SHIVA

 Shiva known by various names as Mahadev, Pashupati, Shankar, Maheswar, Narteswar, Nilkantha etc, is the most worshipped among Hindu gods. As one of the trinity of Puranic gods, he is the destroyer of the universe after completion of Kaliyug, the aeon of the sinners, but he is connected with many aspects to be visualised in his incarnations and manifestations. His terrific forms are Kankala, Virbhadra and the sixty-four different forms of Bhairav where as his pacific forms are represented by his amiable poses with his wife Parvati. An exponent of music and dance, a selfless yogi (hermit), a great teacher of Hinduism, he is also the regenerator of the species. Lingam, the male reproductive organ very often in combination with Yoni, the female organ is his symbol which is widely worshipped in the Hindu world. His followers are called Shaiva.

Shiva is also known as the destroyer and the regenerator. He is believed to have three forms. Natraj in dancing position is known as the God of Dancing skill Another popular form is that of his  anthropomorphic form where as his most worshipped form is that of Lingam. In front of any Shiva temple, one usually sees a statue of Nandi, the divine bull that serve as Shiva’s vehicle. In anthropomorphic form, Shiva is depicted with his consort Parbati and usually holds a trident and a drum. 

Another popular form of Shiva is depicted in the terrifying posture when he becomes furious and in mood of destroying the creations..

SHERPA, TENZING NORGAY

 One of the two great mountaineers who stepped on top of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain of the world for the first time, Tenzing Sherpa was born in Nepal at Solokhumbu. He along with Edmund Hillary of New Zealand reached the top in 1953 as the members of British Expedition party which was led by Col. Hunt. Interested in climbing right from his childhood, Mr. Sherpa attempted for several times to get there and at last achieved success on his eighth attempt. He was accorded historic welcome in Nepal, India and many other countries as a hero who conquered the height of nature on behalf of mankind as a whole. 

SHERPA

 Settled in the foothills of Himalayan ranges of Nepal, people of Sherpa race have big farming of sheep and yak. They are also tradesmen and cultivators. A handsome part of their earnings, they prefer to spend in religious and charitable purposes. As Buddhists, they decorate their monasteries with fine images of Lord Buddha. Again being a mobile race, they are scattered in distant places and, thus, is occasions when they meet their near relatives, they enjoy such meetings by organising feasts and dancing programmes. They are famous climbers  with many kinds of world records to the credit of the clan. They also provide great help to any aspiring mountaineers in Nepal as guides and porters. 

According to linguists, the word Sherpa means easterner, and that this word comes from the Tibetan language. The ancestral place of these famous mountaineers is northern side of the Solukhumbu district. The traditional habitat of the Sherpas also lies in the valley between the Dudh Koshi and Sun Koshi rivers. The Sherpa language and script are derived from Tibetan. Sherpas are Buddhist and Lhosar is their major festival. They cremate dead bodies when someone is dead. They greet their guests with khada, a kind of scarf. Chhewa is the ritual terminology of the rites performed for the dead. Tourism, trade and farming are the major occupation of the Sherpas.

SHASTRI, SUKRA RAJ

A great reformist, Sukra Raj Shastri was a learned man who wrote several re-formative and philosophical works in the dark days of Rana autocracy in Nepal. His ideas and activities for enlightening the people of Nepal was not tolerable for the  government and, therefore, was hanged in a tree in 1941. With a smile he died an immortal death. S. R.Shastri is greatly honoured in Nepal as a prominent martyr to have fought for the freedom of the country. 

SHANKHA

 Sankha is the local name or a sacred nomenclature of the Conch Sheel. It represents Dharma or the righteousness and that it protects all like a shield does according to religious beliefs.

SHAKTI PUJA

 The Nepalese tradition of Shakti or Mother Goddess Worship has a very ancient origin. We can sense the antiquity of this tradition very well if we only take a little trouble to examine the nature of customs and rituals connected with the worship still prevalent in the society. Yet, it is quite difficult to say when this tradition exactly started.

When we turn to the Vedas which date back as far as 3000 to 4000 B. C. we meet with several interesting hymns dedicated to the glory of great goddess Devi, the Universal Mother. Some of her earlier names mentioned in the Vedas are Usha, Prithivi, Vac, Ratric and Aditi. All these names belong to one supreme power, that is Devi, the mother goddess. Many names have always meant many powers.

Even in the puranas, Devi is addressed by so many different names like Chamuda, Durga, Kali, Laxmi, Saraswati, and so on. Despite all this, she is often identified with Parvati, the most powerful one, the divine consort of Shiva. The Devi Mahatmya of Markandeya Purana tells us in detail how all the gods had to rush to Devi for shelter when they were driven away by demons during war between gods and demons. Since it is only Devi Durga, who could destroy demons and rescue her devotees from all kinds of dangers, she has always been regarded as Maha Shakti and is worshipped accordingly. Devi Durga has said to have been created out of the combined energies of all the gods including the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The beautiful verses in the Vedas devoted to her emphatically extol her as a very unique embodiment of divine powers by which the entire Universe is sustained.

According to Devi Mahatmya, Devi has manifested herself in three basic forms, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Maha Saraswati. These three forms of Devi are generally identified with three primordial qualities known as Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic representing destructive, preservative and creative powers respectively. The trinity gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh also stand for the same qualities. Kali, Laxmi and Saraswati are the female consorts of Mahesh, Vishnu and Brahma respectively who are inseparable from their respective lords or spouses. Thus it appears to be quite clear that basically they are all one though they are in different forms. The philosophy of Hindu religion believe in diversity in unity. However, diversity is never accepted as an ultimate goal. It is only a means to attain perfect unity, that is the ultimate eternity or Bramhah. This is one of the main reasons why Hindus devotees are not bothered by the existence of a pantheon of 330 million gods and goddesses. 

SHAKTI

The Shakti worship, which has archaic roots in the veneration of mother-goddess as a symbol of fertility and creativity.  In all archaic cultures, one finds new impetus under the influence of Tantra which elevates the female deity to a dominant position in ritual worships. The concept of divine mothers (Matrikas) are variously counted as seven, eight or ten is related to  Hindu mythology representing the perennial theme of the struggle between the forces of knowledge (Vidya) and the forces of ignorance (Avidya) 

Lamo Jharana (Jalbire)

Lamo Jharana (Jalbire)

A few minute's walk from Jalbire Temple near Muglin-Narayangarh Highway we reach Lamo Jharna (waterfall). Filled with flat grasslands one of the boons to Chitwan is that this fall. Approximately 60 meters tall the water strikes the rocks directly at the lowest and seems to be a bit like the water from heaven. Green Hills' panoramic scene adds up more beauty to the present fall. Likewise, three small ponds provide us with the opportunity to get recreated in freshwater. Though under shadowed on the way to this naturally gifted place visitors get a chance to explore Gurung villages and the culture of this ethnicity. Provided the specified attention, this naturally gifted area can enrich the economy by conduction of home-stay programs.

Karyabinayak

Karya Binayak is widely revered as a protector deity of Khokana town and some say Bungamati also . Like Jal Binayak has supposedly established a protector to holy rain giving Nagas residing in Tau Daha lake.

Binayak may be a common alternative name of Ganesh, the elephant-headed God. Son of Lord Shiva, he's believed to manifest good luck, and hence is he worshipped first in most religious and auspicious occasions. This particular one, Karya Binayak, directly translates to ‘Work Ganesh’ (Karya = Work, Binayak = Ganesh). Before people begin any work, project, and any new endeavor, they often worship Karya Binayak first. As guided by faith, Tuesday and Saturday are considered auspicious days to go to the temple.
It has a really rich history linked with the foremost prestigious god, Rato Machhendranath. In days of yore, when a 12-year long drought-ravaged Kathmandu valley and killed thousands, the Kings of all three cities collaboratively found the answer . The guru of Gorakhnath, Machindranath was delivered to the valley to form Gorak Nath release all nine holy serpents who had the divine task of bringing rain to the valley. The nine serpents were trapped under meditating Gorakhnath who used the serpents because the cushion. As mentioned in genealogical records of the Gopals, the ruling ethnicity of the age , Karya Binayak was established so on have all the great luck for successful completion of Rato-Machindranath temple which was close to begin.
Every year in Mangsir Purnima (full moon night within the month of Mangshir in Nepali calendar), a ceremony is held that needs worshipping both Rato Machindranath and Karya Binayak at exact same auspicious date and time; the liturgy are often witnessed in Bungamati. Karya Binayak is delivered to Rato Machindranath and revolved 3 times round the temple then the Binayak is taken to the Priest’s home. this is often a sign of the top of the Jatra.
The temple may be a small yet artistic one, bells are on all facades of the temple and two metal flags on all sides of the door make it look more vintage. to not forget the rodent, the vehicle of the Ganesh, facing the shrine brightly within the courtyard may be a signature of all Ganesh temples and is noticeable even from the space .

SHAH, PRITHIVI NARAYAN

Prithivi Narayan Shah was a man with lofty ambitions and active mind. He was known to be equally tactful, patient and wise. He thus holds a place in the history of Nepal as the one who united the country by conquering smaller states and principalities. In spite of various disappointing defeats time and again, he did not give up hope and, thus, by timely hits and masterly strategic moves he conquered city states of Kathmandu valley one by one. In this way, the king of Gorkha which is just a district of modern Nepal, became the King of Nepal. Later he as well as his successors expanded the kingdom as a result of which the shape of modern Nepal came into being.