Sithi Nakha
The Newa community celebrates
Sithi Nakha on the sixth day of the waxing moon of Jestha (MAY/JUN) in the
Bikram Sambat calendar. The word ‘Sithi’ came from the Sanskrit word “Shashthi”
meaning sixth and “Nakha” which means festival. It is
also prescribed to be eaten at Sithi Nakha which is the feast that marks the
beginning of the rice transplantation season.
According to Sanatan mythology, it is said
that the day is dedicated to Lord Kumar Kartikeya, the first son of Lord Shiva
and goddess Parbati. Another name for the day is Kumar Shashthi. The festival
is celebrated in honor of Kumar. Hence this day is also known as Kumar Shasthi.
Many Newars also perform their Dewali Puja,
the worship of the family deity, Digu Deya, during Sithi Nakha. Sithi Nakha is
considered the last day for the Newar community to perform it as the festival
marks the end of all festivals for the year. As the family deity is worshipped,
this day also holds significance to newly married daughter-in-laws as they are
welcomed into the family.
Especially Bara/Wo (Newari
dish made of lentils) and Chatamari (Newari dishes made of rice flour) are use
as offering for the rain baby served on this day. The
food items are not just for taste. They are high in carbohydrates, protein,
iron, etc. As the monsoon approaches, bodies are exposed to different types of
bacteria and these types of food increase the immunity of one’s body. It
is customary to worship around wells, boreholes, and ponds and to clean up
before worship. Pinwheels are put on
display as well tracing the movements of the wind helping make predictions for
the rains to come.
Newars worship the pikhalakhu in
his name, an eight-petal stone lotus set at the main entrance to every Newar
house. “Pikha” means outside and “lakhu” means the rivers nearby. It is a small
circle or a mandap drawn outside each household of the community.
It is believed that the water resource should be
closed for a few days after cleaning in Sithi Nakha to stabilize the water
level. When water is cleaned, it is cleaned by entering inside the dug wells,
ponds, and boreholes, and by doing so, the underneath wastes like mud, silt,
and sediment come up to the surface of the water.
