BY SUSHMA MAHARJAN Kathmandu, Oct. 30: The Newar community celebrates Mha Puja with reverence, marking the start of the Nepal Sambat New Year on Kartik Sukla Pratipada, a tradition tracing back over 1,500 years to the Licchavi era. This unique ritual, translating to ‘worship of the self,’ is a day dedicated to self-purification, reflection and receiving blessings from the clan deity for health and prosperity in the coming year.
Unlike other ceremonies often led by the family head, Mha Puja emphasises individual worship and personal connection with the divine. According to Naresh Bir Shakya, a Language and Culture advocate, Mha Puja is the main day of the three-day ‘Swonti’ festival, meaning three days which is popularly known as ‘Tihar’ among non-Newars. He explains, unlike other communities Newars observes distinct rituals during Swanti.
“The first day of ‘Laxmi Puja’ is the end of the year; we do the closing and submit the accounts to the Goddess Laxmi and worship her and seek blessings,” he said. “The second day is a New Year. On the day, we worship own self to be powerful, healthy and self-reliant.
That is followed by the Kija Puja, where sisters worship their brothers.” Shakya emphasises that Newari culture celebrates both the tangible and intangible supports in life, with the belief that such items, through reverent use, empower individuals to remain strong, self-reliant and resourceful throughout the year. Therefore, on the occasion of the begin.
