Worshiping oneself

I was searching some old pictures in my PC, and I found some nice pictures of Mha Puja. These pictures are of Mha Puja last year (October, 2006). Nepal Seattle Society had organised Mha Puja (part of colourful Tihaar) Celebration here in Greenwood , Seattle.

Mha puja , the worship of the inner self, is unique to Newar people for purification. Mha puja exposes the relationship of a person with the nature and the cosmos for prosperity and physical well being.

We decorated mandala, with several varieties of things on floor which was purified by sprinkling holy water. We put fire on Itaa (oiled strand of strings) & fragrant incense. Light, one of the five elements used to create the universe , has a special meaning for spiritually brightens the inner self to keep anything evil at bay. We got Swataa (egg, fish, and meat) on the left hand and wine on the right hand which signifies man's victory and control over animal beings living in cell, water & land.They offered flowers & variety of fruits, nuts , sweets with Garland & colourful Jajanka (rounds of cotton thread) for a blooming, fruitful and resourceful life .

With a shower on the head of a mixture of paddy, flowers, pieces of fruits, abhir (vermilion powder), aakhe (hand-milled rice) and taye in a kule (bronze container). I invited my American freinds . They believed that relationship of a human with nature was exposed in this tradition . We finished this event by feasting together & dancing.

The coolest part was 50% of the Entrance Fee of this celebration was donated to the NSS Disaster Relief Fund to help support the floods and landslide victims in Nepal.