My name is Biku Bahadur Duwal, Fathers name Tulsi Bahadur Duwal, Grandfathers Tuie Duwal. During my father period my house used to be made up clay, unfired bricks and bamboo about two floors. Form this home my father Early Morning wash his face and goes to work where he used to transfer clay pot of Juju Dhau (King of curd) form Prajapati’s residences through Chyamasingh, Bhaktapur to Bode Thimi by foot. He used to bring some money from that work something 30 paisa for once time transferring clay pot up to bode, thimi,
After that he used to eat lunch in home and go to work at field. According season seasonal crop used to plant with his knowledge and effort such as planting rice, chilly, wheat and so on. We use to see people carrying and gathering water in order to plant rice, that kind of hardship we used to see and do that type of work, nowadays due to access of different electronic machine, technology it has been easy. Even to break a piece of clay into small pics after 6-7 time of digging it happens. Their used to a bit harder to make it dust. As I know form grandfather, fathers’ generation we are peasants, till now I used to farm as much I can. They pass down by time nowadays different occupation has been sifting where people are till adopting agriculture by adopting technology such as greenhouse farming for off-seasonal vegetable and cash crops.
What do you mean by Biku?
First of all, their where not so much child, then I was the one, People say this one should be given to Bikuney chayamali or after I was born firstly devoted to Bikuney ma so that my name goes in this way i.e Biku.
Biku mean for instance in the continues flowing water there used to be unusual hole, the water flows into that hole people thinks like where does it goes. That hole named as Bikunchaya. In this way my name was put that I listened.
What do you mean by name “Duwal” caste?
Duwal means something that meanwhile Duwal, Suwal, Koju, Chawaju, mean own individual caste. These castes are usually formed for performing some marriageable situation where same caste not usually able to marriage until and unless its 7th generation or some people argue these castes formed according the character and work of people, they perform form pre-historic, historic period of Human Civilization.
We used to farm from generation to generation until chemical fertilizer was yet in Kathmandu valley it was too hard for farming and increasing productivity. Back then we dig soil for special kind of clay, it can be used as organic fertilizer named as Ka Cha Newari Language. Today it’s not exited any more. If possible chemical fertilizer otherwise back then cows, buffalo, goat dungs use as organic fertilizer. Special kind of Clay “Ka cha” makes wheat stronger, black it makes better anyway.
What do you mean by Guthi?
Guthi means non-official institution or a group of people where it performed funeral ritual in case of Guthi member and member family members’ death, where family member couldn’t perform such things themselves due to heavy heart and grief.
There may be 20-30 members with different number in Guthi, it isn’t made for only celebration, ate feast but it also helps for needy one through financial support as today different co-operatives do and another for funeral process. So that it has been formed since generation to generation.
What’s your experience on being Leadership in Guthi?
As being a leader, there a responsibility of adopting collective thoughts and carryout work together successfully, it’s act like a mother. Theres also a responsibility of passing old rhythms to new generation such as traditional skills, legends, theirs also used to perform scared rituals and ceremony where outsiders are not allowed to enter, if they enter it is believed it create uncertainty (Bidhongsa).
Today time has change everything, decades ago we used to eat feast 12 time yearly but nowadays their few only yearly 2 time where one in opening and closing ceremony of guthi rituals. One of the main reasons behind it several decades ago majority of people are depending upon agriculture for their livelihood, a part of it today it has been replaced by corporate job and new business opportunities so that people does not have enough free time for rituals and different cultural activities as back then to agriculture days.
One thinks I realized it happens really, there a deity in everyone group called as Mashan Bhairav a god of end or death in Hindu philosophy incarnation of Lord Shiva. Another Palumhecha with icon of Bhairav is worship as a god as personification Mashan Bhairab where we put inside it a special type of clothes named as Silpu Gacha in Newari language whenever a member of guthi death there’s a culture of covering body with those clothes for funeral procession. Generally, it isn’t allowed to touch by women if they touch it they it is believe they lose their ability of becoming mother. Hence as a symbol of end clothes covered into body which is put inside palumecha a things personification of Mashan Bhairab as we worship as God of end.
I used to hear when an individual person loses his/her breath at last stage of life, “it is believed that until and unless, his/her soul take new birth or landed into new creature it doesn’t leave its physical body’’. There a culture in order to ensure this statement before soul came inside body after death, a knife is put in the body if it is not performed at right time his/her soul will be outgoing and incoming inside body, the body will be moving but it cannot speak any word. I also had a chance of witnessing it closely as being a leader and member of Guthi. So that after knife put in the body, it flows message of death to his/her soul and soul will not return toward physical soul. It sounds true that our souls are travelling around air.
In your prospective what are the Dafa bhajan that are existence in our society?
Usually, these Dafa bhajans are made for socialization of human beings, where they can learn and so case some knowledge what they have. It’s also kind of devotion towards Hindu philosophy i.e god and goddess. In Hindu Culture involving in such musical rhythms makes people life healthier, gives mental peace and also increase life expectancy rate. If a person stage at home only without socializing, communicating with people, he/she may be sophisticated will mental and physical illness.
Dafa Bhajan not only limited over devotion or for health concerned it is also equally important for networking around locality. New generation should think through this wide concept rather than narrow concept. Theres a saying it’s a strongly powerful place where a person wouldn’t dead easily an individual person involving in such Dafa Bhajan or performing such musical ritual.