Upaku: Exploring the old Kathmandu during Indra Jatra

-ASMITA MANANDHAR Source:http://theweek.myrepublica.com/details.php?news_id=42600 Amidst the crowded street, an idol of Lord Indra is placed on a high platform before the Aakash Bhairav, also known as “Aaju Dya” in Newar, the elder god symbolizing the protector or the king of the city at Indra Chowk of Kathmandu. The sight of the King of Heaven, as Indra is known, confronting yet another god, following the famous legend of Lord Indra’s theft of the flower Parijat, at the beginning of the autumn every year marks the preparation for the beginning of Indra Jatra, or the Procession of Indra, the biggest religious street festival of Kathmandu City. Yenya is the preferred name for the same festival by the local Newar community. Professor Baldev Juju, a senior culture expert, says that the festival Yenya originated much before Indra Jatra. Assuming the etymology of Yenya to be derived from two Newar words, “Ye” meaning Kathmandu, and “ya” meaning festival, Professor Juju regards it as the festival of the city. “It may be the anniversary celebration of the beginning of civilization in Kathmandu,” he says. People taking a specific route, lighting at all the shrines and temples on the way, which is named as Upaku, according to Professor Juju, might be the rituals established during the ancient times for celebrating the anniversary festival. He backs his argument with the trend of the Upaku route, which is considered to be the actual boundary of the medieval Kathmandu. Upaku follows an elaborate trail through the narrow alleys and lanes. The route represents the boundary of Kathmandu or Ye from the time when it was a separate country before the existence of unified Nepal. Upaku is a great opportunity to revisit the traditional Newar settlements established during ancient times. Supporting the argument that Upaku route during Yenya has a long history, Maheshwor Juju Rajopadhyaya, Vice-Chairman of Vedic Pratisthan, assumes that since the settlement was initially surrounded by forests, the citizens of Kathmandu might have used fire and drums to scare away wild animals, while circumambulating the border of their settlement. “It might’ve originated as a survival instinct which took the form of tradition as the society evolved with time,” he says. These days, bereaved families take to the Upaku route on the evening of the first day of Indra Jatra, which lasts for eight days. Family members offer lights to different religious shrines in the name of their deceased member/s. According to experts, the tribute to the deceased members of the family during Upaku in the present day has no definite meaning but it is possibly the result of general processes during Newar festivities to acknowledge the divine, the living, and the departed. Cultural expert Indra Mali says that apart from members of the procession lighting the lamps at temples and shrines in the name of their dead, they also exchange lights with fellow members who take the route. “There can be two explanations for this ritual; either, they are offered the lights to guide them through the night, or it is an honor not only to gods and the dead but also to the living ones,” he says. The varieties of rituals during the Upaku procession hold different meanings. The procession is led by Majipa Lakhe, a special Lakhe or a demon in Newar folklore who dances only during the Yenya. Depicted with a ferocious face, the dance of Lakhe is characterized by wild movements. The Lakhe are not trained dancers but they synchronize their beats with the music from the Newar orchestra which follows the Lakhe throughout the festival. The orchestra consists basically of percussions and wind instruments, which they play continuously while traveling through the city, producing loud thumping music. On the other hand, some of the families participating in the procession are also accompanied by a group of people singing hymns. Though people have started to sing different hymns en route the Upaku, according to Mali, it is the “Dharani Paath” that is basically sung during the occasion. “Dharani Paath is a Buddhist hymn which is somewhat like Mritunjaya Mantra, that is the death-conquering mantra,” he says. The communities that lie on the Upaku route, on their part, decorate huge piles of “Samay Baji,” a set of different Newar dishes which is considered to be representing Pancha Tatwa, the five elements referred to as sky, air, water, light, and earth, at different junctions along the way. A heap of beaten rice is covered with fried black soybean, fresh ginger rhizomes, marinated broiled meat, dried fish fried in oil, boiled-fried eggs, fresh and dried fruits in vertical lines along the beaten rice mound. Lentil patties are then placed at the top with several varieties of Newar breads on the sides of the stack. Though Samay Baji is a regular dish for Newars during festivities, it is the special dish during Yenya, says Rajopadhyaya. The decoration of Samay Baji is regarded as an offering to the gods before it is distributed among the community. Some of the communities also accompany the Samay Baji decoration with Newar orchestra. The highlight of the evening is also the display of masks of Bhairab at different parts of the city, most of which are only put for view to public once a year on the very day. It is a rare opportunity to witness the unveiling of the masks which are otherwise kept for safekeeping by the respective Guthis (guilds). During the Indra Jatra, Newari liquors are poured from the mouth of the mask of the Sweta (white) Bhairav as “prasad,” or the deity’s blessing. This occurs only once in a year and the consumption of the liquor is said to bring good health to the person throughout the year. According to Rajophayaya, the communities put on a miniature version of Lord Indra tied before Aaju Dya; therefore, the masks of Bhairab are also brought in display to signify the representative of the elder god. “It represents protection for the people; it shows that even the King of Heaven cannot interfere in these matters,” he says. Like many of the festivities that are related to agricultural changes or significances, Indra Jatra signifies the end of the agricultural season. One legend of Lord Indra says that when he was released by the King of Kathmandu following the request from Indra’s mother, deity Dangi, to forgive Indra for stealing the rare Parijat flower, she presented him with fog and dew. On the third day of Indra Jatra, a person impersonating Dangi walks around the city with people clad in white clothes following her. It is believed that Dangi had come to Kathmandu in search of his son, Indra. The citizens, having recognized her, followed her in the hope of discovering the road to heaven. The same night, a group of people also roam around the city impersonating a white elephant, called Pulu Kisi. The elephant is believed to be Indra’s vehicle, which rampantly searches for his master after Lord Indra disappears. The legend of the deity Dangi’s deal for the release of his son explains the change in the weather of the capital and the subsequent break taken by the Valley’s denizens from agricultural tasks. The weeklong festival marks the beginning of the celebrations, followed by Dashain and Tihar in a month’s time. The festival of Yenya is entirely based on myths, with different interpretations from many historians. With none of written scriptures to define the beginning of the Upaku, experts assume that its history dates back to the time of the origin of Kathmandu. A wooden totem pole, called Indra Dhwaj, erected in front of Hanuman Dhoka in the early hours of the initial day of the festival, marks the beginning of Indra Jatra. But the festival mood is set only in the evening when people tour the old city circuit through the Upaku route. Although, bereaved families from certain Newari communities are compulsorily required to participate in the Upaku, it is free for all the people who wish to take the walk. On the route that follows the shrines and temples, most of which are of Tantric significance, people can experience and have insights about the primeval religion and culture of Kathmandu. The area dazzles with lights offered by people walking the route. Local communities regulate the lights to guide the walkers through the lanes and alleys for many hours in the evening. The walk through the Upaku may have a certain tradition in the present context, but it is agreed by most that the route defines the boundary of the old Kathmandu. The festival might have changed its meaning over time but a stroll through the borders that represents the glory of origin of the capital city gives people a chance to mingle with the rich Newar culture of the core that is Old Kathmandu.
Published on 2012-09-28 https://rajopadhyaya.blogspot.com/2012/09/upaku-exploring-old-kathmandu-during.html