Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Committee, the government body authorized to decide the calendar for religious and cultural affairs in the country, has picked November 7, Sunday as Bhaitika but Manka Khala, a Newar cultural body, contends that it is Mha Puja, or self-worship as per Newar tradition, that falls on Sunday and Bhaitika is on the following day.[break]
“Noon on Sunday is Dwitiya (or the second day after the New Moon or Full Moon in the lunar month) and we have picked it as Bhaitika as Hindu tradition says the noon of Bhaitika should be Dwitiya,” Chairman of Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Committee Dr Madhav Bhattarai said.
The problem has arisen as Manka Khala gives importance to the dawn of the day while Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti gives importance to different times of the day. As it is Pratipada (the day after the New or Full Moon) on Sunday morning Manka Khala considers Sunday as Pratipada and maintains that Bhaitika is on Monday.
“As Laxmi Puja is done in the evening of the New Moon, we have picked November 5, Friday as Laxmi Puja while November 6 is Gai Puja (worship of cow) as cows are worshipped on the morning of the New Moon. Similarly, Mha Puja, which is observed by more than 90 percent of Newars in the evening of Pratipada, is also on November 6 as the evening that day is Pratipada,” Dr Bhattarai argued.
Dr Bhattarai said November 7 is Bhaitika because Dwitiya starts from 9:22 a.m. that day. General Secretary of Nepalbhasa Manka Khala Naresh Bir Shakya, on the other hand, claimed that Laxmi Puja is on Saturday, Mha Puja is on Sunday and Bhaitika on Monday, saying these days start with the New Moon, Pratipada and Dwitiya respectively.
Dr Bhattarai claimed that Manka Khala has raised a non-issue without any logical argument. “We have picked the days according to the rule book and without any caste bias. And even Newar astrologers concur with us. Further, we have also mentioned that those who want to perform Mha Puja on the following day can do so on November 7,” he said. He argued that Bhaitika cannot be done on November 8 as it is Tritiya (third day after the New or Full Moon) after 8:15 in the morning that day.
Sashidhar Joshi, a Newar astrologer who also brings out his own calendar, concurred with Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti and said Bhaitika is on Sunday, November 7 and Mha Puja can be done on November 6 or 7 as per individual wish.
The Newar community also celebrates the New Year of its calendar, Nepal Sambat, during the Tihar festival. The New Year falls on Pratipada and Newars generally do their Mha Puja in the evening of that day. “If we do Mha Puja on November 6, Nepal Sambat 1130 (the current year) will have two Mha Pujas as it also had one on the last New Year. But Nepal Sambat 1131, which starts from November 7, will have none as the next Maha Puja will be on New Year 1132,” cultural expert Satya Mohan Joshi, also a Newar, said.
Manka Khala submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Monday demanding that November 8 should also be declared a public holiday as the Newars celebrate Bhaitika on that day. “The matter has not been brought to us as yet and November 7 is the holiday for Bhaitika as things stand,” Spokesperson of the Home Ministry Jaya Mukunda Khanal said.
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