Swanti (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ...

: स्वन्ति,

Nepal Script Nepalese scripts ( Nepal Lipi: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑐮 𑐁𑐏𑐮, Devanagari: नेपाल आखल) are alphabetic writing systems employed historically in Nepal Mandala by the indigenous Newars for primarily writing Nepal Bhasa. It is also ...

:𑐳𑑂𑐰𑐣𑑂𑐟𑐶) is a five-day festival of

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...

which is one of the year's greatest celebrations for the

Newar Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisat ...

people. It is the Newar version of Tihar or

Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...

. The festival highlights the central role of women in the household, and the rituals are related to wishing for good fortune of the family members by presenting them auspicious items and praying for longevity by placating the god of death. During the festival, windows and doorways are decorated with flower garlands and lamps. Deities, animals, and people are honored as part of the celebrations. The festival is marked by both

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

s and

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

s. It is held according to the

lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, t ...

so the dates are changeable. In 2017, the festival was 17–21 October.

Lakshmi Pujā

The first two days are Kwah Pujā and Khichā Pujā dedicated respectively to crows and dogs, both known as messengers of death. Goodies are left on the roof for the crows to feast upon. People honour dogs by putting a flower garland around their neck and offering them delicacies. The third day is Sā Pujā, the day dedicated to cows. They are believed to lead the spirits of the deceased to the land of the dead. Also on the third day, householders observe

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). A ...

Puja by worshipping Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth (

Nepal Bhasa Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nep ...

: Lakshmi Dyah लक्ष्मी द्य:) (also spelled Laxmi). They paste a new painting of the Goddess at the shrine installed in an inner room and worship her by making a sand painting of a

mandala A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...

. All the members of the family then offer coins and venerate her. The next day on Mha Puja, a feast known as Thāybhu, which consists of an immense plate piled high with various food items, is offered to the Goddess. The painting of Goddess Lakshmi in Newar tradition is distinguished by her accessories and attendants. She is shown holding a Jwālā Nhāykan (ज्वाला न्हायकं) (mirror encircled by flames) in her right hand and a Sinhamu (सिन्ह:मू) (powder container covered by a five-tiered parasol) in the left hand. These two ritual objects stand for prosperity and good fortune and are necessary for many ceremonies in Newar society. The figure of a man holding a sack of money is said to be the lord of wealth

Kubera Kubera ( sa, कुबेर, translit=Kuberā) also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as the regent of the north (''Dikpala''), and a protecto ...

or a rich trader. The hairy creatures are known as Khyāh are believed to live in the high

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

. In antiquity, merchants travelling to

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

are said to have encountered them on the snowy passes, and they may be the same as the

Yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
''

Nepal Sambat Nepal Sambat, also spelled as Nepala Sambata, (Nepal Bhasa: , Nepali: ) is the lunisolar calendar used by the Newari people of Nepal. The Calendar era began on 20 October 879 AD, with 1142 in Nepal Sambat corresponding to the year 2021–2022 A ...

, and invokes prosperity and longevity for the participant. The ceremony consists of worshipping one's mandala and presentation of the Sagan, a set of auspicious food items (rice wine, meat, smoked fish, lentil cake and boiled egg) which represent Tantric concepts.

Kijā Pujā

The fifth day of Swanti is known as Kija Puja and is dedicated to brothers. Sisters honor their younger brothers with a ceremony where a mandala similar to the one used for Mha Puja is worshipped. They present them long-burning wicks (khelu itāh खेलु इता:) which are placed next to the mandala, and also sacred threads (kwakha क्वखा) and a basket of fruits (tahsibwa त:सिब्व) symbolizing long life and good fortune. The sisters then offer Sagan to their brothers which consists of auspicious food items. The five items wine, meat, fish, lentil cake and egg symbolize the five Tantric concepts of light, earth, water, air, and sky respectively. The brothers give gifts of cash and clothes in return. They are then treated to a lavish feast. The ceremony may be held at the sister's home or at the brother's home as per family tradition. The day after the end of Swanti, parents invite their married daughters to eat their share of the feast presented to Goddess Laxmi during Mha Puja. Each dish on the large plate is divided into small portions so that all the family members get a share. This party concludes the sequence of events.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Newar Buddhist festivals in Nepal Hindu festivals Observances set by the Nepal Sambat calendar

Lakshmi Pujā

Kijā Pujā

See also

References