Kathmandu Gaura Parva, one of the festivals celebrated in the Far Western Development Region, has its own charm and vigour. This Hindu festival is not only celebrated for fun, but is also one of the identities of the area. Songs, dances and prayers are the main attractions of this festival that is more women-centric as women take fast abstaining from water, say prayers, take part in the celebrations and make merriment. However, males too involve themselves in the festival with their deuda songs and dances. The festival is primarily dedicated to Parvati and her union with Shiva. “This festival is the original and historical festival of the place. It is an identity of the Far Western Development region,” informed Nanda Krishna Joshi, Deuda Samrat, President of Deuda Samaj and member of the New National Anthem Selection Committee 2063. Not only in the Far Western Development Region, it is also celebrated in areas of Uttaranchal Pradesh of India like Kumaon and Garhwal. The festival derives its name from Parvati. She was gori (fair) and this is why the festival adopts the name Gaura. “It is believed that she had gained this light through meditation,” added Joshi. Story behind the celebrations According to the Hindu mythology, Parvati was so devoted to Shiva that she wanted him to be her life partner. So, she went for a rigid fast to show her devotion towards him. She then went on a stern fast without drinking even a single drop of water during the monsoon season. She offered prayers aiming to get him as her spouse. Shiva was pleased and granted her her wish. Since then the festival has been celebrated in memory of Parvati and her devotion towards Shiva. It exemplifies the sacrifice of a woman to win the love and heart of her beloved. The festival is celebrated by girls and women with songs, dances and prayers. “The celebration is supposed to bring prosperity and long life of a woman’s spouse and her family. It also helps women get happiness, peace and prosperity for her and family. This is why women go on a fast, offer prayers and celebrate the festival,” informed Nanda Krishna. People celebrate this festival beginning on the fifth day (Panchami) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Pakshya) or dark fortnight (Krishna Pakshya) in Bhadra depending on the position of planets at the time. The deity is carried home on the eighth day (Astami). If the Gaura Parva falls on the bright fortnight, then it is called Ujjyali Gaura, but if it falls on the dark fortnight, then it is called Andhyari Gaura. “Women taking the Gaura fast for the first time begin in Ujjyali Gaura as taking the fast in Andhyari Gaura doesn’t fulfil the wishes. They can’t get salvation,” explained Nanda Krishna. During the celebrations of the festival women abstain from sex, make themselves pure and sing magaal. “Magaal is a song sung during such holy times,” informed Nanda Krishna. Birudaa: Mixture of five grains A combination of five things in the Hindu mythology is supposed to be good. Birudaa is the mixture of five grains — gahat, black gram (maas), maize, guras (mashyang) and wheat grains. They are mixed together and soaked in a copper pot on the day of Panchami. The women then sing holy songs (maagal) while performing the acts. “Chokho khaai chokho laai birudaa dhuna jaau Kuldeutaka hukumai le birudaa dhuna jaau Nangrang kai ki didi baina birudaa dhuna jaau Nangrang kai ki didi baina birudaa dhuna jaau Chokho khaai chokho laai birudaa dhuna jaau Kasudeuko hukumaile birudaa dhuna jaau Pashupati deeu ka hukumai le birudaa dhuna jaau Bhokya pet tina kesh birudaa dhuna jaau Nangrang kai ki didi baina birudaa dhuna jaau” (Let’s go to wash birudaa eating pure, wearing pure. Several deities have ordered us to do so) “We generally invite all the females to take part in washing the birudaa and take part in celebration singing this song,” informed Sharada Devi Joshi, a 50-year-old resident of Sankhamul. She has also been dancing at Tundikhel for the last 16 years carrying the idol of Parvati on her head. An idol of the deity is made by combining grass like kush, kaas, titepate, saun and dubo. After these grass are collected, they are taken to a pure place to make the idol. Females then search the idol and bring it to the Gaura ghar (a home especially made for Gaura) keeping it either in a daalo or a dola (doli) on the Astami Tithi (eighth day). Daalo is used in districts like Baitadi, Dadeldhura and Darchula, while dola is used in Bajhang, Bajura and northern parts of Karnali. Meanwhile, in Baitadi an idol of a sister deity Sanja too is made with the same grass.  While bringing the deity home women sing maagal: Aajako din hijo ranajhaniya lalo maaita aaiyn re Raija baabu looli gora ranajhaniya Laali chha maina chhaumasa re ranajhaniya (Gora has come to the home. Stay here for six months) Then the idol is brought to a Gaura ghar and kept for five to six days and worshipped. The deity is then worshipped with the birudaa by women who are fasting. Jamara too is kept for this festival. Dubo and aapamarga (datiwan) are also used while offering prayers. Gaura is decorated with a red veil and is decorated as a new bride, while the male members play deuda in the courtyard. People offer fruits and other varieties of what??? to the deity keeping them in the daalo or doli. The offered fruits are then kept on a sheet of cloth and then thrown in the air. Whatever people can catch, it is believed to be lucky. Finally the deity is offered to a water source where there is a  tree. “It is believed that water is one of the purest things. Water is important for human beings. It gives us energy too. As Himalayas are a perennial source of water, the deity likes it too. This is why the deity is offered to water. It is quite an emotional scene like that of a bride moving to her husband’s home from her father’s home,” informed Nanda Krishna. “Aaja ko dina eiju ranajhaniya Laali eti kya aadhyaro ranajhanaya raija baabu gora ranajhaniya Lali gori ghara gayin re” (It is a sad day as the gora has gone to her husband’s house). The sacred thread Similar to wearing a sacred thread by the men in Janai Purnima, the Brahmin and Chhetri women from the Far Western Development Region have a tradition of wearing the dubodhaago on their right arm. It is a thread made from cotton. It is a prashad of Gaura and is changed every year during the festival. “This sacred thread is necessary while offering prayers each day in the morning as the women do not take anything without offering prayers to the deity,” narrated Sharada Devi. Deuda songs One of the charms of the festival is the deuda songs. Written in Nepali, the songs have a two-line stanza consisting of 14 alphabets in each of the lines. All together there are 28 alphabets in the songs where halanta (comma) is not counted. Hiunbhauti malika paddo patan puridaina Sai durai ma pani durai maya duridaina (Snow fall in a higher altitude will not be able to bury a ground Even if a girl and boy are away their love doesn’t fade) These songs are sung on-the-spot in a question-answer form. Dances performed to these songs too are different. Dedhi kadam (one-and-half step) is used. With the steps — one step front and half step back is a sole centric dance. People make a circle and dance to the songs during the festival. As per Nanda Krishna, the festival was brought to the Capital by the Upreti family of Kalikasthan in Kathmandu some hundred years ago. Nowadays people gather and celebrate together. The dancer   If anyone has seen a lady dancing at Tundhikhel during the festival, then it is none but Sharada Devi. She is the dancer who carries the Gaura on her head and dances deuda in the Capital. “It is all fun to watch people looking at me and encouraging me. The young ones watch enthusiastically when I carry the deity on the head. It is quite difficult to carry a heavy thing on your head and dance. One needs to follow certain steps — a step ahead and a half back — using your the soles of your feet to perform the dance. Most of the people don’t know the exact steps. Some of them don’t know the hand movements while some of them can’t use their soles properly,” shared Sharada Devi. Sharada Devi, whose original home was in Tatar, Dadeldhura learnt the steps from her aunts and sisters-in-law at the age of 16 when she was in her father’s home. She married but the passion didn’t end.  She continued. She is 50 now yet she dances with all the strength and charm to celebrate the festival while stealing centre-stage at Tundhikhel. “When I am carrying the deity, another one carries Sanja (the sister deity of Gaura). It is smaller and covered in a pitambar (yellow clothing). This is all done to show the love between sister deities and a message to live happily and in cooperation.”