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Mohani

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Mohani ( Nepal Bhasa : 𑐩𑑀𑐴𑑂𑐣𑐷 ‎ or 𑐩𑑀𑐴𑐣𑐷 ‎; from Classical Newar : 𑐩𑐴𑐣𑐷 ‎, mahani ), also known as Moni or Mohni is annual religious festival celebrated by the Newar people of Nepal . It is analogous to Dashain , a Hindu festival celebrated in South Asia , although Mohani celebrated by both Hindus and Buddhists . The festival is based on the lunar calendar and starts on the first day of the bright fortnight of Kaula , around late September and lasts for fifteen days till the full moon .

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33-454: The festival involves a packed itinerary of religious services, pilgrimages, family gatherings and outdoor celebrations lasting several days. Special dinners known as Nakhtya ( 𑐣𑐏𑑂𑐟𑑂𑐫𑐵 ‎), to which all the relatives are invited, continue for weeks later. The festival is also dedicated to Taleju, the tutelary goddess of the Malla kings . The festival has been variously described as

66-429: A celebration of Hindu Goddess Durga slaying the demon Mahisasur , Goddess Chamunda destroying the demon Chunda and Indian emperor Ashoka renouncing arms in disgust after a particularly bloody battle and becoming a Buddhist . Mohani is celebrated according to the lunar calendar , so the dates are changeable. The main celebrations last for four days from the 8th to the 11th days of the bright half of Kaulā (कौला),

99-674: A man was his Genius , that of a woman her Juno . In the Imperial era , the Genius of the Emperor was a focus of Imperial cult . An emperor might also adopt a major deity as his personal patron or tutelary, as Augustus did Apollo . Precedents for claiming the personal protection of a deity were established in the Republican era , when for instance the Roman dictator Sulla advertised

132-466: Is a sacred masked dance festival which is held as part of the celebrations of Mohani. It takes place in Khokana , a village to the south of Kathmandu, on the seventh day of the fortnight. The festival consists of dance performances and religious rituals, and continues for five days. In Bhaktapur , the masked dance of Nava Durgā is held. Nava Durga means group of nine goddesses who are believed to protect

165-626: Is a traditional dance of Lalitpur district and is performed on the day of Ghatasthapana, the first day of Dasin festival. The dance is estimated to be 350 years old, introduced during the Malla Regime in Kathmandu valley. The dance is performed by the Shakyas and Bajracharyas community. The dance depicts the eight matrikas (or goddess), namely, Kumari, Indirayeni, Bhramayani, Maheswor, Barahi, Ganesh, Chamunda and Mahalaxmi. According to

198-500: Is patron of yogis and renunciants. City gods and goddesses include: Influenced by the religion of Islam , Indonesian people believe in jinn , particularly on the island of Java. Those jinn who adhere to the religion of Islam are generally benevolent, however, non-Muslim jinn are considered to be mischievous. Some of them guard graves. If a pilgrim approaching the grave has evil intentions, they would cause severe illness or even death. Spirits called shedim are mentioned twice in

231-565: Is the patron of military personnel and police, while Mazu is the patron of fishermen and sailors. A similar concept in Christianity would be the patron saint example of archangels "Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, etc." or to a lesser extent, the guardian angel . In Hinduism , personal tutelary deities are known as ishta-devata , while family tutelary deities are known as Kuladevata . Gramadevata are guardian deities of villages or regions. Devas can also be seen as tutelary. Shiva

264-612: The civitas of the Remi in Gaul adopted Apollo as its tutelary, and at the capital of the Remi (present-day Rheims ), the tutelary was Mars Camulus . Tutelary deities were also attached to sites of a much smaller scale, such as storerooms, crossroads, and granaries. Each Roman home had a set of protective deities: the Lar or Lares of the household or familia , whose shrine was a lararium ;

297-1006: The genius loci or guardian spirit of the site, Hercules , Silvanus , Fortuna Conservatrix ("Fortuna the Preserver") and in the Greek East Aphrodite and Agathe Tyche . The Lares Compitales were the tutelary gods of a neighborhood ( vicus ) , each of which had a compitum (shrine) devoted to these. Their annual public festival was the Compitalia . During the Republic, the cult of local or neighborhood tutelaries sometimes became rallying points for political and social unrest. Chinese folk religion , both past and present, includes myriad tutelary deities. Exceptional individuals, highly cultivated sages, and prominent ancestors can be deified and honored after death. Lord Guan

330-516: The Hebrew Bible . In both of these instances ( Psalm 106 :37 and Deuteronomy 32:17) the shedim are associated with child sacrifice or animal sacrifice . The term " shedim " is believed by some to be a loan-word from the Akkadian shedu , which referred to a spirit which could be either protective or malevolent. In Korean shamanism , jangseung and sotdae were placed at

363-541: The Latin town of Lanuvium and the Etruscan city of Veii , and was often housed in an especially grand temple on the arx (citadel) or other prominent or central location. The tutelary deity of Praeneste was Fortuna , whose oracle was renowned. The Roman ritual of evocatio was premised on the belief that a town could be made vulnerable to military defeat if the power of its tutelary deity were diverted outside

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396-470: The Penates who guarded the storeroom (penus) of the innermost part of the house; Vesta , whose sacred site in each house was the hearth; and the Genius of the paterfamilias , the head of household. The poet Martial lists the tutelary deities who watch over various aspects of his farm. The architecture of a granary ( horreum ) featured niches for images of the tutelary deities, who might include

429-554: The goddess Victory as his tutelary by holding public games ( ludi ) in her honor. Each town or city had one or more tutelary deities, whose protection was considered particularly vital in time of war and siege. Rome itself was protected by a goddess whose name was to be kept ritually secret on pain of death (for a supposed case, see Quintus Valerius Soranus ). The Capitoline Triad of Juno , Jupiter , and Minerva were also tutelaries of Rome. The Italic towns had their own tutelary deities. Juno often had this function, as at

462-617: The Nepalese Legation for the ceremony where they chopped up a radish. After the ceremony, they returned to their own places in a similar procession. There was another pageant in which the merchants carried a huge demon mask. The parade was led by a few men dressed in women's clothes. The Paya ceremony was also celebrated in other towns in Tibet like Shigatse and Gyantse where there were Lhasa Newar merchants and artisans. In recent years, with Nepalese migrating to various parts of

495-440: The city from external harm. Nine shrines dedicated to the deities mark the city's perimeter. At a courtyard inside the old royal palace at Patan , masked dancers representing Asta Matrikā (eight mother goddesses) reenact the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahisasur. The performances were begun in the 17th century. The Asta Matrika Dance is also performed to remove obstacles in the city caused by bad spirits. Worshipping

528-515: The city, perhaps by the offer of superior cult at Rome. The depiction of some goddesses such as the Magna Mater (Great Mother, or Cybele ) as " tower-crowned " represents their capacity to preserve the city. A town in the provinces might adopt a deity from within the Roman religious sphere to serve as its guardian, or syncretize its own tutelary with such; for instance, a community within

561-504: The concept of safety and thus of guardianship. In late Greek and Roman religion , one type of tutelary deity, the genius , functions as the personal deity or daimon of an individual from birth to death. Another form of personal tutelary spirit is the familiar spirit of European folklore. Socrates spoke of hearing the voice of his personal spirit or daimonion : You have often heard me speak of an oracle or sign which comes to me … . This sign I have had ever since I

594-642: The edge of villages to frighten off demons. They were also worshiped as deities. Seonangshin is the patron deity of the village in Korean tradition and was believed to embody the Seonangdang . In Meitei mythology and religion ( Sanamahism ) of Manipur , there are various types of tutelary deities, among which Lam Lais are the most predominant ones. In Philippine animism , Diwata or Lambana are deities or spirits that inhabit sacred places like mountains and mounds and serve as guardians. In Shinto ,

627-408: The eight goddesses is believed to bring good to the country and the people. In Bunga , 9 km south of Kathmandu, a festive parade of Goddess Manakamana is held on the ninth day of the fortnight. A dance featuring a masked man riding a hobby horse is also shown, among other performances. Asanbhalu Dyah Jātrā, also known as Annapurna Jatra, is held on the 11th day of the fortnight. An image of

660-417: The fortnight as per the lunar calendar . Family members sit in a row for the feast with the eldest taking the place of honor at the top and the youngest at the bottom. The next day, known as Syākwa Tyākwa (स्याक्व त्याक्व), is Navami , the ninth day of the fortnight in the lunar calendar. Sacred rituals are performed at the shrine room of the tutelary deity. People also make sacred offerings to their tools of

693-460: The goddess Asanbhalu Ajimā, the patron deity of Asan, Kathmandu , is placed on a palanquin and carried around town accompanied by musical bands. The Asan Pāyā sword procession is also held on this day, with the youngest member of the community leading the parade. The day is the last day of Mohani for the locals of Asan, and is known as Asan Chālan. The sacred Kumha Pyakhan dance used to be performed at Durbar Square and Asan as symbolic protection of

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726-487: The image of the goddess Taleju when it is brought out of her temple during Mohani. The Malshree dhun (मालश्री धुन) is played and heard during this time. The joyous melody is one of the six seasonal tunes in traditional Newar music . Flying kites is the most popular sport that people engage in on the sidelines of Mohani. This is the season for flying kites because of the pleasant weather and windy conditions. Rooftops and open fields are crowded with revelers, and dogfights in

759-636: The mythology, king Nivash Malla saw in his dream a mother goddess dancing in the royal court at Mulchowk. On the next day he ordered to perform a similar dance in his kingdom. In the early days, 13 dancers performed for 13 god and goddesses along with 13 dance teachers and musicians representating 13 Dev Gad. The god and goddesses are marked with different colors Simhini(white), Bhairav(blue), Ganesh(white), Kumara(red), Brahmayani(grey), Barahi(red), Indrayani(yellow), Mahalaxmi(yellow), Kaumari(red), Vaishanavi(green), Mahakali/Chamunda(red), Rudrayani(white) and Vhyagrihi(yellow). This Nepal -related article

792-462: The planting of barley seeds, on the first day of the fortnight. The seeds are planted in sand in earthen basins and small bowls. This is done in the shrine room at one's home and at the Agam Chhen (आगं छेँ) the house where the family's tutelary deity is installed. A week later, a family feast known as Kuchhi Bhoy ( 𑐎𑐹𑐕𑐶 𑐨𑑂𑐰𑐫𑑂 ‎) is held on the day of Ashtami , the eighth day of

825-430: The sky in which kite fliers try to cut the opponent's line with one's line are keenly watched. The kites are highly maneuverable, and are flown using a spindle. The line is coated with mājā , a sticky paste mixed with powdered glass to help cut the opponent's line. The most common social belief regarding the tradition of flying kites is that kites go up to the heavens carrying a message to the gods to stop sending rain for

858-584: The spirits, or kami , which give life to human bodies come from nature and return to it after death. Ancestors are therefore themselves tutelaries to be worshiped. Some tutelary deities are known to exist in Slavic Europe, a more prominent example being that of the Leshy . In Vietnamese folk religion , Thành hoàng are gods who protect and bring good things to the village. Asta Matrika Dance The Asta Matrika Dance also called Gaan: Pyakhan

891-481: The streets holding ceremonial swords aloft prior to the event. The procession is known as Pāyā (पाया). The festivities end with another family feast in the evening. The Pachali Bhairav Jātrā is a procession held in Kathmandu to honor the deity Pachali Bhairav whose shrine is located at the southern part of the historic section of the city. The parade takes place on the fifth day of the fortnight. The Sikāli Jātrā

924-428: The tenth day of the fortnight. Family members go to the shrine room of their tutelary deity for a service. They receive bunches of barley shoots planted on the first day as sacred gifts. Dabs of red paste are put on their foreheads as a blessing. Other ceremonies consist of chopping up an ash gourd painted with the face of the devil at the shrine house of the tutelary deity. In some localities, participants parade through

957-442: The trade, weighing scales, looms, machinery and vehicles. The Taleju Temple located at Kathmandu Durbar Square , Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square are opened to the public on this day only, and devotees visit the temple to offer worship to the goddess, who is also the tutelary deity of Nepal's Malla kings of old. The day ends with another grand family feast. The next day is Chālan (चालं), which occurs on Dashami ,

990-526: The twelfth month in the lunar Nepal Era calendar. The modern name of the festival, Mohani, is derived from the Classical Newar word, mahani. According to Gautama Vajracharya , the word mahani derives from the Sanskrit word Mahanavami , literally the ninth great day, which is the name for the ninth day and the most important day of the festival. Mohani starts with Nalāswane (नःलास्वने),

1023-432: The world to work or settle, they have been celebrating their festivals wherever they reside with community feasts and cultural programs. Tutelary goddess A tutelary ( / ˈ tj uː t ə l ɛ r i / ; also tutelar ) is a deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses

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1056-597: The year. Another belief says that it brings prosperity to the family. Flying kites is also believed to be a way of communicating with one's ancestors. Newar expatriates in Tibet used to celebrate Mohani like in Kathmandu, and they held the Paya procession on the 10th day of the fortnight. In Lhasa , the participants holding swords paraded around the Barkhor accompanied by musical bands playing nāykhin (नायखिं) drums. They went to

1089-470: Was a child. The sign is a voice which comes to me and always forbids me to do something which I am going to do, but never commands me to do anything, and this is what stands in the way of my being a politician. The Greeks also thought deities guarded specific places: for instance, Athena was the patron goddess of the city of Athens . Tutelary deities who guard and preserve a place or a person are fundamental to ancient Roman religion . The tutelary deity of

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