Nepali town welcomes the New Year with drum beats, dancing, palanquins, Sindoor

Bhaktapur [Nepal], April 14 : The beat of traditional Dhime (drum) go high as the ceremonial palanquins circumambulate the Balkumari Temple of Thimi with an atmosphere filled with the smell of Sindoor (vermilion powders) as the town welcomes Nepali New Year 2081 following the Lunar calendar.
The annual festival of Sindoor Jatra paints the town with orange Sindoor which is observed on the 2nd of Baisakh or the first month of the year as per the Lunar calendar. A total of 19 ceremonial palanquins are brought to the temple square by devotees soaked in Sindoor accompanied by singing and dancing troupes.
"19 ceremonial palanquins are toured around the temple in modern times but in the past, there used to be 32 palanquins. To mark the new year, Bode- the adjoining town also holds the annual festival where a devotee pierces their tongue; other towns in Bhaktapur- Nagadesh, Bode and Nil Barahi also hold ceremonial celebrations," Rajan Prajapati, one of the revellers told ANI.
Celebrated on the second day of the Nepali month Baisakh by the Newar community in Madhyapur, Thimi, the festival also marks the advent of the spring season. A day before the observance of Sindoor Jatra, the locals of Thimi perform Gunsin Chhoyekegu, which means the firing of forest wood. The next day, palanquins locally called "Khat" are taken to Vishnuvir during the day. Deities are taken on Khats to Kwachhen (Dakshin Barahi) from Layakhu during the night.
On New Year's Day, devotees present offerings and pray to Goddess Balkumari. They flock in masses to her temple in old Thimi. Through time immemorial, she is the consort of Bhairab. They both are the guardian deities of Kathmandu Valley.
During the evening, devotees perform righteous acts such as lighting oil lamps. Some even place them on their legs, chest, forehead, and arms and lie static for hours. The next day, to liven up the atmosphere, musicians play Dhimay Baja (traditional drums and cymbals) to encourage the revellers. During the celebration, only the orange-coloured vermillion powder is used, following the age-old tradition where it is considered sacred and pure.
"It is an age-old tradition, the Bhuli in Newari means orange in colour and Sinha means Sindoor. Today we are celebrating this Jatra as part of Biska Jatra (observed in the core Bhaktapur area) and it has been celebrated for ages using the Sindoor as the main component which gave this festivity name 'Sindoor Jatra'. The yearly commencement of this festivity has been effective and handy in transitioning the cultural practice to the younger generation as they have been engaging actively. They learn to play the traditional musical instruments which encourages the continuity of the tradition," Sajit Manandhar, another reveller told ANI.
"Jatra is observed, and on the second day, the Balkumari is the main place where the fair takes place. When the fair takes place coinciding the day with Saturday, then the palanquins are taken to Dakshin Barahi where a similar fair is observed and toured around," Sanu Batra, another reveller told ANI.
The vermilion powder which is smeared on each other and thrown up in the year is a symbol of prosperity. The music and vermillion powder fill the area with vibrancy and joy as devotees make merry while revolving their community chariots.