Tokha Chandeshwari

Last updated
Tokha Chandeshwari
टोखा चण्डेश्वरी
Village of Tokha Municipality
Nepal adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Tokha Chandeshwari
Location in Nepal
Coordinates: 27°47′N85°20′E / 27.78°N 85.33°E / 27.78; 85.33
Country Nepal
Province No. 3
District Kathmandu District
Population
 (2011)
  Total3,961
Time zone UTC+5:45 (Nepal Time)

Tokha Chandeshwari is a village and former Village Development Committee that is now part of Tokha Municipality in Kathmandu District in Province No. 3 of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 3,961. [1] Tokha Chandeshwari now is part of Tokha municipality.

Contents

Location

Tokha lies in Kathmandu district of Bagnmati zone of central development region. It consist of two VDCs: northern- Chandeshwari VDC and Southern-Sarshwati VDC. It is situated at an altitude of 130 m, longitude of and latitude of . As per category in geographical region, this village is situated in mountain region.

The area is surrounded by:

The village is 4 km northern from Kathmandu MPC or Samakhusi ring road.

Geology and topography

This area lies in Mahabharat Range, there is flat land on top and surround by slopes in all direction except North side, elevated part of jhor VDC and shivapuri national Park. As the study site lies within Kathmandu valley, the soil is lacustrine type.

Population

The present population of this village is about 15,000 as per census of 2058 B.S. Occupation of people here is agricultural based and most adults are abroad in Gulf countries in search of work.

Sanitation

The village is now in a rapid phase of modernization and urbanization. Tokha Municipality has been regulating and maintaining proper sewerage system. Plenty of clean drinking water is available in the locality. Therefore, the sanitary condition of the village is fine.

Education

Most people are illiterate; very few people (only 5) had achieved master's degree in their related field. But number of students for higher education is being increasing past 3-4 year. As per education institution in this area, there are:

Altogether 7 educational institutions.

Festivals

Nepal is not only the land of mountains; it is also the land of festivals. There are more than 50 festivals celebrated in Nepal every year. While the national festivals have fixed dates, religious festivals are set by astrologers following the lunar calendar. The best part about the festivals in Nepal is that all the events are celebrated with the same enthusiasm and galore the way it used to be hundreds of years ago when people had no other means of entertainment.

New Year
It is known as “Navavarsha” in Nepal. Nepal has its official calendar that begins from the first day of the first month Baisakh. This very first day is observed as Nepali New Year which usually falls in the second week of April. People go for picnics, have get-togethers and celebrate the day socializing in various ways as this day is also a national holiday. In Tokha, New Year begins with new Festival i.e. Bisket Jatra of Tokha . It Begins from Baisakh 1st to Baisakh 5th. People of Tokha celebrate this festival very happily.
Sarashwati Puja
Saraswati Puja or Sri Panchami is a day to celebrate the birthday of Saraswati – the Goddess of Learning. This is a day when people from school students to scholars worship their pens and books to please the Goddess and expect her favor in their studies so they become wise and knowledgeable. People also throng around the idol of Goddess Sarashwati, especially in Swayambhunath and offer flowers, sweets, fruits, etc. On this day, small children are taught to read and write and people write on the stones and slabs with chalks and pencils. This day which falls between January/February is regarded as a very auspicious day for marriages too as it is believed that Goddess Saraswati herself blesses the couples. Normally it is the astrologers who fix the marriage date and time in Nepal.
Shivaratri (Maha Shivaratri)
Shivaratri or the night of Shiva that falls sometime between February/March is one of the major festivals of Nepal. This day is dedicated to Shiva or Mahadev who lived in Mt. Kailash in the Himalayas. Shiva is the most worshipped God in the Hindu religion. More than 100,000 of Hindu devotees from India and Southeast Asia throng weeks ahead of the festival and gather in and around Pashupatinath temple – one of the holiest shrines of the Hindus in Kathmandu to pay their homage to Shiva on his birthday. “Pashupatinath” literally means “the Lord of animals” as Shiva is considered as the guardian and protector of everything that exists in the Himalayan Kingdom. On this holy day, worshippers take dip and bath in the holy river at early dawn and fast for the whole day and stay around fire to keep them warm as it is still winter in Nepal. The devotees also freely indulge in using marijuana and other intoxicating substances as these things are believed to please Shiva and marijuana use is legal only on this sacred day.
Holi
This festival of water and colors that falls between February/March is also known as “Phagu” in Nepal. This day is observed to rejoice the extermination of female demon Holika who together with her King brother conspired to kill his son Pralhad, an ardent devotee of Vishnu. This day, playful people especially the young ones wander through the streets in groups on foot or vehicles with various colors smeared all over them and the people in houses make merry throwing colors and water balloons at each other and also to these people on the streets.
Ghode Jatra (Festival of Horses)
This festival takes place between March/April and a grand horse parade takes place at Tundikhel. Although this festival does not have much of religious aspects, a large number of people, even from outside Kathmandu flock around Kathmandu to witness the horse race and other exciting sports activities performed by the Army in the presence of the King and the royal family.
Buddha Jayanti
Buddha's birth anniversary is celebrated every year during May in Nepal. On this day people swarm in Swayambhunath and Boudhanath to pay homage to Buddha and also visit Buddha's birthplace in Lumbini and chant prayers and burn butter lamps. Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautam but he abandoned his luxurious life when he realized the misery of mankind and went in search of enlightenment.
Gai Jatra (Cow Festival)
This festival of cow is celebrated every year in August/September. This is one of the most popular festivals in Nepal as it has much humor, satire, comedy, mockery and shades of sadness too at the same time. And on this day satires and jokes on anybody is legal. As per the tradition, the family who has lost a relative during the past one year must take part in a procession by sending young boys in cow like attire and walk through the streets of Kathmandu led by a cow. Cow is regarded as a Goddess and it is also the national animal of Nepal. This festival also purges many who have lost their loved ones as they get to console themselves as to they are not the only ones who have been bereaved and it also teaches to accept death as a part of life.
Krishna Janmastami
The birth anniversary of Sri Krishna, believed to be the 8th incarnation of Vishnu falls sometime in August/September. All the devotees assemble in Krishna Mandir, the ancient Krishna Temple in Patan Durbar Square and other temples with the idol of Sri Krishna and offer prayers, flowers, food, sweets and chant hymns too.
Tij
This is a Hindu married woman's day for her man. This festival is celebrated in August/September. Women clad in beautiful red saris with shining potes (glass beads), singing and dancing is the sight almost everywhere in Nepal during the festival of Teej. On this day women observe a fast and pray Shiva for the long, healthy and prosperous life of their husbands and their families. The unmarried women also observe this festival with unabated zeal with the hope that they will get to marry good husbands. From early dawn, women queue up in the multiple lines in Pashupatinath to offer their prayers to Shiva.
Indra Jatra
This festival named after Indra - the God of Rain and also the King of Heaven is celebrated by both the Buddhists and Hindus in Nepal in August/September. This festival lasts for eight days with singing, mask dancing and rejoicing. The chariot of Kumari – the Living Goddess is taken through the main streets of Kathmandu with much fanfare. On the first day, the King of Nepal also pays homage to Goddess Kumari. The crowd of excited people from performers to spectators engulfs the streets of Kathmandu during this festival. People get to enjoy various classical dances like elephant dance, lakhe – a very popular dance of a man with a mask.
Tihar
This festival of lights that falls between October/November is the second biggest festival after Dashain. This festival lasts for five days and people worship Laxmi – the Goddess of Wealth. All the houses are cleaned and decorated with the belief that Goddess Laxmi will enter the house that is the cleanest and people lit candles, oil lamps and other lights and the whole place looks illuminating. During the five days, crows, dogs and cows are worshipped and honored with vermilion, garland and delicious food for what they have done in the lives of humans. Crows are regarded as the messenger that brought news even during the times when there were no postmen and no postal services. Dogs are the most obedient animals and they guard our house as true guardians. Cow is also a symbol of wealth in Hinduism and she is also the national animal of Nepal. During Tihar, the Newars in Nepal also observes Mha Puja – a ritual of worshipping one's own body and life. On this very day, the Lunar New Year which is known as Nepal Sambat begins. The festival ends with Bhai Tika – brothers’ day when his sisters worship him for his long and healthy life to safeguard the lives of his sisters.
Dashain (Bijaya Dashami)
During the month of Kartik (late September and early October), the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijayadashami</span> Hindu festival celebrated to commemorate the victory of Lord Rama over Demon Ravana

Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Navaratri. It is observed on the tenth day of the month of Ashvin, the seventh in the Hindu Luni-Solar Calendar. The festival typically falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maha Shivaratri</span> Hindu festival dedicated to the god Shiva

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the dark (waning) half of the lunar month of Phalguna or Magha. The festival commemorates the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion that Shiva performs his divine dance, called the Tandava.

Bargarh is an emerging city and municipality in Bargarh district in the state of odisha in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District. Bargarh is popularly known for intensive cultivation of 'paddy', therefore called "Bhata Handi" of Odisha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Nepal</span> Overview of the Nepalese culture

The culture of Nepal encompasses the various cultures belonging to the 125 distinct ethnic groups present in Nepal. The culture of Nepal is expressed through music and dance; art and craft; folklore; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebration; foods and drinks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharad Purnima</span> Hindu lunar harvest festival

Sharad Purnima is a religious festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin, marking the end of the monsoon season. The full moon night is celebrated in different ways in various cultural regions across Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathmandu District</span> District in Bagmati Province, Nepal

Kathmandu District is a district located in Kathmandu Valley, Bagmati Province of Nepal. It is one of the 77 districts of Nepal, covers an area of 413.69 km2 (159.73 sq mi), and is the most densely populated district of Nepal with 1,081,845 inhabitants in 2001, 1,744,240 in 2011 and 2,017,532 in 2021. The administrative headquarters of Kathmandu district is located in Kathmandu. The city has 21 post offices which handle mail from across the country and beyond, with Kathmandu DPO having 44,600 as its postal code for international mail delivery services like UPS or DHL Couriers etc.

Kolkata has many festivals throughout the year. Durga Puja is the largest festival of West Bengal, and it features colourful pandals, decorative idols of Hindu goddess Durga and her family, lighting decorations and fireworks. Other major festivals are Diwali, Kali Puja, Holi, Saraswati Puja, Poush Parbon, Poila Boishakh, Christmas, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vasant Panchami</span> Hindu festival celebrated to welcome Spring

Vasant Panchami, also rendered Vasanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which take place forty days later. The Vasant Utsava (festival) on Panchami is celebrated forty days before spring, because any season's transition period is 40 days, and after that, the season comes into full bloom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashupatinath Temple</span> Hindu temple in Kathmandu

The Pashupatinath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupati, a form of Shiva, and is located in Kathmandu, Nepal near the Bagmati River. This temple was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1979. This "extensive Hindu temple precinct" is a "sprawling collection of temples, ashrams, images and inscriptions raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati river", and is one of seven monument groups in UNESCO's designation of Kathmandu Valley. It is built on an area of 246 hectares and includes 518 mini-temples and a main pagoda house.

This article lists the traditional festivals and other cultural events in the Odisha region of India. Odisha celebrates 13 festivals in 12 months as the saying goes Bāra Māsare Tera Parba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bode, Nepal</span> Municipality in Bagmati Zone, Nepal

Bode is an ancient Newar city in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, about eight miles from the capital city, Kathmandu.The city is famous for Biska Jatra and tongue piercing and Nilbharahi Naach. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 6,364 with 1,389 houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagadesh</span> Place in Bagmati Zone, Nepal

Nagadesh is an ancient Newar city in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. In 2011 it had a population of approximately 6,900 with more than 1500 houses in it, according to the 2011 Nepal census. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 4,237 with 693 houses in it. Most people are engaged in farming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khokana</span> Part of lalitpur Metropolitant in Bagmati Zone, Nepal

Khokana is a former Village Development Committee (VDC) which has been merged with the neighbouring VDC's of Bungamati, Chhampi, Dukuchhap, Sainbu and other 38 VDC's to form the Metropolitan City of Lalitpur in Lalitpur District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census, Khokana had a population of 4258 living in 699 individual households. According to 2011 Nepal census, Khokana had a population of 4927 living in 1056 individual households.

Sunaguthi is a small town located about 4 km (2.5 mi) south of the main Lalitpur city in Lalitpur District. According to 2011 Nepal census, Sunaguthi has a population of 10,092 living in 2397 individual households. Most of the people living in Sunaguthi are Newar. The offshoot road near the Satdobato segment of the Ring Road leads to Sunaguthi. This road ultimately leads to Lele and is referred to as Laxmi Prasad Devkota Marga .Thecho is situated on the southern part of Sunaguthi, Bungamati and Bhaisipati on west, Dhapakhel on east and Khumaltar and Nakhipot on North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asan, Kathmandu</span> Marketplaces in central Kathmandu

Asan is a ceremonial, market and residential square in central Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is one of the most well-known historical locations in the city and is famed for its bazaar, festival calendar and strategic location. Asan has been described as a fine Newar example of a traditional Asian bazaar. The Tuladhar, Maharjan, Shrestha, Bajracharya and Shakya castes make up most of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navaratri</span> Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga

Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in honour of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess. It spans over nine nights, first in the month of Chaitra, and again in the month of Ashvin (September–October). It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Hindu Indian cultural sphere. Theoretically, there are four seasonal Navaratri. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siddhikali Temple</span> Hindu temple in Nepal

Siddhikali Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thimi, Nepal. The two storeys roofed temple is dedicated to Lord Kali, Shiva and Ganesh. It is also believed that this Shaktipeeth is formed due to the falling of right eye of the corpse of Sati. This place is located in Inayekwo, in the north west of Thimi. The temple is also known as Inayekwo Dyo in Nepal Bhasa language. And Siddhikali Temple is also known as Chamunda, one of the goddess of Astamatrika. The majestically impressive Siddhikali temple has numbers of Pataa streaming down the front. There's a Satah (rest-house) opposite to temple and multiple Falcha (Inns) and several smaller shrines to the rear and nearby and several stone taps around the place. The artwork around the Siddhikali temple is fantastic and worth a close inspection.

Rupani is a small rural municipality in Saptari District in the Sagarmatha Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 2019 Nepal census it had a population of 29,989 people living in about 8500 individual households.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dance in Nepal</span> Aspect of Nepalese culture

Dance is a performing art form consisting of purposefully selected sequences of human movement. Dance (Nepali: नृत्य/ नाच) in Nepal comprises numerous styles of dances, including folk, ethnic, classical to modern dances. Lakhey is the dance of a demon in the carnival of God. Durbar Square, a historic plaza in Kathmandu, Nepal, facing ancient palaces and adorned by Hindu temples, is always full of eager crowds on the last day of Indra Jatra, the festival celebrating Indra, the Hindu king of heaven. In this divine stage, Lakhe the demon dances among gods and deities relentlessly and carelessly.

References

  1. "National Population and Housing Census 2011" (PDF). Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission Secretariat, Central Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-31. Retrieved 28 March 2014.