Gathe Mangal - The metal day

गठे मंगल Ghantakarna Chaturdasi This festival is celebrated generally in the month of June/July. This year it is on July 17, 2012 People are worshipping and offering sacrifices to demons, serpents and other supernatural and natural elements like wind, water and fire since timei of inceptions to get rid of evil powers and the legendry demons. There is a belief in Nepal “there was a Demon named Ghantakarna, a legendry demon who spread havoc amongst the people. This festival is believed to be celebrated to remember the end of Ghantakarma. Dummies of the demons are erected at street crossroads. People place pots of cooked rice at such intersections for him. A man wearing black and blue paint all over his body goes about begging for money. At the end of the day, the dummy is dragged to the nearby river bank for disposal with the painted man sitting on it. !" People offer the dummy food and meat. On this day, people also wear metal rings called gathemangal ko aunthi. This Ring is believed to have the power to safeguard people from all ills and evil spirits. . Before nightfall, the locals hammer three legged nails onto the door lintels to scare away the ghosts. There are various legends and myths attached to the Ghanta Karna de vil that is revered as well as feared. Children make dummies of ghantakarna is made of bamboo, branches of plants and dry maze plant. When somebody passes by the side of the effigy the children collect money from them in the name of Ghanta Karna. Anybody hesitates to give the money the children being to shout calling him the grandson of the demon -"see the grandson of Gathe Mangal coming!" This day marks the beginning of the one-month long Lakhe Naach. In the ancient time, when little water and violent storm brought illness due to diseases like digestive diseases, most common during the summer, people thought evil spirits were to be blamed. They believed, it to be because of the absence of the Nine Durgas, evil spirits were free to enter into the city to cause such troubles. People are seen doing following things in this day. Cleaning the houses Acting out the legendary drama in the streets Make a dummy denoting ghanta karna and place it at the cross roads of the main streets Girls hang their hand-made dolls on this effigy to protect themselves from bad spirits People wear rings made of wrought iron metal on their fingers and ornaments made of silver or gold on the     wrist     and ankle of their children Girls put ‘mehandi’ on their palms Group of boys roams asking for alms shouting ‘Aaju Jaya Haa, Om Shanti Jaya Nepal’. In the past, the collected money is used for the ritual works of their passed family members. Local people gather to standing up the effigy and a monster like structure is sketched on it. ‘Aaju Jaya’, one who impersonates Ghantakarna by smearing himself with paint is served with beaten rice with curd under the effigy. ‘Aaju Jaya’ is then made to roam the streets with burning torch of husk and begging for donation. The man moves around the effigy for three times. Everyone volunteers to drag Ghantakarna to nearby river. But in the process ‘Aaju’ escapes on the way. Even though nobody knows when this festival was started, it has been mentioned to be celebrated in Lichhavi era in the history of Gopal Bansha. But there are many myths about this festival being celebrated in the middle age too. According to a folk lore, a demon called Ghantakarna with a pair of bells on his ears used to terrify people by killing them. He was called Ghanta (Bell) Karna (Ears) to identify him by his bells on the ear. When, all attempts to kill the demon were not successful. A clever frog however was successful in killing the demon by trapping him in a swamp when he was on his way to hunting. It is told that the day marks the celebration of Ghantakarna festival. That is the reason, people from newar communities worship frog on that day. It is also controversial on whether Ghantakarna was a demon or a god as Hindu worship Ghatakarna as a devotee of Lord Shiva while in Buddhism he considered a symbol of god Bhairab.

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Ghanta Karna गठेमुग

    Ghanta Karna is also known as 'Gathyamuga'. This festival is a relic of the belief in demonolatry by the people of the Valley. Ghanta Karna, a demon and other evil spirits are propitiated and exercised on this day. An effigy made of green reeds is erected at all the main cross-roads of the town in the day.

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Religious sites of Nepal

Lumbini: Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the apostle of peace, compassion and non-violence. It is situated in the Kapilvastu District in the Lumbini Zone western Terai of Nepal, 250 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu. The broken Ashoken pillar, remnants of an old monastery, and image of Buddha's mother Maya Devi are in Lumbini. It is accessible by air from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa from where one can proceed by car or by other means of transport. here are lot of religious sites outside Kathmandu. Some of the famous sites are as follow

 

  

Muktinath: Muktinath is an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus. The famous temple of Lord Muktinath lies in the district of Mustang. This temple is situated on a high mountain range and is visited during the fair weather. During the Janai Purnima and Ram Navami festivals devotees gather there to pay homage to lord Muktinath. Muktinath is situated about 18 km northeast of Jomsom at an altitude of 3,749 meters. There are two ways to get to Muktinath from Kathmandu. The first way is to take a direct flight from Kathmandu to Jomsom and hike for a couple of hours via Kagbeni. The next way to trek all the way from Pokhara which takes about 13 to 15 hours.

Janakpur: This is a great religious place famous as the birthplace of Sita, the consort of Lord Rama and the heroine of a great Hindu epic, the Ramayan. There is an artistic marble of temple of Sita popularly known as Naulakha Mandir which means "built at the cost of Rs 900,00". Religious festivals, pilgrimages, trade fairs and other festivities are held here on Bivaha Panchami and Ram Navami days. 

 

 

Barahachhetra: A few kilometers from the main city of Biratnagar, on the bank of the Koshi River, lies a holy place of Hindu pilgrimage called Barahachhetra. It is the temple of lord Baraha, the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Historians have traced the existence of this image to the twelfth century.  

 

 

Gosainkunda: One of the most famous religious places of pilgrimage in Nepal is Gosainkunda. The best approach to Gosainkunda is through Dhunche 132 kilometers northeast of Kathmandu. The religious lake is situated at an altitude of about 4360 meters. Dhunche is linked with Kathmandu by a motorable road surrounded by the high mountain on the north and the south, by higher landscape on the east and west, this kunda(Lake) is grand and picturesque. On the east and west of kunda, there are 9 other famous lakes including the Saraswati Kunda, Bhairav Kunda, Sourya Kunda and Ganesh Kunda.

 

 

 

 

 

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Gosainkunda

Introduction

GOSAINKUNDA

     A country where myriad deities, religions and cultural traditions blend with unique language defines this beautiful Nepal . And when it comes to holy places, Nepalese should really be proud of it. Each holy place is considered revered and chaste and each of them carries its own story and history. ‘Gosainkund’ of Rasuwa is one masterpiece holy heaven for Hindus and Buddhists pilgrims that embraces magnificent natural heritages since time immoral. Janai Purnima and Dashara of Jestha are two D-Days when this place is visited the most.

       The ‘Gosainkund’ lies in Lang tang National Park of Rasuwa district of Bagmati Zone at the height of around 4380m from sea level. The place, being located East of headquarter Dhunchhe, can be reached through Ghattekhola, Dhimsa, Chandanbari,Cholangpati, Lauribinayak, Ganesh Gaunda or Sundarijal. However the mesmerizing natural beauty is common to both the routes.

     The panoramic view of the mountains like Annapurna II, Hiunchuli, Manaslu, Ganesh, Langtang, Lirung makes and visitor forget about the strenuous trek under the wide blue sky. Not just as a holy place this is equally famous for adventure lovers and flora and fauna researchers. Many unprecedented aromas can be expected en route to the place, but some strong and pungent odors could prove pernicious to heath for some. They could render headache, vomit and eye burn sensation. Some consider it a bad omen and some find it difficult to proceed owing to this. If somehow you proceed, the rare Red Panda and Assamese monkeys among others could be not-to-be-missed sites.

How it got the name       The name ‘Gosainkund’ is derived from Sanskrit word ‘Goswani’ that later distorted to ‘Gosai’ where Go = Cow and Swami = Master or a person with many cows. Also, Go means ‘Indriya’ where master is ‘Jitendriya’. Gods, ascetics and saints fall under this category ‘Jitendriya’, and the most powerful one is Shiva or Shankar.
Kunda is the other name for lake or pond which when added with Gosain makes ‘Gosainkund’. So this word is seen relevant to saints, ascetics and jogis. Shiva is said to have built this pond and so it may also be called “Nilkantha kund” or “Shivakund”.

 

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Panch Pokhari

Departure: Kathmandu
Duration: 12 days
Best season: October to May
Trek Grade: Moderate


This trek to Panch Pokhari at the base of Jungal Himal offers pristine mountain views, rich culture and genuine adventure. This area offers a combination of rich cultural heritage, unsurpassed beauty and biological diversity as you trek to a group of high altitude holy lakes, sacred to both Buddhist and Hindu people.

Trekkers first travel by bus to Chautara, five hours northeast of Kathmandu towards the Tibetan border. We travel through a mixture of beautiful mountain scenery and the terraced fields and characteristic houses of rural villages from different ethnic groups.

On your first night you will experience life in the village homes of Sherpa and Tamang people and your guide will give a short talk on trekking, altitude sickness and the highlights of the trek. These include the holy Five Lakes, the incredible Himalayan scenery and the life style of nomadic people unchanged by time. The unusual climatic and geographical mix make this area a naturalist's dream and a mecca for those who appreciate traditional cultures.

This trek starts from 1,450m and goes up to 4,100m at Panch Pokhari, a secluded pilgrimage site where the Janaipurnima festival is held in August. Many Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimages visit this site each year. This is a very spectacular and spiritual trek.

The top of Panch Pokhari (4,100m) offers an excellent view of Jugal Himal Range, Rolwaling Range, Gosainkund, Kanchenjunga and Makalu.

This trek can be done all year round except for the monsoon months and can be combined with a rafting tour.

BRIEF ITINERARY

Day 01: Kathmandu [1350m] to Chautara [1450m]
Day 02: Chautara to Sano Okhareni [1965m]
Day 03: Sano Okhareni to Kami Kharka [2810m]
Day 04: Kami Kharka to Pauwa Bas [3000m]
Day 05: Pauwa Bas to Hille Bhanjyang [3400m]
Day 06: Hille Bhanjyang to Narsim Pati [3700m]
Day 07: Nasim Pati to Panchpokhari [4100m]
Day 08: Panchpokhari – Panchpokhari top – Tupi Danda [2320m]
Day 09: Tupi Danda to Dhap [1200m]
Day 10: Rest day to explore the culture
Day 11: Dhap to Melamchi [800m]
Day 12: Melamchi to Kathmandu

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FACEBOOK will be shutdown in July 15 2012

PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in July of 2012. Managing the site has become too stressful.

“Facebook has gotten out of control,” reportedly said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”

Zuckerberg reportedly went on to explain that starting July 15th, users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.  That gives users (and Facebook addicts) a year to adjust to life without Facebook.

“After July 15th, 2012 the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back after Facebook goes out of business.”

Zuckerberg said the decision to shut down Facebook was difficult, but that he does not think people will be upset.

Source = World News

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Facts about blood donation

* Person above 18 years of age and over 50 Kgs. in weight can donate blood once in three months.

* A normal adult has five to six liters of blood in his/her body of which only 300 ml is used during   blood donation.

* This blood is replaced by your body within 24 to 48 hours!

* No special diet, rest or medicine is required after blood donation.

* The donor should not have taken any medicine in the last 48 hours.

* The donor should not have contacted jaundice in the previous three years.

* Every donor is given a medical checkup prior to donation to see if he/she is medically fit and doesn't suffer from anemia, high blood pressure etc.,

* The donor cannot contract AIDS or any other disease by donating blood.

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Can u imagine the quick management by DOG ?

एकदिन एउटा कुकुरले जंगलमा बाटो बिर्सेछ
त्यत्तिखेर उसले एउटा बाघ उसैतिर आउँदै गरेको देख्यो
कुकुरको सातोपुत्लो उड्यो 'आज त म पक्का मरेँ:(' सोचेछ
त्यतिकैमा उसले आफ्नो सामुन्ने भुईँमा केहि सुकेका हड्डीहरू देख्यो
अनि ऊ आउँदै गरेको बाघतिरै पिठ्युँ फर्काएर बस्यो अनि एउटा सुकेको
हड्डी चुस्दै जोरजोरले बोल्न थाल्यो "वाउ ! बाघ खानुको त मजा नै अर्कै छ,
एउटा बाघ अरू मिल्यो भने त पार्टी हुने थियो आज, yum yum" अनि जोरले डकार्न थाल्यो ।
यो देखेर बाघले सोच्यो "यो कुकुर त बाघको शिकार गर्दोरैछ,
ज्यान बचाएर भाग्नुपर्‍यो" भन्दै भागेछ ।

यो सब तमाशा रुखमा बसेको एउटा बाँदरले हेर्दैथ्यो,
उसले सोच्यो यै मौका हो म बाघलाई सबै Story भन्दिन्छु
बाघसँग दोस्ती हुन्छ अनि जिन्दगीभरी ज्यानमाथि खतरा हुँदैन
यति सोचेर उ बाघ भएतिर दौडेर गयो, कुकुरले बाँदरलाई जान
लागेको देखिहाल्यो, उता बाँदरले गएर बाघलाई सब कुरा
भनिदियो कि कसरी कुकुरले उसलाई मुर्ख बनाएको हो भनेर्
बाघले गर्जिदै भन्यो 'ए, तेसो पो ! ल हिँड मसँग अहिले गएर
तेस्लाई चपाएर खाइदिन्छु'
र बाँदरलाई आफ्नो पिठ्युँमा बसाएर बाघ कुकुर भएतिर दौडियो

Can u imagine the quick management by DOG ?

कुकुरले बाघलाई आउँदै गरेको देखेपछि एकपटक फेरि
बाघ भएतिर पिठ्युँ फर्काएर बस्यो अनि जोर जोरले
कराउन थाल्यो
"त्यो साले बाँदरलाई पठाएको एक घण्टा भैसक्यो
साला अहिलेसम्म एउटा बाघ फसाएर ल्याउन सकेन"

बाघ त टाप :p

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मध्यरातमा वयष्क चलचित्र

     भारतीय सेन्सर बोर्डले वयष्क चलचित्रलाई टेलिभिजनमा प्रसारण गर्ने अनुमति दिएको छ। सेन्सर बोर्डको रिभाइज्ड कमिटीले गरेको फैसला  अनुसार 'ए' अर्थात एडल्ट सर्टिफिकेटसहित प्रदर्शन हुने चलचित्रलाई टेलिभिजनमा पनि प्रसारण गर्न सकिनेछ। त्यस्ता चलचित्र प्रदर्शन गर्न ' यूए' सर्टिफिकेट दिइनेछ। वयष्क चलचित्रहरू राति ११:१५ बजेपछि मात्र प्रसारण गर्न पाइनेछ। राति ११ बजे १२ वर्षभन्दा कम उमेरका  बालबालिकाहरू प्रायः सुतिसक्ने भएकाले तथा घरमा आमा-बुबाको उपस्थिति भैसक्ने भएकाले यो समय तोकिएको बताइन्छ।

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फेसबुक स्मार्टफोन

      सर्वाधिक लोकप्रिय सोसल नेटवर्क साइट फेसबुकले ग्याजेट निर्माणमा हात हालेको छ। फेसबुकले यस विषयमा कुनै खुलासा नगरे पनि  ग्याजेट बजारमा फेसबुक स्मार्टफोनको चर्चा चुलिएको छ। फेसबुकले ताइवानी कम्पनी एचटिसीसँग फेसबुक स्मार्टफान प्रोजेक्टरमा साझेदारी  गर्ने भएको हो। यो स्मार्टफोनको कोड नेम बफी रहनेछ। यसका लागि सोसनल नेटवर्क साइटले आइपड एवं आइफोनमा काम गरेका पुराना  कर्मचारी अनुबन्ध गरेको छ, जसले फेसबुक स्मार्टफोनको डिजाइन गर्नेछन्। नोकिया र विन्डोज-७  का डिजाइनर माइकल बोनिकोवुस्कीले  फेसबुकको मोवाइल पूरै नीलो रंगको हुने बताएका छन्, जुन रंग फेसबुक साइटमा प्रयोग गरिएको छ। गुगलले विकास गरेको एन्ड्रोइड अपरे टिङ सिस्टमलाई फेबुकले आफूअनुकूल परिवर्तन गरेर फोनमा प्रयोग गर्नेछ। ४ दशमलव ७ इन्च स्क्रिनयुक्त सेटमा ८  मेगापिक्सेल क्यामेरा  हुनेछ, जुन भिडियोग्राफीका लागि पनि उपयुक्त हुनेछ। यसमा ५ मेगापिक्सेलको फ्रन्ट क्यामेरा रहनेछ। एन्ड्रोइड फोनमा गुगलको सोसल ने टवर्क 'गुगलप्लस', एप्पलको आइफोनमा माइक्रोब्लगिङ साइट टि्वटरलाई प्राथमिकता दिएजस्तै फेसबुकलाई थप व्यापक बनाउन फेसबुकको  सेवा तथा सुविधालाई विशेष प्राथमिकता दिएर फेसबुक फोन 'बफी' निर्माण गरिने बताइन्छ।

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