This is how Gathe Mung is celebrated [Photos]

KATHMANDU: AUGUST 6 – The Newar community has celebrated the Gathe Mung festival today. This festival is celebrated to commemorate the day when a demon named Ghantakarna, who caused sorrow in ancient times, was killed. This festival is celebrated in Kathmandu Valley, Dolakha, Bandipur and other places inhabited by the Newar community.

It is believed that the festival wards off evil spirits, and brings peace and prosperity to their lives. In this festival, people worship and offer sacrifices to demons, serpents and other supernatural beings as well as natural elements like wind, water, and fire since ancient times. On this day people also wear metal rings which are believed to have the power to safeguard people from all ills and evil spirits.

How is Gathe Mung celebrated?

This Newari festival is usually celebrated on Chaturdashi and celebrated as a drama. The legend is acted out in the streets. On the day of the festival, the groups make effigies, made of hay or straw, of the demon at the crossroads They place pots of cooked rice near the effigy. Some also offer meat to the demon.

A man smears black and blue paint all over his body and roams around to collect money or offerings from the people in order to an effigy of the demon god Ghantakarna. And at the end of the day, the dummy is dragged to the nearby river bank for disposal with the painted man sitting on it.

In the evening, the locals hammer three-legged nails onto the door with religious paper charms in order to scare away the ghosts.

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