- September 20, 2023
- Nepal
Gunla Festival and my childhood
Festival brings back fond memories of my childhood. As the son of a Guthi (Newari community) priest in the Newari community, I had the responsibility of distributing Tutapa to each member of our Guthi every day. This was done to invite them to participate in the month-long daily bhajan ceremony, where we would gather to sing prayer songs and engage in musical worship.
The ceremony took place in our Guthi temple every evening for several hours. As a young boy, I found it quite challenging to sit through the entire bhajan session. Often, I would find myself dozing off, as the ceremony would extend late into the evening. However, I knew that the reward awaited me at the end – the prasad offering.
The anticipation of the prasad offering would keep me excited and awake during the arduous bhajan. The moment would finally arrive when the arati, the final part of the ceremony, commenced. As a 13-year-old boy, this was the highlight of the entire experience. After the arati, my father, who served as the priest, would start distributing the offerings, which included fruits, sweets, and sometimes even homemade delicacies.
Even today, whenever I participate in similar events, I still find myself eagerly waiting for the distribution of the offerings. The joy and satisfaction that come after all the hard work and patience make it worthwhile, just as it did in my childhood.
– Basant Bajracharya
