Akash Bhairav () or Aaju () is one of the different forms of

Bhairava Bhairava (, ), or Kāla Bhairava, is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva.Kramrisch, Stella (1994). ''The Presence of Śiva''. Princeton, NJ: P ...

. The temple of Akash Bhairav is supposed to have been a palace of the king of Nepal,

Kirati The Kirati people, also spelled as Kirat or Kirant or Kiranti, are Tibeto-Burman ethnolinguistic groups living in the Himalayas, mostly the Eastern Himalaya extending eastward from Nepal to North East India (predominantly in the Indian state ...

King Yalambar around 3100–3500 years back. The surrounding of Akash Bhairav is known as Yen to symbolize ''Ne'' of Nepal. ''Ne'' means Midland in Kirati language. The head of the Aakash Bhairav was dug up several hundred years ago in

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

. It is taken out once a year on the occasion of Yenya Festival and blessed by the Kumari, the living goddess who lives in the nearby Basantapur. This ceremony is held in the month of August/September. During the ceremony, large numbers of worshippers come to visit this temple. They offer

Peda Peda () or Pera is an Indian sweet that originated in the city of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. Traditionally prepared as thick, semi-soft round balls, its main ingredients are khoa, sugar and traditional flavourings including cardamom seeds. ...

(sweets made from milk), flowers, money and several others things. We could have witnessed the late dynasty exchanging the swords with that of Akash Bhairav, most recently by the previous king

Gyanendra of Nepal Gyanendra Shah (born 7 July 1947) is the final monarch of Nepal, ruled from 2001 until 2008, when the monarchy was overthrown. He briefly held the throne as a child between 1950 and 1951, when his grandfather Tribhuvan and his family fled to In ...

and late King

Birendra of Nepal Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (; 29 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was King of Nepal from 1972 until Nepalese royal massacre, his assassination in 2001. Early life and education Birendra was born at the Narayanhiti Palace, Narayanhiti Royal ...

before him. In reality, they had made the offering and shown deep respect towards the historic icon.

Other names

He is also known as King Yalambar in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, and Āaju meaning First King in Nepal Bhasa.

History of the Deity

The Akash Bhairab is said to be the king Yalambar himself. Legend has it that, Yalambar was the first king to establish this nation and even extended towards Tista in east and Trishuli in the west. He is believed to have gained the powers through tantric worshipping.

Iconography

Aakash Bhairav has often been depicted in

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

iconography by a large blue head with a fierce face, huge silver eyes and a crown of skulls and serpents. The deity head resides on a silver throne that is carried by lions, accompanied by Bhimsen (Bhima) and Bhadrakali on either side. The idol face is understood to represent the mask that King Yalamber wore on his way to the Kurukshetra. The Indrachok idol is somewhat milder in demeanor than many of the Buddhist idols. Lord Aakash Bhairav, the 'god of the sky', is also regarded by Nepalese as a progenitor of the Maharjan caste, especially the peasant groups. Pictured on Aakash Bhairav's head is an image that the

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

identify as

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

, and the

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

identify as

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

, thus making the idol of Yalamber/Aakash Bhairav worshipped by all.

Worship

The traditional Akash Bhairav Puja is accompanied by

Upasana Upasana (Sanskrit: उपासना ') literally means "worship" and "sitting near, attend to". It refers to the worship of, or meditation on, formless things, such as Absolute Self, the Holy, the '' Atman'' (Soul) Principle, distinguishing medi ...

and Anusthan. Sacred water, sandalwood, flowers, fruits, incense, and naibedya are some of the offerings for this ceremony. Legend has it that worship of the Bhairav is usually a mark of safety and strength. In the Nepali imagination, the Akash Bhairav symbolizes protection and goodwill for the nation and its people. Religion, nation, people, belief, faith and traditional thanksgiving are all interwoven in this manifestation of Bhairav worship. The Akash Bhairav is also believed to be the Jeevan-Tatwa. Culturalism is seen in Bhairav worship and the temple itself. It stands as a grand testament to a cultural personification of Upasamhar. For eight days during the

Indra Jatra Indra Jātrā, also known as Yenyā Punhi is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. "Ye" means the old Newar people, Newari name for "Kathmandu", "Ya" means “Celebration”, and "Puhni" means full moon so together means the ...

, celebrations in the temple consist of adorning the temple and the deity. This is followed by the Tantrik Puja, the Sagun Puja, and the Kal Puja. The worshipper and the deity are held together in a uniquely 'reciprocal' dynamic. In September 2007, Nepal's state-run airline confirmed that it had sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, whose symbol is seen on the company's planes, following technical problems with one of its aircraft.Goats sacrificed to fix Nepal jet
''

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

'', 5 September 2007.

Gallery

File:Indra jatta Aakash bhairav.jpg, Aakash bhairav during

File:Kathmandu-Indra Chowk-Akash Bhairab-16-Kopf-Opfer-2015-gje.jpg, alt=Preparing Akash Bhairav for Indra Jatra, Preparing Akash Bhairav for Indra Jatra File:Bhairav Picture inside Aakash Bhairav Temple 2.jpg, alt=Bhairav Picture inside Aakash Bhairav Temple, Bhairav Picture inside Aakash Bhairav Temple File:Akash Bhairav Temple.jpg, alt=Akash Bhairav Temple, Akash Bhairav Temple

References

External links

* {{coord missing, Nepal Forms of Shiva Hindu temples in Kathmandu District