Nepali New Year

Happy 2069! Folks here told us that Bhaktapur, one of the three towns that makes up greater Kathmandu, is the best place to experience Nepali New Year. So we set off early Friday morning to have the joy of driving through quiet Kathmandu streets. It actually felt like New Years' Day with   shuttered shops and empty streets. We arrived in Bhaktapur before 8a.m. which allowed us to savor the quiet of Bhaktapur's Durbar Square. Women in red saris were bustling through the narrow streets carrying brass trays with rice, raw eggs, marigold flowers and red powder. They paused before each little temple to Ganesh or Shiva and scattered rice, flowers and vermillion powder. It seemed important for the women to pause before each and every temple.....and there are many temples, big and small, scattered all over Bhaktapur.
Soon we passed men and women carrying live chickens along with the brass trays. Curious, we followed the crowd to another square where a huge wooden chariot was standing. It had been hauled through the winding streets a few days earlier and stood ready to be blesssed with the food offerings and blood of the chickens. We watched as a woman offered her squawking chicken to one of the young boys manning the chariot. The teenager then quickly cut the chicken's neck and let the blood drip all over the chariot. Not a scene for the squeamish. The boy then handed the chicken's head and body back to the woman who simply walked off. This scene was repeated over and over. We assume this must be an offering for prosperity in the new year.

She is making an offering to Ganesh which is carved in the door of the temple.

The boys are in charge of the chariot.

Mama and daughter in party clothes.

It appears that this holy man had an exhausting night.

Red is THE color.

Devotions to Ganesh

The Bhaktapur boy band

They are getting ready to dance. Gorgeous

One wheel of the chariot

An offering of egg, rice, vermillion powder and lentils

People were dressed in their finest...red was the dominant color for women and little girls were wearing frilly party dresses while many little boys were dressed in traditional Nepali pants and long shirts with vest and hats (topis). Men gathered  in the shade playing card or dice games. Women sat on narrow stoops to chat and stare after their pujas (devotions to the gods) were complete. The sounds of cymbals, drums and flutes filled the air. Various small groups of men would parade past... clanging  cymbals, beating drums and tooting on flutes.The flute and balloon sellers were having a big day. Little girls had their hands stamped with henna designs while the boys crawled on the chariot. The mood was completely festive.We felt welcome. After six hours, the combination of sun, crowds and newness left us tired and so we headed back to our quiet home with its peaceful garden. We are fortunate.