Happy Nepali New Year 2072 B. S.
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"Nepali" refers to language and the general culture being
practiced by people of Nepal and other nationals whose origins are in Nepal.
Nepali language has root to the ancient and religious language of India known
as Sanskrit. Therefore, Sanskrit, Hindi,
Nepali and many other languages of India use the common script known as Devanagari,
one of the few ancient scripts.
Nepal, a Himalayan country north of India and south of Tibet
(China), has its own official calendar known as Vikram Sambat abbreviated as V.
S. or B. S. The calendar started in 57 BC and hence, it is 57 years ahead of
the Gregorian Solar calendar. The New Year of the Vikram Sambat or Nepali
calendar starts between mid- March to mid –April. The New Year starts today,
April 14th 2015. The calendar year from today in Nepal is 2072 BS,
which is mandatory for both official and religious purposes. However, in India
the Hindus follow this calendar for religious significance only; their official
calendar is the Gregorian Western calendar.
Vikramaditya, the Emperor of northwest India, defeated his
enemies, the Sakas, in 56BC. As an honor and memory to his great victory, he
introduced the calendar: Vikram Sambat. Since then the Indian kings started to
use the calendar in the north and the east. From the Indians, the Rana rulers
of Nepal adopted the calendar after 1850 AD when military general, Jung Bahadur
Rana, defeated King Surendra Shah of Nepal through a military coup and
established the Rana regime that ruled Nepal until 1951 AD.
As in other countries and cultures, Nepali celebrate their
New Year with prayers, rituals, family gatherings, socialized gambling,
picnic and travelling. Hindu priests offer prayers. Depending on family
practices, male goats, buffaloes, sheep, pig and roosters are sacrificed to appease
family deities for having helped to fulfill family wishes in the bygone year
and then to renew divine protection, favor and successes in the New Year.
Similarly, the Hindu astrologers identify the unfavorable influence of planets
and stars on the life of each family members in the New Year and then the
priests offer prayers and rituals to appease the planets and stars. The Hindus
believe that such appeasing to heavenly bodies helps to neutralize malefic
effects of the heavenly bodies on the health, career and day-to-day events of
each family member. Also, the first month of New Year is the most favorable
month for wedding.
As to the Hindus, the Buddhists too have significance of the
first month. Lord Gautama Buddha achieved Buddhahood or enlightenment in the
month of Baisakh, the first month of Nepali calendar. Buddhists offer prayers,
organize religious dances and celebrations in monasteries, forts and pilgrim
sites. During the full moon of the month, Buddhists pilgrims from worldwide
visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha in south Nepal.
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| Map of Nepal |
New Year is an auspicious occasion for festival, ritual,
celebrations and family gatherings in Nepal. Both Hindus and Buddhists
celebrate the New Year for the entire month. It is also the end of harvest and
beginning of new farming season for the Nepalese whose 75 percent population
rely on sustainable farming. As a cool and dry season, this time of the year is
favorable for all kinds of tourists to visit Nepal and experience intact nature especially in the mid hills and the higher
Himalayas popular for rafting, trekking, mountaineering, and experiencing
social and cultural diversities of over 104 different ethnic groups in the
country with just the size of Iowa (56,000 sq. miles).
Wish
you all Happy New Year 2072.
This article was written by Yadu N., LAMP Nepali interpreter.
