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BISKA JATRA (April 9-18)
Biska Jatra is Bhaktapur’s greatest festival and goes on for nine days. The festivity starts off with a raucous tug-of-war at the city center between two neighborhoods trying to drag the triple-roofed chariot of Bhairavnath to their own side. On April 12, a ceremonial pole called yosin is erected on the city outskirts. The two strips of cloth unfurled from the top represent a pair of dead snakes in whose memory the festival has been installed. “Bi” in Nepalbhasa means snake, and sika stands for death, hence the Bisika or Biska festival.
Festivals in Nepal are occasions to express religious devotion and reaffirm social ties. They bring color and magic to daily life and are eagerly awaited events. Almost all the festivals happen according to the lunar calendar, and the dates given below are called for this year only.
Bisket The emergence of the Bisket festival landmarks the culture in Bhaktapur. Prominently observed on the advent of spring it is a festival of human emotion.
The human emotions are symbolically depicted on the multiple aspects of the festival at
Large.
The folk-lore as it tells about the sputtering of a pair of snakes by a handsome youth bestowed with Tantric empowerment is the two serpents come out of the nostrils of a beautiful princess at mid night while sneezing. They grew to huge shape in the twinkling of an eye and took the life of any person who slept with the princess. As always the serpents were about to sting the youthful person in the bed, one night. The meticulous person caused the serpents breath their last with his Tantric power.
Having found the person alive and the serpent, the fallowing morning, Vishwo Malla the then ruler brought the practice of hosting two flags on a big long wooden pole. Symbolically enough the banners were designed after the shape the deceased serpents. The big long pole meant for hoistening the flags were addresses Yashin-the pole of love and remained popular among the local people as these days. The hosting of the serpent shaped flags is annually observed with great enthusiasm. The banners are known as Bisho Dhoja after Bisho Malla.
The mythical belief considers the firmament and the earth as the divine male and female object in the form of Bhairab and Bhadrakali respectively. It says that the mating between the sky and the earth has made the creation possible on our planet. The rain that showers from the sky to the earth are considered the life giving element whiles the earth the creative base. And the hole in which the Yoshin-pole is erected is the symbol of the female reproductive organ.
So, the bisket is also a festival of the mating of the bhairab and the Bhadrakali. The mametallic icon of Bhairab and the Bhadrakali is brought out of the temples four days earlier to the erection of the Yoshin-pole. They are enthroned on the respective chariots called Bhaila Kha (Chariot) and the Nakinju Kha. The Bahila kha and Na kinjukha are voluntarily drawn by the festiv people with great excitement. The Bhairab and Bhadrakali are respectively addressed as Bhaila deo and Nakinju Ajima in local dialect. Essentially the concept of the festival is based on conjugality, cration and continuity of life. On the last day of the year by the evening the Bhairab and the Bhadrakali chariots are drawn toward Yoshin-khyo- where the Yoshin pole is erected. The yoshin pole is erected by the late evening. A mammoth crowd in participation exclaims joy in songs. The energetic youths tend to reach the tope of the pole climbing up the big dangling ropes aiming pick up green shrubs adjusted on the top. The treat behind the endeavors is furnished with a belief; if one who would pick up the green shrub from the top of Yohshin-pole is the lucky one for a male child to give forth. The pole remains perpendicular to the sky and earth for 24 hours. And the evening is followed by a big great all over Bhaktapur.
The dawn of the New-year turns to a joyous moment for all Bhaktapurians. Most of them get assembled to the yoshin khel in early hours of the morning paying, homage and sacrificial puja to the Bhairab and Bhadrakali becomes the scenario of the morning through mid day eve. The cheerful appearance and the festive gala signifies moment of life on the advent of the new Bikram era.
The Yoshin pole is pulled down to the ground by the evening. Mommoth crowd assembled on the eve give expression to their joyful mind with the seasonal melodies singing every now and then. Seasonal tunes in flutes, drum, symbol and other musical instrument are the attractive features of the event.
People get concentrated to pull the Bhairab and the Bhadrakali chariots. They are pull towards the Gahiti tole/section. AT midnight the Bhairab and Bhadrakali chariots are collided symbolizing copulation. But this time the Bhairab chariot does not move even single inch. It is the Bhadrakali who keeps passionately dashing over the Bhairab t mid night.
Special offer for online Reservation:
Here is the special offer if you make the reservation for Jan/ Feb....
We offer you 10% discount in your rooms tariff only on online reservation.
We do also have airport pick up service. And we offer you free airport pick on booking the room for more then 3day on Shiva Guest House 2 only.
We also have apartment available for a month on special price.
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