Random hits on the keyboard

Reva was excited and was waiting for this very day when she would be a bride - (sort of). It was a two-day ceremony, but it took weeks to prepare for this day. Reva along with the other 40 brides attended Ihi puza. It is a symbolic marriage with Subarna Kumar, an avatar of lord Vishnu.  The vibes and the environment were exciting. All the kids were happy to be a bridge to the god. We were also happy to attend the celebration. Reva got offerings from her Ninis and many other visitors. The celebration and the story behind it, the process and ritual, the participation and the transfer of culture to the next generation - this is what makes us Newar.  At one point, I felt real - and thought of a day when Reva would get married for real. I felt sad. And I saw Reva's smile... and I smiled with her.

My little one participated in the Kumari Puja. She was excited from the early morning. This is her third time attending the puja. We believe that the kids will learn a bit of the Newari culture. They already have difficulty speaking the Newari language and have no enthusiasm to learn. We hope these kinds of functions are fun for kids and at the same time preserving the endangered culture to some extend. Peppa Pig is extremely accessible (dangerous to some extend) and it gives the kids a lot of information, paticular about the Western way of life, their food, the environment and education system. Kids probably know more about British culture than our own. Now comes Rakshya Bandhan. This was not common in Newari/Hilly Nepal culture but it has become a part of our culture now. Thanks to movies and social networking. We can't stop it. Pushing hard will be a kind of 'extremism'. Localization of the import culture is the middle path. So we include a bit of Newari flavour into it....