Yomari Punhi, special festival the Newars observe

The Newar community observe ‘Yomari Punhi’, the post-harvest festival on the full moon day of December (25th December this year) while the Kirat community, who mainly reside in eastern Nepal, also celebrated ‘Sakela Udhauli’ festival with fanfare. The ‘Sakela Udhauli’ festival gives a glimpse to the agricultural life-style of Kirat people, as it falls during the harvesting season. ‘Yomari Punhi’ holds special significance for Newar community

A Yomari is a steamed sweet food dish made of new harvest rice flour dough in a shape of sharp point at lower end and swelled and locked at the upper side. It is filled with brown sugar candy known as Chaaku and paste of sesame seeds. This is offered to Annapurna, the Goddess of food grains for the rice harvest. Small kids and young Newars go to their neighbours to ask Yomari from households in the evening. Yomari cooked at one’s home is gifted to neighbours and relatives as well. The Newars observe religious functions in many places on Yomari Punhi. On this day sacred masked dances are also performed in the villages of Hari Shidhi and Thecho in Lalitpur. Festivals, jatras and guthis are also observed on this day at different Newar settlements.

The Newar community, especially the farmers of the valley also celebrate the day as Jyapu Diwas or Farmers’ Day. Though Jyapu Diwas has been observed lately since 2002, Jyapu Diwas has become a festival in addition to Yomari making. Most of the Jyapus of the valley take part in the cultural procession organized in the Kathmandu core city with traditional music and attires. The political leaders, litterateurs, social workers, business people also take parts in the Jyapu Diwas celebration.

In the Jyapu Diwas events organised in the past, the Prime Minister participated in the function as the chief guest and other high dignitaries. The main function usually organized at Basantapur at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu. The chief guest addresses mass meeting and appreciate the cultural heritage of the country and the value of contributions of the local activists in preserving cultural heritage.

The Jyapus

The farmer community of the Kathmandu Valley is believed to be the aborigines. A section of them are thought to be decedents of Yalambar, the Kirat King in the ancient time who went to take part in the Great Mahabharat battle between Pandava and Kauravas but he had happened to be an audience despite of all his martial abilities. His character has been elaborated in Mahabharat, the great epic as Eklavya. The idol of Akash Bhairava in a big temple at Indrachok in Kathmandu even now is worshipped as the great ancestor. The god Akash Bhairava is worshipped by all.

The hard working Jyapus are the resident farmers of the valley since the time immemorable. They had not only cultivated the land but also enriched culture and traditions. Craftmanship in many household products, music, dances are their contributions. They take part in almost all festivals and fanfares observed in the valley. Their presence is a must at many such occasions.

Moreover, the Newars are divided vertically keeping in view that the Buddhists have Bajracharyas as priests and Hindus have Rajopadyays as their priests. Moreover, there are number of castes in Buddhist and Hindu Newars. No dispute yet had occurred in name of the caste and priests in the Kathmandu Valley. Jyapus, who cultivated land and kept traditions as stated above in the past are one such caste who enjoyed being with all such castes. In recent decades they had been emerged in many such as administration, health service, trades and industries. Farming trade in the valley has been practiced by other than Jyapus also. But they are not included in the Jyapu communities by one or other reasons. Therefore, all Newars are not Jyapus.

Matinaa Paaru is also a special day for the Newars. On the day after Yomari Punhi, a day alike Valentine Day is observed. According to a Newar culture expert has elaborated that among different shapes Yomari, ‘Bayo’ Yomari symbolises the male or the father whereas the triangle shaped with two points at the end known as ‘Mayo’ Yomari suggests to be mother. The Bayo yomari is filled with molasses and sesame seeds while the Mayo yomari is filled with pulses. So, Yomari is considered to be symbolic combination of male and female respectively. The culture of ‘Yomari Phonegu’ (asking donation of Yomari) relates with love and romance. People went homes to home, one locations to other locations to ask Yomari, and at that time they got a chance to sneak peek and talk with their loved ones. In traditional days, society was restrictive with love. Yomari Punhi’s ‘Yomari Phonegu’ culture was utilised as a cruising day in those times, and lovers would secretly meet the other day.

Some people also relate Matinaa Paaru with story of Majipaa Laakhey. Majipaa Laakhey’s love story is another mythical love story, where a Laakhey (demon) turns into a caretaker after falling in love with a girl from Kathmandu. (R. P. Narayan)