KATHMANDU
Bhaktapur's Newar community marked Gathemangal, also known as Gathamugh Chahre or Ghantakarna Chaturdashi, on Tuesday, building effigies of the demon Ghantakarna in local neighbourhoods, worshipping them, and setting them ablaze at dusk.
This ritual is believed to rid the community of negative energy and inauspicious influences for the year ahead.
Legend says Ghantakarna hated hearing the truth so much he hung bells in his ears to avoid it, and forced travellers to pay him money and food - a menace that ended only with his death, which locals celebrated.
The rest of the day carried its own rituals: bathing and home cleaning at dawn, iron rings worn for protection, and children going door to door collecting 'jagat', a customary offering that's kept the tradition alive for generations.
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