Documentary – The Third Generation (Nepali)

The Third Generation (Tesro Pusta, तेस्रो पुस्ता) is a documentary released by Silver Lining Creation on 16 July 2009. The documentary was screened at different film festivals around the globe. The documentary, narrated in Nepali, has subtitles in English.

The documentary is based on a 19 years old Nepali guy who leaves his well paid job at the United Nations to pursue higher degree in the West.

Written, Directed and Edited by Manoj Bhusal
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Gathemangal – demon festival in Nepal

Ghantakarna festival is a Newar festival in Nepal. It is observed during the month of August and after rice plantation. This festival marks the beginning of several other festivals of Hindu and Buddhist in Kathmandu. Ghantakarna is also known with the name ‘Gathamuga’ and ‘Gathemangal’.

The festival features chasing away demons from homes in a symbolic manner. In the festival, Gatha Muga demons, made of wheat straw, are erect at every tole’s street. The straw demons are burnt outside of city or nearby river in the evening.

In the ancient time, when little water and violent storm brought illness due to diseases like gastrointestinal d
iseases, most common during the summer, people thought evil spirits were to be blamed. They said, it was because of the absence of the Nine Durgas that evil spirits were free to enter into the city to cause such troubles.

  • Starts by cleaning the houses
  • Acting out the legendary drama in the streets
  • An effigy made of reeds is placed at the cross roads of the main streets
  • Girls hang their hand-made dolls on this effigy to protect themselves from bad spirits
  • People wear rings made of wrought iron metal on their fingers and ornaments made of silver or gold on the wrist and ankle of their children
  • Girls put ‘mehandi’ on their palms
  • Group of boys roams asking for alms shouting ‘Aaju Jaya Haa, Om Shanti Jaya Nepal’. In the past, the collected money is used for the ritual works of their passed family members.
  • Local people gather to standing up the effigy and a monster like structure is sketched on it.
  • ‘Aaju Jaya’, one who impersonates Ghantakarna by smearing himself with paint is served with beaten rice with curd under the effigy.
  • ‘Aaju Jaya’ is then made to roam the streets with burning torch of husk and begging for donation. The man moves around the effigy for three times. Everyone volunteers to drag Ghantakarna to nearby river.
  • But in the process ‘Aaju’ escapes on the way.

On this festival people, especially newars, visit to ritual places and temples to worship for peace. People worship ‘Bali‘ made of cooked or beaten rice at their home and eat ‘Samyabaji‘ as ‘Prasad‘ to avoid
the impacts of bad spirits. To avoid any effects from bad spirits, a three-legged iron nail is driven in on the doorway while burning incense.

History:

Even though nobody knows when this festival was started, it has been mentioned to be celebrated in Lichhavi era in the history of Gopal Bansha. But there are many myths about this festival being celebrated in the middle age too.

According to a folk lore, a demon called Ghantakarna with a pair of bells on his ears used to terrify people by killing them. He was called Ghanta (Bell) Karna (Ears) to identify him by his bells on the ear.

When, all attempts to kill the demon were not successful. A clever frog however was successfull in killing the demon by trapping him in a swamp when he was on his way to hunting. It is told that the day marks the celebration of Ghantakarna festival. That is the reason, people from newar communities worship frog on that day.

It is also controversial on whether Ghantakarna
was a demon or a god as Hindu worship Ghatakarna as a devotee of Lord Shiva while in Buddhism he considered a symbol of god Bhairab.

Real Worms in Real Juice

Last month, a consumer of Real Juice, Raju Adhikari, found suspicious material in a juice packet manufactured by Dabur Nepal in Kathmandu.

Sagarmatha TV was called and they took videos and photos of the juice.

The local people and journalists took the defective juice to the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC). The authorities at the government agency refused to do further investigation on it as the packet of the juice was already opened. DFTQC officials went to a nearby store, got a Real Juice packet, tested and gave clean-chit to Dabur. They didn’t care to go to the store, Raju bought the juice, and did the sampling. p>

These days, there are different reports about worms in the juice packets, from different parts of country. It is not known, if the government agency has taken any action to address the issue. (photos courtesy Nayapatrika)

Harke Haldar – New comedy serial in KTV

Edit: I have posted the first episode below. For all the latest episodes please visit our friend’s site –Harke Haldar in serialsansar.

Bishnu Sapkota has teamed up with Prakesh Subedi (director) and Kishor Bhandari (co-writer) in a new comedy serial in Kantipur Television (KTV).

The comedy serial features Kishor Bhandari, Reshma Timilsana, Roshani Sapkota, Sunita Gautam, and Indra Lama among others. The recording of first episode is posted below:

(The video is not available now.)

you can watch the latest episodes of Harke Haldar in Serialsansar.