Hindu devotees in Nepal celebrate Bal Chaturdashi festival

On the eve of Bala Chaturdashi, devotees who have lost loved ones in their family perform this ritual for the salvation of the souls of deceased ones.

The festival of Bala Chaturdashi starts from Marga Krishna Trayodashi, the 13th day of the waning moon in the month of Mangsir (8th month according to the Nepali calendar).

Devotees who observe this ritual maintain strict fasting, with only one meal that day and abstaining from garlic, onions, fish, eggs and other food items that are said to be impure.

In the evening, they reach the Pashupatinath temple or shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and chant hymns and prayers to Lord Shiva all night long. They light "Akhanda Jyoti" in the name of the deceased souls of their families.

The next morning, Marga Krishna Chaturdashi, they take a holy bath and start their journey around the Pashupatinath temple premises spreading seven kinds of grains along the way.

"Satbiz is spread once in a year on the occasion of Bala Chaturdashi, for the salvation and peace of the departed souls. It is also prayed that they don't have to face the problems like those in physical life, it is solely dedicated and followed in Hinduism," Kabita Sangraula, a devotee told ANI.

The seven grains (also called Satbeej) include dhaan (rice), jau (barley), til (sesame), gahun (wheat), chana (chickpeas), makai (maize) and kaguno (foxtail millet). Devotees walk along Kailash-Suryaghat-Gaurighat-Aryaghat-Guhyeshwari-Mrigasthali-Bishworup-Kirateshwar-108 Shivalinga.

On the eve of Bala Chaturdashi, devotees float the live-lamps on the river which is believed would lighten the world of departed souls in their after-life. Devotees remain awake throughout the night camping on the edge of the Bagmati River facing the Pashupatinath Temple.

"We light up the oil-fed lamps and perform rituals throughout the night. In the morning we float the lamps in the river which is believed to light up the heaven. Thereafter we plan to do ceremonial procession of offering various items to the fire (lord agni)," Om Prasad Subedi, another devotee who was setting up his camp around Pashupati temple told ANI.

As per Hindu mythology, one's ancestors will have a place in heaven if such seeds are sown in the shrines related to Lord Shiva and at the Pashupati area in the name of the deceased, and family happiness is ensured.

Stories regarding the festival can be found in the Hindu scripture called Himavat Khanda of Skanda Puran. It states that Lord Shiva tells a story to Goddess Parvati about the time when he took the form of a deer and resided in the Mrigasthali jungle of the Pashupati area. In the story, Shiva tells Parvati that spreading one grain of the mentioned crops in the jungle on Marga Krishna Chaturdashi is equivalent to donating one ratti [one 64th of a tola] of gold.

According to a myth, there was a trader named Bala Nanda who had come to Aryaghat in Pashupati. There, he was eating on the bank of Bagmati. Near him, a body was being burned in a pyre.

The head of the body exploded and a part of the human brain dropped in the plate which Bala Nanda unknowingly ate. After that, Bala developed a new taste for human meat and became demon-like [also called Balaasur] with unkempt hair and long nails residing in the jungles. Because of him, people, for many years, were scared to go to the Pashupati area fearing their lives.

Bala had a childhood friend named Brisha Simha. The locals went to Brisha and then pleaded with him to kill Bala and rid them of the fear. Brisha abided by the people's request and got Bala to spend time with him as before. When they met, Brisha mixed drugs into Bala's food and drink to make him unconscious. Once unconscious, the locals killed Bala and got rid of him for good.

But, being a reason for his friend's demise filled Brisha with remorse. He wanted to repent his sins and went to Lord Pashupatinath for suggestions.

He was then asked to do the holy ritual of lighting a lamp in his friend's name and chanting hymns all night without sleeping. The very next morning, he was asked to spread the seven kinds of grains in the Pashupati jungle in the memory of his late friend so that he could rest in peace in his afterlife. This very ritual was later named as Bala Chaturdashi. (ANI)