Bhoto Jatra

Bhoto Jatra consists of two words, bhoto (means a vest studded with jewels) and jatra (means festival). The black velvet, jeweled vest (Bhoto) also has its own story. Legend says it was given to a farmer by Karkot Naga in reward for curing eye ailment of his Queen. But it got stolen. After sometime when the farmer was attending Machhindranath festival at Jawalakhel, he saw someone wearing the same vest. A quarrel ensued between the farmer and the man wearing the vest. Karkot Naga was also at the festival in human form. He settled the quarrel and submitted the Bhoto to Machhindranath for safe keeping. From that day on every year the Bhoto is shown to the people assuring them that it is safe. As per the tradition, a priest takes out the sealed bhoto and shows it to public for three times in the presence of the chief guest at the function.

The Bhoto Jatra was begun since the Lichhavi period during the rule of King Gunakama Dev. Although the then kings used to be chief guest of the Bhoto Jatra ceremonies since the time of King Narendra Dev, the tradition was broken after the monarchy was abolished in the country.

Some photos of Pasupati

Uric acid

Uric acid is a waste product normally present in the blood as a result of the breakdown of purines. Excessive amounts of uric acid can cause crystals to form in the joints and cause gout, a painful condition is called gout.
Most of the uric acid is filtered out by the kidneys and passes out of the body in urine. A small amount passes out of the body in stool. But if too much uric acid is being produced or if the kidneys are not able to remove it from the blood normally, the level of uric acid in the blood increases.

Uric acid is produced when 'purines' breakdown in our bodies after carrying out the vital work of converting our food to energy and genes to proteins. Purines are chemical compounds that appear naturally in our body cells and in much of our foods. So any remedy for gout has to take your diet into consideration.

Uric acid symptoms of gout :
Inflammation, swelling, redness, heat and agonising pain - are caused by uric acid crystals in your joints, tendons and surrounding tissues. The most common joints are the big toe, ankle and knee, but, almost any joint can be affected.

Normal Range of uric acid in blood:

Men:
3.4–7.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)

Women:
2.4–6.0 mg/dL

Children:
2.5–5.5 mg/dL


High uric acid values may be caused by:

* Individual differences in the way your body produces or gets rid of uric acid.
* Conditions, such as:
* Kidney disease or kidney damage.
* The increased breakdown of body cells that occurs with some types of cancer (including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma) or cancertreatments, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia.
* Eating foods that are very high in purines, such as organ meats (liver, brains), red meats(beef, lamb), game meat (deer, elk), some seafood (sardines, herring, scallops), and beer.

Low uric acid values may be caused by:

* Severe liver disease, Wilson's disease, or some types of cancer.
* The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), a condition that causes large amounts of fluid to build up in the body.
* Not eating enough protein.

Here are 5 simple ways to reduce your uric acid symptoms of gout, starting with your diet:-

1. You must avoid foods with high levels of purines. These are foods such as,red meats, offal, game, gravy, broth, poultry, shellfish, fish roe, sardines,mackerel, legumes, lentils, yeast extracts, etc. Also alcohol. Avoid alcohol,especially beer!

2. Eating 5 portions of fresh vegetables and fruit every day helps to flush uric acid out of your system. But avoid cauliflower, asparagus and mushrooms because they are relatively high in purines.

3. It is very important to flush excess acid out of your system by drinking at least 2 litres of water every day.

4. Eat plenty of cherries: a cupful at each meal. They have antioxident and anti-inflammatory powers and are known as a very effective natural remedy for gout.

5. Take Alfalfa to reduce acid levels. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. You can take it in seed form, capsules or liquid extracts.

Seto(White)Machhendranath Festival

The Seto (or white) Machhendranath image is taken from its shrine in machhendra Bahal,off Asan Tol, and is placed in a towering chariot(rath) to be trundled through the street of old Kathmandu. The festival takes four days to complete, the chariot stopping at specific places each night where the image is worshipped and cared for by the people of that locality. The chariot, which is towed on 1.8 meter(six foot) diameter wheels by the hundreds of young boys, is spectacular, particularly as it dwarfs the buildings on the streets through which it passes. It is usually moved in the carly evening. On the final day, the chariot is dragged around a tree in Lagan Khel, after which the deity is transported back to its temple on a small palanquin.

If Seto Machhendranath is pleased by the music, offerings and attentions paid by his devotees, the people of the Kathmandu Valley can look forward to satisfactory rainfall during the planting season.

भीषण हावाहुरी र वर्षा।

राजधानी र काठमाडौंको वरपरको क्षेत्रमा सोमबार साँझ भीषण हावाहुरी र वर्षा हुँदा दर्जनौं सवारीसाधन क्षतिग्रस्त भएका छन्।

हावाहुरीका कारण राजधानीको दर्जनौं स्थानमा रूखहरू ढल्दा रूखले थिचेर दुई दर्जनभन्दा बढी सवारीसाधन क्षतिग्रस्त भएका थिए। सोमबार साँझ करिब ७ बजे आएको हावाहुरी र असिना वर्षाको कारण चाबहिल, गौशाला, नक्साल, सोह्रखुट्टे, त्रिपुरेश्वर, बालुवाटार, लाजिम्पाट, लैनचौरलगायत स्थानमा करिब एक घण्टा सवारी अवरुद्ध भएको थियो।

रत्नपार्कमा पनि एउटा माइक्रोको सिसा फुटेको छ। असिनाका कारण त्रिपुरेश्वरमा एकजना बेहोस भएका थिए। नक्साल र पुतलीसडकमा होर्डिङबोर्ड ढलेको थियो। भीषण हावाहुरी चले तापनि राजधानी र वरपरका क्षेत्रमा मानवीय क्षति नभएको महानगरीय ट्राफिक प्रहरी महाशाखाप्रमुख विनोद सिंहले बताउनुभयो। हावाहुरीका कारण ललितपुर र भक्तपुरमा भने असर नपरेको प्रहरीले जनाएको छ।

Source: News of Nepal

१२ बर्षे मकर मेला

प्राचीन कालमा र्स्वर्गका राजा इन्द्रलाई ऋषिको श्राप परेपछि पाप मोचनका लागि पनौती त्रिवेणी घाटमा स्नानगरी पापबाट मुक्त भएको कुरा हिमवत खण्डमा उल्लेख भएको पाईन्छ । जात्रा मल्लकालीन राजाहरूको पालादेखिनै शुरुवात भएको मानिन्छ, हिन्दुत्वको संरक्षण र सर्म्बर्द्धनका खातिर वर्षौ पिच्छे यो जात्रा मनाउने प्रचलन चलेको र यस जात्रालाई हिले जात्रा पनि भनिन्छ ।
परापूर्वकालमा जात्राको दिन पुण्यमाता खोलामा ठूलो बाढी आएको थियो । खोलापार गरी ब्रम्हायणीमा पूजा गर्न जान नपाई साँझ परेको थियो । सो कुरा पुण्यमाता खोलामा रहेकेा बासुकी नाग-नागिनीले थाहा पाएर उनीहरू पुल जस्तै बनी पार गराएकाले ब्रम्हायणीमा पूजा गरेको सम्झना स्वरुप यो जात्रा संचालन भएको अर्को किंवदन्ती पाइन्छ । आजेभोलि नागनागिनीको प्रतीकका रुपमा दुइवटा बाँस राख्ने चलन छ ।
बासुकीले पनौतीलाई पुरै बेरी संरक्षण गर्न कपालकोट डाँडामा बसी हेर्ने गर्छन् भन्ने भनाई बुढापाकाहरूको छ । वंशावली अनुरुप परम्परा र हिन्दूत्वको संरक्षणका लागि यो जात्रा आज भन्दा २ हजार वर्षपहिलेदेखि संचालनमा आएको देखिन्छ । जात्रा पहिले रातमा सक्नु पर्दथ्यो यद्यपि अहिले दिउँसो सक्ने गरिएको छ ।
यस जात्रामा रोगी मानिसले त्रिवेणी घाटमा स्नान गरी गोरख नाथलाई पानी चर्ढाई एकचित्त ध्यान गरेमा सम्पूर्ण रोग नास हुनेछ भन्ने भनाई छ । सांस्कृतिक एवं पर्यटकीय रुपले पनौतीको गोरखनाथ डाँडाबाट पूर्वमा नमोबुद्ध, पश्चिममा फूलचोकी माई, उत्तरमा गौरीशंकर र दक्षिणमा नारायणस्थान पर्छन् । यी चारै देवस्थलको दर्शन गर्नाले सम्पूर्ण रोग कट्टा भई मनोकांक्षा पूरा हुने जनश्रुती पाइन्छ । त्यसै गरी जात्रा सम्पन्न गर्न पनौती नगरपालिकाका कार्यकारी अधिकृत आत्माराम सत्यालको अध्यक्षतामा बैठक बसी जात्राको लागि खर्च हुने रकम विनियोजन गरी सरोकारवालाहरूसँग समन्वय बैठक बसी जात्रा चलाउने निर्णयगरिएको कुरा पनौती नगरपालिकाले जनाएको छ ।

सहस्राब्दी कै सबैभन्दा लामो सूर्यग्रहण

सहस्राब्दी कै सबैभन्दा लामो सूर्यग्रहणको दृश्य देखियो। यो खग्रास सूर्यग्रहण अफ्रिका र एसियामा देखिएको थियो। नेपालमा ३ घण्टा १८ मिनेट सम्म ग्रहण लागेको देखिएको थियो। काठमाडौंबाट सूर्यको ५९ प्रतिशत भाग ढाकिएको देखिएको थियो। यति लामो ग्रहण अब एक हजार वर्षपछि मात्र लाग्नेछ । तर खग्रास सूर्यग्रहण हेर्नलाई मौसमले साथ दिएन ।

नेपाली समाजमा सूर्य ग्रहण शुरु हुनुभन्दा चार प्रहर अगाडिदेखि ग्रहणको सुतक वा दोष लाग्ने भएकाले त्यस्तो समयमा खानपिन गर्न हुँदैन भन्ने धाराण भएको पाइन्छ। शयन, हाँस्य विनोद, मूर्तिस्पर्श, खेलकुद आदि पनि गर्नुहुँदैन । धर्मशास्त्रमा बताइएअनुसार ग्रहणको समयमा सुत्नाले आयु क्षीण हुन्छ, पिसाब गरे दरिद्र हुन्छ, दिशा गरे किराफट्याँग्रा हुन्छ, विषय वासनामा लिप्त रहे अर्को जन्ममा सुँगुरको जुनी प्राप्त हुन्छ।