Thanks Giving Dinner

I spend the ThanksGiving Dinner with my host family. It was my first thanks giving dinner and it was great. My host family picked me at around 4 pm on thursday and we went to pick up host mom's mom in augusta. It was about half an hour ride to host grandmom place. We celebrate the thanks giving at host mom's brother place. He is a campus police in UWEC. It was nice to meet him and grandmom. Dinner was the best part because I haven't had a nice dinner for along time and the dinner was really nice. Well, rest of the weekend was fun one too. I would say that it was really nice to take a break from all the college stuff and enjoy life.

Holiday card

This weekend was not that busy. I spend the weekend playing guitar, recording few gutiar riffs and met my host family. On sunday morning my host family, me and Aastha went to studio for a holiday card picture. It was quite fun to take the picture in studio with different pose. It was the first time experience and it was fun. We took like about 20-23 picture in different pose and picture came quite good. So, just waiting for the holiday card to see. I'm so excited to see that. After that i spend the day sleeping. I've become so lazy this week. I don't know whats the reason for it. May be because of the thanks giving break thats coming and I feel that holidays has already started. May be i've to become more enthusiastic after the thanks giving break. well that's it fellows. i will see u soon.

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Not much fun life going on nowdays. Playing with guitar is only the fun thing to do,that also if I have time. Mostly I get busy with assignments, quiz,exams and work. I have tons to do coming week, so have to be prepared for it. Waiting for thanks giving break and winter break. Interesting thing is that i repaired my guitar and one of my friend guitar, so it now it gives nice tone. That's it, nothing much interesting. see u guys in class.

Hectic Week

Last week was hectic for me. I had tons of homework, five quiz and three exams. I was too busy to do anything else except for going to library and study. My days just passed going to classes and library. I feel so sad that I didn’t do anything interesting and I guess won’t be doing for few more days. In my entire life, I think this was the first time I got so busy studying. It was so boring but I had to do it anyway. I still have more things to finish up with. So, I’m just wondering when will I be free and can do the stuff I want to do. The good news about me is that I bought USB recording user-interface with recording software. Once I get free I can work with that. So, anyone interested in recording can contact me. Another good news is that tonight I’m going to have Nepali dinner and I’m really excited about it.

Festival TIHAR

I forgot about one of the fun and biggest festival of Nepal "Tihar". Tihar is also known by many names such as Dipawali or Bhai Tika or Laxmi Puja or as a festival of lights. It is a five-day festival, which comes soon after the Dashain Festival. In Tihar we worship different animals such as crow, dog, cow, and worship Goddess of Fortune or Wealth “Laxmi”. We decorate homes and streets, cook great meals at home and end the festival with an exchange of a special temporary mark on forehead (tika in Nepali). The last day of the festival is known as Bhai Tika day (Bhai in Nepali means Brother). Tihar is actually the festival when sisters wish a long life to their brothers.

On the first Day of the festival we worship crows and give them special food. Day two is the day where we worship dogs, covering them in orange flower chains and tika powder, as well as giving them good food. On the third day of Tihar we worship the holy cow by giving them food and putting tikas in head, and place flower chains around their necks. Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, is also worshipped on this day. We also go door-to-door singing to neighbors and friends in return for the gifts. On the fourth day of the festival, we engage in a day of song, where we sing and bless homes and family in return for gifts. This day is also reserved as the day of worshipping one's self. Lastly, on the fifth day of the holiday, sisters celebrate the lives of their brothers, and give them special flower chains and tikas on their foreheads to wish them luck.

Throughout this holiday, we light beautiful butter-lamps and place them along roads, in front of our houses, and in windowsills. Others stream lights from their roofs, and the entire country is lit up in a beautiful celebration of life and family. Tihar is the festival where all people are entertained just by the environment of the festival. Environment is so joyful that people feel happy without any reason.

Weekend

This weekend I went to Minnesota. My cousins and parents picked me from the college on Friday evening. This was the last time I was meeting my parents before they leave for Nepal. I guess I will be meeting them after 2 years. The Next day we went to Mall of America. Well I didn’t do any shopping. Actually my cousin is getting married, so went for his shopping. We spend around five hours shopping, eating and playing few of the theme park games there. That night we played cards, ate some good food. We all enjoyed doing those things. Well that all I did this weekend. Well, now I back and doin my homework and studying for the exam.

Living Goddess of Nepal

This time I’m going to share something from my country. It’s about a living goddess of Nepal. Nepal is the land of many gods and goddess. The most unique thing is that there is a living goddess called Kumari Devi, a holy young girl. The custom of worshipping a young girl is an old Hindu-Buddhist ritual that still continues in Nepal. Every September we have this festival named Indra Jatra. On that day the living goddess is decorated magnificently and put on view in a religious procession through parts of the Nepalese Capital in a palanquin. It is a grand festival attended by thousands of people, who come to see the living goddess and seek her blessings.
The selection of the Living Goddess is a complicated tantric ritual. According to the traditions of Vajrayana sect of Mahayana Buddhism, girls in the age-group of 4-7 year who belong to the Sakya community are screened on the basis of their 32 attributes of perfection, including color of eyes, shape of teeth and even voice quality. Her horoscope must also be appropriate. They are made to confront a goddess in the darkened room. The sight of the Buffalo heads scattered around, the demon- like masked dancers, the terrifying noises they encounter scare some of these innocent babies. The real goddess is unlikely to be frightened, so the one who is calm and collected throughout the tests is the only girl who is entitled to sit on the podium for worship as the Living Goddess. After the ceremonies, the spirit of the goddess is said to enter her body. Then she chooses items of clothing and decoration worn by her predecessor and is given the title of Kumari Devi, who is worshipped on all religious occasions. She lives in a place called ‘Kumari Ghar’, at Kathmandu’s Hanumandhoka palace square. It’s a beautifully decorated house where the living goddess performs her daily rituals.
The Kumari’s godhood comes to an end with her first menstruation, because it is believed that on reaching teenage years the Kumari turns human. Even a minor cut or bleeding can render her invalid for worship, and the search for the new goddess has to begin.
Well that’s all for now. I will talk more about Vajrayana sect of Mahayana Buddhism in my next blog.