on friday i'd gone to visit the budhasubba temple in dharan. the temple lies in bijayapur hill, and is an intriguing place. first of all.. the temple, instead of housing idols, has mounds that is supposed to be tomb of the last limbu king of morang, killed by men from prithibi narayan shah's advancing army.
then those who want their wishes to be fulfilled or have their manokamana purna, come to the temple to offer sacrifice... but unlike the bloodshed one sees in the kali temples.. here the person who wrings off the chicken's head inside the temple, throws the headless chicken out into the courtyard, where the birds flutter and jump upto a metre high for at least half a minute.. just like 'headless chicken' would, before the bodies slowly stiffen and then turn limp. fascinating as well as disturbing to watch, but the children present in the premises seemed to be quite entertained.
the temple is also known for its famous bamboo grove. where people used scratch their names on the bamboos and tie holy thread on them. now the grove has been cordoned off to protect these blunt-topped bamboo. so instead, people tie the threads unto anything they find in the temple premises... mainly the fence surrounding the bamboo grove...
(these images are larger than the reduced ones i usually post.. so click on them for slightly enlarged views)
a wall of 'wish me luck' cords on the fence surrounding the bamboo grove...
...on the bell... and no, this goat is not being sacrificed...
...another thread-lined bell
... threads on the katahar tree just in front of the temple...
...on the temple windows...
... and even inside the main shrine, where devotees have tied the threads wherever they can...
the temple itself is so different from others.. lip pot gareko matoka thupra haru... we were allowed to take pictures from outside only...
... another achamma ritual...the innards (liver) of a sacrificed chicken being smoked/burnt on an incense holder
this chicken seems to try to catch its owner's eyes (with his beauty lies inteh eyes of the beholder t-shirt)at the door of the temple.. 'you sure you want me to go through this?'
... a headless chiken is flung through the door, just as a child crosses the courtyard...
.. it continues to thrash about...
some more chicken flap around headlessly...
... chicken finally still.. the premises of the budhasubba temple with the bamboo groves in the front...
... at the back of the temple.. there are experts ready to feather and skin the chicken...
.. as well as an expert, who 'reads' the birds' innards and tells the fortunes for the poeple...
.. and just before you get of the compound a red reminder and a question from the upside-down-question-mark 'prembaad' folks...
then those who want their wishes to be fulfilled or have their manokamana purna, come to the temple to offer sacrifice... but unlike the bloodshed one sees in the kali temples.. here the person who wrings off the chicken's head inside the temple, throws the headless chicken out into the courtyard, where the birds flutter and jump upto a metre high for at least half a minute.. just like 'headless chicken' would, before the bodies slowly stiffen and then turn limp. fascinating as well as disturbing to watch, but the children present in the premises seemed to be quite entertained.
the temple is also known for its famous bamboo grove. where people used scratch their names on the bamboos and tie holy thread on them. now the grove has been cordoned off to protect these blunt-topped bamboo. so instead, people tie the threads unto anything they find in the temple premises... mainly the fence surrounding the bamboo grove...
(these images are larger than the reduced ones i usually post.. so click on them for slightly enlarged views)
a wall of 'wish me luck' cords on the fence surrounding the bamboo grove...
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