Personal Note: For a long time, I could not bear to write about my experiences as a child in Nepal. The emotional and spiritual wounds remained raw and deep. Now, however, I feel it is time to revisit that very significant period of my life and glean all that was good from it before it is too late.
Dedicated to Kaji Lal Shrestha and his family in Chandeshwari
As
a child, I lived in a compound on a maidan (artificial mound) that had
been constructed almost at the halfway point between the village of
Banepa and the village of Chandeswari. Banepa lay on the paved road
that went from Kathmandu all the way to the Tibetan border and had been
built by the Chinese. Chandeswari, on the other hand, was a little less
accessible, as the road was nothing more than a path.
My
aunt and uncle had little interest in the native religions or legends
but I made friends quickly with the village girls and participated in
their puja rituals as often as possible. Puja consisted of taking a
platter filled with different rraditional offerings to the local temple
in the morning, being blessed with sacred red paste or powder (tika) and
then returning home. All the young girls I knew performed puja. I
daresay my aunt and uncle would have been horrified had they known that I
worshipped at the temple of Chandeswari with my friends.
I
remember some of the offerings that were placed on the large round tal
that was taken to the temple in the morning. String incense was one of
the items and it was placed in a small brass cup with a stand. Another
offering might be the head of a rooster. Fresh flowers as well as the
crushed rice known as chura in our village might be included as well.
The tika was the red paste that would be placed on the forehead of the
person who brought the offering to the temple.
I hate
to admit it but in my day, the temple was very dirty and very dark
always. We often did not wear shoes and I can remember quite vividly
the feeling of flies, sticky old blood and bones from old sacrifices
beneath my bare feet. The inside of the temple hummed with feeding
flies. During the sacrifices, goat heads were piled high about the
temple precinct.
The atmosphere was charged
with power and magic. Whenever I entered that dim, cool building, I shivered slightly and experienced a frisson of fear. When I look at newer photographs of the temple,
there is less power although I still see old bones from sacrifices
scattered on the ground.
When I first went to Nepal, the smells and sights were overwhelming, but one soon became accustomed to it and indeed, I felt that the more I lived like one of the Nepalese, the better I would feel about life there.
I realise as well that in the West, our culture is extremely antiseptic and that destroys the fabric of reality upon which spiritual power traditionally was and is built. Life and Death are very real and the flies that feast upon the blood as well as the maggots that eat the rotting flesh are part of the Great Goddess who oversees Death and Rebirth. Kali or Durga or Chandeshwori as she is named in Napal is a terrifying Goddess in some of her aspects, with tongue extended to lap up fresh blood with an insatiable thirst. At the same time, as any one who has studied any sort of mythology knows, there can be no Rebirth without Death. Death is the Mother of Rebirth and the old and exhausted must be swept away in order to provide room for new life.
As an adult, I know far more
about the Goddess Chandeswari than I did as a child. She was a
terrifying figure with eight arms, all brandishing weapons and other
items of power. It was she who, in the form of Durga (Chandeswari in
Nepal) slew one of the most powerful of demons. The tale varies from
place to place. I will recount the classical version of the tale after giving the local Nepalese version:
Now to recount the local legend of Chandeshwari in Nepal.
You may not realise how important the
village of Chandeshwari is if you visit it without knowing of its
history but it was here that the powers of Light defeated the evil Demon
Chand.
Long,
long ago, almost within reach of the dawn of Time, a great and powerful
demon named Chanda set his will against the Gods and laid waste to the
earth. The gods engaged in battle against him and were defeated.
Indeed, they were cast out of Heaven itself in defeat and were forced
to live in the forests near Banepa in a valley near a river with a trail
that lead to the very heart of the Himals and to the greatest mountain
of all, later to be known as Everest. The river was the Punya Mata
River and even in those days, there were a few houses near the river
where people were born, lived and died to be burned on the ghats by the
waters.
It was due to the fact that the God Shiva had
granted a boon to the demon that their defeat had been certain for the
demon could not be defeated either by any God or any man.
The
Demon, in the way of most demons, delighted in mischief and
destruction. He laid waste to the land on the shores of the Punya Mata,
even fouling the pure waters of the River. The poor people who lived
there became desperate as their goats, buffalo and chickens were
slaughtered, disappearing into the maw of the Demon, whose appetite was
unsatiable. He roared with laughter to see their anguish and the awful
sound kept the people awake at night, while their bellies rumbled and
they grew weaker and weaker.
There always have been
brave warriors in Nepal and the young men of the warrior caste armed
themselves and sallied forth to fight against Chandra. Like chaff from
beaten rice, after tearing them to pieces, he scattered their bodies to
the four winds and the women wailed and mourned.
Both
the people and the gods living in the forest despaired of their power to
save their land. Only the greatest of the Gods could hope to solve the
terrible problem that faced the world.
The gods living
in the forests sent the Garuda as their messenger to Vishnu and Shiva and narrated their tale of woe.
As they did so, an immense mass of light emanated from the mouth of
Vishnu, joined by similar outpourings of light from the enraged faces of
the other gods. This transformed into a woman, to whom all the gods
transferred their own power. Adishakti re-manifested as Durga in order
to be able to slay Mahishasura, known as the demon Chand.
The
Goddess both beautiful and terrible in her power was given a Lion to
ride by Lord Himalaya, the God of the Great Mountains at the very top of
the world above the valley where Banepa lay. She returned with the
gods to the forest of Banepa and rode out to the field of battle to face
the Demon.
All the gods bestowed their gifts upon Durga
and she rode the Lion armed with celestial weapons, bedecked with divine
ornaments.
The entire army of Mahishasura attacked
her together but she slew them all easily. Their enraged leader, Chand
himself then attacked her in the guise of a buffalo but she bound the
beast with ropes. The buffalo then transformed itself into a Lion and
leapt upon the goddess, but Durga beheaded it with her sword. At this
point, Mahishasura became a swordsman but Durga pinned him down with a
torrent of arrows. The demon next assumed the form of an Elephant and
restrained Durga's Lion, rendering it helpless. Durga cut off the trunk
of the Elephant, thus freeing her Lion. The demon transformed himself
again into a Buffalo to charge at the Goddess.
Infuriated
by his slippery nature and by his ability to transform again and again,
Durga began to drink the potent rakshi made from rice, becoming wholly
intoxicated. In another version of the tale, it was the sacred Soma, the drink of the gods, for which she possesses an insatiable thirst, that she imbibed. Filled with the glory of her own power and beauty, she
began to laugh at him, hurling mountains at the demon and promising him
that she would emerge from the battle victorious to bear his head to the
gods in victory. She then leapt across the battlefield and placed her
foot upon the neck of the demon to prevent him from changing form again.
She then pierced him with her holy trident, beheading him at last
and thus killing him.
At the site of the fierce battle
on the big rocks along the river, visitors still can behold some of the
marks of the conflict. When he was killed, a lingam emerged from his
belly and this has been worshipped ever since at the site. The temple
that stands at Chandeshwari today may have been built in the 17th
century, but the sacred lingam and worship of the Great Goddess has been
there since the dawn of time when the people of Nepal and the Gods were
liberated from the awful might of the Demon.
'Devi
Durga' is known as the Goddess of eternal power. Durga puja is an
age-old festival and is celebrated with great fanfare all over the
country. Goddess Durga is the vanquisher of all evil. Every year, Durga
Puja is celebrated throughout the country and devotees pray to the
Goddess and seek her blessings and protection.
The
origins of Durga is told in different ways. According to the Shiva
Purana, Lord Shiva invoked the primordial energy from his left side to
create Durga. Together, they made an eternal home, Shivaloka or Kashi.
After that, they created Vishnu and Brahma.
The tale really begins with the asura named Rambha, father of Mahishasura. Rambha evidently had offended the gods but performed his penance to Lord Agni. Agni, who is the personification of one of the most primal powers, Fire itself, was pleased with the penance and granted the asura a boon to the effect that he would have a son who could not be killed by any god, man or animal. Agni granted him the boon.
Rambha fell in love with a water buffalo named Mahishi who actually was a princess named Shyamala who had been transformed into an animal as a result of a curse. The water buffalo evidently was pleased with his advances and together, they had a son named Mahishasura. As the mother was a shapeshifter in a sense, Mahishasura was born with the power to transform himself into an animal, a very useful weapon as it proved.
His father told him of the boon granted by Agni but advised his son to visit Lord Brahma to have the powers ratified as it were. Mashishasura dutifully followed his father's advice. Lord Brahma, with some misgivings was forced to honour the provisions of the promise made by Agni and Mahishasura grew into adulthood knowing he never could be killed by a god, a man or any beast.
Mahishasura, as is often the case with demons, had little sense of responsibility towards others and unleashed a reign of terror upon the
earth. When the gods attempted to intervene, Mahishasura defeated them
and succeeded in banishing them from heaven itself. The vanquished gods
went to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and narrated their tale of woe. As
they did so, an immense mass of light emanated from the mouth of Vishnu,
joined by similar outpourings of light from the enraged faces of the
other gods. This transformed into a woman, to whom all the gods
transferred their own power. Adishakti re-manifested as Durga in order
to be able to slay Mahishasure. Armed with the celestial weapons of the
gods and bedecked with divine ornaments, Durga rode onto the field of
battle and challenged the demons. The entire army of Mahishasura
attacked her together but she slew them all easily. Their enraged
leader, Mashishasura himself, then attacked her in the guise of a
buffalo but she bound the beast with ropes. The buffalo then
transformed itself into a Lion and leapt upon the goddess, but Durga
beheaded it with her sword. At this point, Mahishasura became a
swordsman but Durga pinned him down with a torrent of arrows. The demon
next assumed the form of an Elephant and restrained Durga's Lion,
rendering it helpless. Durga cut off the trunk of the Elephant, thus
freeing her Lion. The demon transformed himself again into a Buffalo to
charge at the Goddess. Sipping from a cup of wine to fortify herself,
Durga flung her trident at the beast, beheading the demon and thus
killing him.
Durga Puja is one of the most important
Hindu festivals. It honours the supreme Goddess Durga and is celebrated
throughout India and Nepal. It is celebrated in different ways
according to local customs and cultures, however. Even the rituals
performed during the Puja vary enormously.
The Puja
commences on the day of the new moon during Navaratri. The idols of
Durga Maa are adorned with jewels and silk saris. In some cultures,
idols of Ganesha, Karthikeva and Shiva are decorated and consecrated
beside the Goddess.
In another legend, Durga was
created in order to destroy the invincible demon Mahishasura. The
unified powers of all the gods created a mass of fire and light from
which a magnificent Goddess emerged. By the light of Lord Shive, her
face was created. Lord Vishnu bestowed upon her his arms and Lord
Brahma provided her legs. She was blessed with all the powers of the
gods and the Devi bestowed her powerful weapons upon her. She was
bedecked with priceless jewels, a silk sari and many garlands. Maa
Durga was given a Lion as her form of transport by Lord Himalaya, the
God of the Mountains. She then came to be known as Mahadevi, the
Goddess Durga.
It was necessary to create a Goddess in
order to slay the demon Mahishasura because of a boon granted by Brahma
to the effect that the demon never could be destroyed either by a god or
by a man. By creating the Mahadevi, neither god nor human, the gods
made a saviour for the whole world. On her fierce Lion, Goddess Durga
rode towards the lair of Mahishasura. After a fierce battle in the
course of which the demon transformed himself again and again from
Buffalo to Lion to Elephant and the form of a warrior, the Goddess
managed to slay him. Mahadevi thus became known as Mahishasura
Mardhini, the slayer of Mahisshasura.
A Tourist's Photographs of the Temple and Villages
A rather fine and detailed description of the temple at Chandeshwari follows:
Originally
Chandhonubik Bhagvati. Balsakh-Purnima. After this, the location
became known as Chandeshwari, the site where the demon Chand was slain.
As an offering of thanks, the temple was dedicated to her and every
year a festival is held on Baisakh-Purnima in memory of this event. On
that day, a chariot procession with the implements from the
Chandeshwari sanctum proceeds along the pathway between Banepa and
Chandeshwari. Chandeshwari is approached from Banepa along a stone
paved pathway that runs roughly North-East through farmland and rice
fields. There is a fine view of the whole monument zone from a
considerable distance. The site is located on the right bank of a
steeply sloping gorge and the opposite bank is well wooded. A stream,
cascading down the gorge forms small pools between the rocks at the foot
of the temple precinct.
Below the temple are three
ghats, a spring and various small sanctuaries including one dedicated to
Hanuman. From these loosely connected but sensitively placed buildings and
sculptures there are fine views upwards towards the temple area which is
accessible through a small gate at the top of a steeply ascending path.
The main entrance, guarded by lions, is at the end
of the paved path which proceeds from the southwest through the little
hamlet of Chandeshwari. In front of the gate is an open area with a
path on the left side, a recently restored pond and several other
features which mark it as a zone of divine protection. There are a
number of buildings located on either side of the pathway. They are
mostly settled on the nothern side, however. The main structure of
interest may be the Chandeshwari sanctum which is important because it
houses the ceremonial implements used during the annual procession of
the Chandshwari divinity to nearly Banepa and back. This god house has
recently been preserved against further dilapidation by the local people
from Banepa and Chadeshwari. The temple precinct property is an
irregular rectangle which is enclosed on all sides. Adjoining it on the
west is a walled garden that stretches down the hill towards the ghats.
The north and east boundaries are formed by a brick building which was
recently completed with open rooms on the ground floor serving as a
pathi-some of which are used for meetings and pujas- and with open
terraces on the upper floor. From the northeast corner of the courtyard
there is access to this roof terrace and the path from here leads to
the stream down the hill. In the southeast corner is a rather
dilapidated two-story house made of brick. A ruined brick wall
completes the enclosure on the southern side.
Within
the temple precinct, in front of the main entrance, a brick building
dedicated to Chandeswari Mahadev was erected in the 18th A.D. This
temple which houses the image of Chandeshwari and Shiva - the master of
the slayer of Chand- can be recognised by the image of Shiva's vehicle,
Nand, the bull, who faces the entrance. A wooden niche over the
entrance contains the image of Nriteshwar and inside the temple a Shiva
linga is worshipped daily.
The Chandeshwari temple
itself stands further to the South of the bri
ck paved courtyard. It is
a three-tiered temple with a lion and a peacock on a column in front of
the main entrance. The toran over the doorway is richly carved and
contains several gilded sculptures. On each side of the entrance there
is a small niche that houses a protective divinity.
All
the walls on the ground floor were covered in the early '80s with white
glazed tiles.and circling the temple except for the southern side and
part of the eastern side are rows of votive oil lamps set on a wooden
frame at about 90 cm above plinth level. On the western wall is a
multi-coloured fresco of Bhairab which is repainted each year for the
festival. Within the sanctum of the temple is a free-standing image of
the goddess Parvati wearing rich silver ornaments. On the other
remaining walls several other clay statues are also worshipped.
Most
of the windows are finely carved and contain carved heads of different
divinities. The carved struts are of a special quality and represent
the images of the ashtamarikas and the ashtabhairabs. The two lower
roofs are covered with the original roof tiles , while the upper roof is
probably gilded cooper with bells hanging from the eaves. This roof is
capped with a gilded gujur.
