The most important original festival of the people of Far West is 'Gaura'. On the day of Bhadra Shukla Paksha Panchami, the Gaura festival is celebrated for a period of more than a week, which begins by soaking five types of grain 'birunda'.
At this time, the joy of Gaura festival has spread over the villages and settlements of the Far West. Today Friday is the fourth day of Gaura. The fourth day of Ashtami is called 'Gaurashtami'.
Gaura begins on Panchami day when fasting women soak 'birunda' at home i.e. in the temple. It is a custom to soak five grains, wheat, kaalu, wheat and guravas in a copper vessel, which is coated with pure cow dung and soaked and kept dry. This is called Birunda. It is eaten as prasad during the Gaura festival after the puja.
Lakshmi Bohra of Dadeldhura said that it is customary to sing the augur of Mars while soaking the Birunda. In the Far West, there is a custom of singing Sagun Phag on auspicious occasions and festivals. She said that she used to sing while soaking the grass. On the second day, go to a stream or a well to wash the weeds.
On the day of Saptami, idols of Goura are made from the fields and brought to Gauraghar, temples and shrines. On Thursday Saptami, an idol of Gaura was made from saun (a type of plant) as a symbol of Parvati and brought into the Gauraghar.
It is customary for women to bring in Gaura from the fields by singing mangaldhun songs and playing with instruments.
Gaura and Maheshwar are married on Friday Ashtami. Gaura is worshiped on the day of Ashtami with the chanting of Mangal. The gaura is brought to the courtyard of the gaura house. There is a tradition of dancing along with various Chait, Dhamari Athwali songs, Veergatha songs of Raja Maharaja.
It is a custom to keep the Gaura Prateik brought in on Saptami for 5 or 7 days in the Gaura house. During this period, Deuda, Phag, Chait, and Dhamari are played in Gaura houses in Far West.
According to the belief that Sati Devi resides in the green grass as Sati Devi hides her subtle form in the green grass when she jumps into the Agni Kund of Daksha, there is a tradition of worshiping her by making a collective form with green grass growing in the paddy.
There is a religious belief that when a married woman worships Gaura Devi, her husband will live longer and the home will be happy and peaceful. Cultural expert Tirtha Pandey says that it is customary for women to wear 'Dubo-Dhago' for one year on this festival, just like the men of the Brahmin and Chhetri communities.
During this festival, games are played by singing songs of Chait, Bhageswar's Dhusko, Dhumari, Tulsi and various Deuda songs.
In the Far West, Gaura festival was given more importance than Dasain and Tihar. Locals say that there is a tradition of sewing new clothes on Gaura festival in families with poor financial condition.
Similarly, all the members of the family who are on business, work and employment in different places outside the house come to the house.
Meenraj Rosyara of Dadeldhura said that although the Gaura festival starts from the day of soaking the Birunda, the idol of Gaura is brought in as a special day and the splendor of Gaura will increase.
Local Lakshmi Bohra said that during the Gaura festival, women worship Gaura-Maheshwar and pray for good health, long life, prosperity and auspiciousness.
After worshiping on the day of Ashtami, women take Birunda as Prasad and worship it on the head of the family members and pat Birunda on their foreheads.
Gaura is also known as 'Gamra', 'Gohra', 'Gawra' etc. in this area. All these mean Parvati.
Pandey says that Gaura is a festival that identifies the original folk culture that has existed in the Far West and Karnali region for centuries. According to him, Gaura is an important original festival that presents the folk culture, folk literature, traditional customs, historical heroic sagas and costumes of this region.
The Veer Gatha songs sung during the Gaura festival have been handed down orally for generations. Gaura is given importance not only by women but also by men and children.
Published: 19 Bhadra 2083 19:08 Friday
