Many Magars are engaged in agriculture where as others work as carpenter, masons and other type of manual workers. In some areas they make mats, bamboo products and other indigenous goods.
Districtwise, a large number of Magars live in Palpa, Tanahu, Myagdi, Pyuthan and Rolpa. They are also found in Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Parbat, Baglung, Dolpa, Surkhet, Sindhuli and Udaypur. Research scholars opine that the Sen kings and Thakuris of the Magrant districts are also Magars. These facts make the Magars as one of the most pervasive ethnic groups of Nepal. Their language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family. They have their own unique dress codes and culture which are gradually getting lost and forgotten. They are Buddhist by religion. The Magar priest is called Bhusal. According to the census of 1991, the present Magar population stands at 7.2% of the national total.
MADHESHI
Nepal has more than 500 miles long open border with its southern neighbour, India. As a result millions of people immigrated from India and settled in the terai belt of Nepal during last centuries. So, these people known a Madhesis, resemble with people of adjoining provinces of India in their way of life, look, languages etc. Danuwar, Rajbansi, Maithili, Bhopuri, Awadhi, Majhi, Raji, Satar etc. are the main races of people catagorised as Madhesies. Several of these races were formerly hunters, but lately, they have adopted cultivation as their profession. They have developed their culture and civilization in the lines off fellow Hindu communities whom they came in contact with.
MACHHAPUCHHR, MT.
More than for its height, Mt. Machhaprchhre is famous for its heart catching beauty. This peak 22,942 ft. is one of the many peaks of Annapurna Himal range. Considered to be one of the most beautiful peaks of the world this isolated pyramidal peak can ve viewed from Pokhara town of Nepal.
LUXMI
Luxmi is known as the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Consort of Vishnu, she is generally associated with elephant, tortoise, jewels, jars etc. During Deepawali or Tihar festival, Luxmi is worshipped in every Hindu family and her place is there in the treasure rooms of every house. The other names of Luxmi are Indira, Hira, Chanchala, Loka-mata etc. Luxmi is also spelt as Laxmi.
LUMBINI ZONE
Area: 3650 square miles. Population:....... Situated partly in mountain region and partly in the Terai, this zone has many valleys and rivers. Kali, Budhigandaki and Tinau rivers flow at various regions of this zone. Agriculture being the preeminent occupation of the people here, rice, sugarcane, tobacco, oilseeds etc. are grown in abundance. Minerals found in this zone are copper, iron, limestone, slate etc. Though some of the places like Palpa, Butwal etc. are known for handicraft works, the zone as a whole is still lagging behind in the field of small scale and cottage industries. Transport facilities are in developing stage. As Lumbini garden, the birth place of Lord Buddha is in this zone, there is a great possibility of advancement of this zone in the field of tourism, transport facilities and trade eventually causing overall development. The district of this zone are Nawalparasi, Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Rupandehi and Kapilvastu.
LUMBINI
A famous pilgrimage in the southwest Nepal has been an invaluable depository of Buddhism since Gautam Buddha was born there 543 B.C. Preserved there are the image of Maya Devi, mother of the Buddha, and many other valuable images and structures. World renowned sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site, Lumbini is also a place of great attraction for tourists. Lumbini lies in the district of Rupendehi which used to be an independent kingdom at the time of Lord Buddha.
Emperor Ashok of India had visited Lumbini as a memory of which a stone pillar was erected by him with some dectiptive inscription in Sanskrit which when translated reads as follows:
“When Devanmpriya Priyadarsan (that is how Emperor Ashok was known as being popular among gods) had been anointed 20 years, he visited in person, worshipped this spot for its being the birth pale of Buddha Sakyamuni, he caused to make stone horse(?) And also to set up a stone pillar (in order to mark the spot where the Buddha was born). “
The discovery of the inscription made by Dr. A. A. Fuhrer in December 1896AD has fixed firmly the very spot of the Lumbini grove where under a sal tree Siddhartha Gautam Buddha was born to Maya Devi, more than 2,500 years ago. Richly endowed with history and having stored remnants of valuable ancient oriental arts in old monasteries, this place is attracting many tourists from abroad.
A pond in the Lumbini garden which used to be the bathing place of Lord Buddha at his early age was excavated in 1931 and is now preserved for all to see. Famous pilgrims of past like Fa-hsien and Huen Tsang, the famous scholars of ancient China who made the long arduous journey to visit this place have mentioned about it in their scriptures.
A comprehensive plan has been made in International scale at the initiative of United Nations to build up this area so as to suit for all types of visitors. Provision of beautiful gardens, rest houses, libraries, monasteries constructed by many countries of the world depicting their national architecture, transport and communication facilities and various other attractions are featured in the plan. Manifold actions are under way and a lot of construction works have been completed as well. A wide campaign for raising fund for completion of remaining parts of the plan is under way in Nepal and many other countries of the world.
LOSHAR
This is celebrated every year on Tibetan New Year’s Day which falls on Parewa (First) day of Falgun (February). On this day the Sherpas perform their monotonous but highly rhythmic folk songs and dances in groups known as Sheru and in 2 to 4 known as Nangding Solu. This Loshar festival arouses in all Sherpa and Bhotia areas a festive mood that continues for weeks starting from the first day of Falgun (February). This day is being the Tibetan New Year day, they dance in groups, sing folk songs and organise feasts, all in their own costumes and traditions.
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