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Newars, who used to be almost the entire population of Kathmandu Valley before the invasion of the Shah dynasty in 1968, are inheritors of the rich history and culture. Prior to the Gorkha conquest of the valley, the three neighboring cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhadgaon (Bhaktapur) were the capitals of autonomous Newar kingdoms. Even today the populations of both Patan and Bhaktapur are largely Newar. But present day Kathmandu plays host to a large number of migrants from different parts of the country and also the neighboring countries. The economy of the valley depended on the rice cultivation and the trade between India and Tibet. Reflecting on the fertility of the valley and its strategic position for trade between India and Tibet, it could be said that Newars were primarily farmers and traders. Sound economic position and the stable and strong Malla regime gave the people abundant time development of art, architecture and culture. This led to the growth of major urban complexes; the cities. The prosperity is still visible if we go to the Durbar Square.
Newars speak Newari, which is an independent language with its own script and a rich literature. It belongs to the Himalayan group of the Tibeto-Himalayan branch of the Tibeto Burmeli sub family of languages, it seems likely that the earliest stratum of the Newar population may have come from Tibet and then over a long period evolved into its present form through the inter-mingling of immigrant people, including indo-Aryans from the south. In Nepal the historical research is still in its infancy and very little is known concerning the development of Newari culture and society. But there are very good grounds for believing that the Newars were Buddhist in religion. The ancient Newars were predominantly Buddhist but with the political domination of Hindu rulers, the Newar religion has grown complex with new practices and beliefs. Many Newars today practice Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism but they also have very strong faith in Hinduism and perform Hindu rituals of feast and fasting as well. There is no line of distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism among Newars. But there is a queer division of Newars on the ground of caste introduced by a Malla king. The Newars are divided into levels corresponding to the occupation they are engaged in and their social position in defined accordingly. The highest class is of course the priestly class. Priesthood is handed down to the sons by the fathers. Shakya, Bajracharya become priest by birth. Then comes Pradhan, Joshi, Rajbhandari etc. who used to be recruited for governmental services and as the advisors to the King. Then there is the workers’ class. The farmers, artisans and craftmen belong to this class. There are untouchables who are supposedly the cleaners and butchers. The whole social structure of Newars is built on this caste system. With time and the changing mores the attitude towards caste system is definitely changing but even today we find many Newars pursuing their traditional occupation because it is assigned by their caste. Today we find Newars scattered in various parts of the Nepal but the essentially originated in the Valley. In today’s fast life we see that Newars are still finding time for jatras, pujas, and social ceremonies with equal enthusiasm to continue their unmatched cultural heritage. Ihi or Bel Bibaha Normally Newar girls are married thrice in their lives. The first marriage is called “Ihi (Newari) or “Bel sanga bibaha” (Nepali). And then they are married to the Sun which is called “Bara Tayegu” (Newari) or “Gufa Rakhne” (Nepali). When they get into human conjugal relationship its actually their marriage. These marriage ceremonies are conducted both among Buddhist Newars and Hindu Newars. Ihi or pre-puberty rite among Newars Before Newar girls reach their puberty they are married to the fruit of wood-apple tree called Bel. It is performed at the girl’s odd age like 5, 7, 9 before they starit menstruation. Ihi is a two-day ceremony commencing with purification rituals and ending with “Kanyadan” of the girl by her father meaning “giving away the virgin”. This Kanyadan ceremony performed in Non-Newar Hindu marriage. So Ihi could actually be taken as the first marriage of the Newar girls except for that they are married to an icon of Suvarna Kumar, the immortal God. Ihi is regarded a very sacred Newari ritual and it’s a must for all Newar girls. The ceremony is conducted by Priest called “Gubhaju” for Buddhist Newars and “Deobhaju” for Hindu Newars. The rite is held whenever sponsors are prepared to meet the considerable expenses. Though a member of girls are always jointly initiated, the scale can vary from just a few closely related members of the same caste to as many as three or four hundred drawn from a wide range of castes. Ihi is often held in conjunction with other ceremony, such as old age ceremony. The first day of the Ihi is called dusala Kriya. On this day, the girls prepare at home with the purification bath and dress in new cloths and put on ornaments. The girls then assemble at previously purified courtyard accompanied by a senior woman of the father lineage. They all sit in a neat line around the edge of the courtyard. And then for the next couple of hours the priest, with the help of his wife, takes the girls through a sequences of ritual actions of purification. The main event takes place on the second day. Once again girls assemble in the courtyard. Now the girls are dressed elaborately in glittering bridal suit comprising of ankle length skirt, blouse and shawl. They put on more ornaments and red tika on their foreheads to give bridal look. The day begins with the purification rituals and proceeds to Kanyadan. The father gives the girl’s to Suvarna Kumar Kanyadan concludes with the giving of a set of clothes owrn by married women to girl by her parents. Ihi is performed to save from various dangers, in particular the possibility of attack from malicious spirits. But by far the most commonly given reason is to protect the girl from the awful stigma of widowhood. Ihi links the girl in an eternal marriage with a god. Therefore the death of a mortal human spouse cannot deprive her of her married status thus freeing her from the custom of having to burn on one’s husband’s funeral pyre which was prevalent among Hindu communities a few centuries ago. Ihi rite also enforces the right of the widow’s remarriage in the Newar Community, thus liberating the women form Hindu orthodox viewpoint of one life one marriage system. Though the original rite seems to have been lost with the cultural invasion in the valley, Ihi is still performed among Newars with compulsion. Festival and Rituals
Newar culture is very rich in pageantry and ritual throughout the year. Many festivals are tied to Hindu holidays, Buddha's birth and the harvest cycle. The important Newar festivals are "Mha Puja" , celebrated in the occasion of the New year as per local calendar (Nepal Sambat), Bisket Jatra celebrated on the first of Baisakh and many more. One of the important festival celebrated by Newar people is Gunhu Punhi. During this nine-day festival, Newar men and women drink a bowl of sprouted mixed cereals and offer food to frogs in the farmers' fields. On the second day, Sā Pāru (Gai Jatra), people who have lost a family member in the past year dress up as cows or anything comical and parade through town, a ritual carried by a king to show his queen that not only his son died but other people die too. The last day of Gunhu Punhi is Krishnastami, birthday of lord Krishna, an incarnation of lord Vishnu. Astamatrika Dancers of Nepal
Yanyā Punhi (Indra Jatra) is a holiday related to Hindu god king of heaven, Indra. The festival begins with the carnival-like erection of Yosin, a ceremonial pole, accompanied by the rare display of the deity Aakash Bhairab, represented by a massive mask spouting beer and liquor. Households throughout Kathmandu display images and sculptures of Indra and Bhairab only at this time of year. Finally, the Kumari, or virgin goddess (living goddess), leaves the seclusion of her temple in a palanquin and leads a procession through the streets of Kathmandu to thank Indra the rain god. And there is an occasion in Tihar where people worship themselves know as Mha Puja(self-worship)in which people eat good food and wear good clothes, this day is also the newari new year or Nepal Sambhat in which a rally takes place where people go around town in motorcycles. Many rituals are related to the stages of life stages from birth, first rice-feeding, childhood, puberty, marriage, seniority and death. The complexity and all-encompassing nature of these rituals cannot be exaggerated. For instance, Newar girls undergo a Bahra ceremony when they reach menarche. Because menstruation is considered ritually impure, girls undergo ritual confinement for 12 days. Girls are separated from all males and from sunlight for 12 days while they are doted upon by female relatives. On 12th day the girl must pay homage to the sun. Should a Newar man or women live long enough, there are five rituals, known as "janku,"—which can be confusing, as the first rice feeding ceremony is referred to as "janku" as well—performed between the age of 77 and 106. These at the age 77 years, 7 months, 7 days; 83 years, 4 months, 4 days (after one has seen 1000 full moons in one's life); 88 years, 8 months, 8 days; 99 years, 9 months, 9 days; and, finally, at 105 years, 8 months, 8 days. After these rituals are performed, the person will be regarded as a god. Husband and wife will perform their rituals together, as the events occur for the husband. Afterwards, the full complement of life cycle rituals will have been completed, until the death ceremony. Religion
Newar practice both Hinduism and Buddhism. According to the 2001 Nepal Census, 84.13% of Newars were Hindus and 15.31% were Buddhists. Out of the three main cities of Kathmandu valley which are historically Newar, Patan is mostly Buddhist containing the four stupas built by Ashoka, Bhaktapur is primarily Hindu whereas Kathmandu is mixed. Caste
The Newar are divided into hierarchical clan groups by occupational caste, readily identified by surnames. In the past, the upper caste people used to look down upon the lower caste. Such a division of people created a rift in the society which has rendered the mention of caste as a taboo.
Music
The Newar Music consists mainly of percussion instruments. Wind instruments such as flutes and similar instruments are also used. String instruments are very rare. There are songs pertaining to particular seasons and festivals. Paahan chare music is most probably the fastest played music whereas the Dapa the slowest. The dhimay music are the loudest ones. There are certain musical instruments such as Dhimay and Bhusya which are played as instrumental only and are not accompanied with songs.]
Dance
The Newar Dance can be broadly classified as masked dance and dance without the use of masks. The most representative of Newari dance is Lakhey dance. Almost all the settlements of Newar have Lakhey dance at least once a year. Almost all of these Lakhey dances are held in the Goonlaa month. So, they are called Goonlaa Lakhey. However, the most famous Lakhey dance is the Majipa Lakhey dance. It is performed by the Ranjitkars of Kathmandu. The dance takes place for a week during the week containing the full moon of Yenlaa month. The Lakhey are considered as the saviors of children.
Cuisine
The Newar Cuisine is a unique type of cuisine. It consists of non-vegetarian and vegetarian items as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Mustard oil and a host of spices, such as cumin, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi, bayleaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chili, mustard seeds, vinegar, etc. are used in cooking. The cuisine served in the festivals is considered as the best diet cuisine.
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