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Phulpati and Maha Ashtami: From customs to sacrifice

Foolpati

Are the longest festivities in Nepal complete without proper customs and rituals? Of course not! The most auspicious festival in Nepal, the celebrations for Dashain last for 15 days in the month of Ashwin. Just as Dar Khane Din is impossible without feasting, Dashain is incomplete without the rituals on Fulpati and the sacrifices on Maha Ashtami. 

 

Phul means flower and pati means leaves/plants, Phulpati is the seventh day of the Dashain festival, an occasion to bring the nine goddesses to your home. The name Fulpati suggests bringing in nine plants to your homes, representing the nine goddesses. The combination of these nine plants is known as Navapatrika- each plant depicting a specific form of the goddess to enlighten homes with health, wealth, and prosperity. 

 

The Navpatrika custom holds immense significance to Phulpati; the plants are worshipped during the Navpatrika puja with the Jamara sown on the first day of Dashain, Ghatasthapana. Another custom that has been continued since Shah Banshi Monarchy is the celebration of receiving Kalas and nine different plants delivered from Gorkha. On this occasion, in Tundikhel, the Nepal army performs various activities including the firing of cannon to mark the celebrations. 

 

We are now at the most fascinating and vibrant tradition of Phulpati day – how the Phulpati travels from Gorkha to Kathmandu. A person swims across the river with the Phulpati instead of taking the bridge or a boat’s support to deliver the Navapatrika at Kathmandu, where officials from the Royal Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and the government are present to welcome the Phulpati. This tradition has its historical roots in the reign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. 

 

Being a festival with elaborate customs, one such tradition of Dashain on the day of Maha Ashtami is animal sacrifices. The legend for this day is Goddess Durga reincarnated as Goddess Kali and defeated the demon king to win the battle. The widely popular notion is to sacrifice animals to appease Goddess Kali and later consumed as ‘prasad’ from the Goddess. People unwilling to sacrifice animals also offer coconuts to the goddess instead. 

 

Maha Ashtami is considered as an auspicious day to worship weapons as the Goddess won the battle on this day along with vehicles and machinery parts. Fervent devotees read ‘Durga Saptashati’ as a ritual and perform religious customs at temples. A ‘Kalaratri’ ceremony is performed at midnight at a ‘Dashain Ghar’.

 

All this talk of Dashain has gotten you nostalgic, right? It is important to embrace those sentimental celebrations! For which nothing seems better than Foomantra! If you need clothing, accessories, handicrafts, musical instruments, gifts, or Titaura, we have got you all covered!

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