2022
The festival is popularly known as Paya Jatra among its Newar patrons, the etymology of the name still being debated among historians.
Impersonating warrior deities with khadgas, the special swords of the deities, in their hands, many groups come out of their respective areas of Kathmandu Valley for the Khadga Jatra on the day of the Bijaya Dashami. Their bodies shake as they walk onto the streets, fueling the common belief that deities themselves enter the persons carrying the swords. They are followed by huge crowds with their worshipped khadgas in their hands and form their respective processions.
“The word must’ve originated from two Newari words, ‘Pa’ meaning traditional war weapons such as axe or swords and ‘ya’ meaning procession or festival” .
During the Dashain festivals, the Newars worship their Ishta Devata, the cherished deity who is called Aagam in the Newar tongue. The Aagam deity is considered very holy and is not unveiled to others except for the family members or the members of their Guthis (guilds). The rituals in Dashain for the Newars entail worshipping Aagam, among other customs.
Khadga, a special kind of sword, also rests beside the Aagam deity and it is only during the Paya or Khadga Jatra, the weapon is taken out in public by the different communities.
The Paya is regarded as a victory procession, celebrating the triumph of good over evil following the legend of the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, the demon. It is carried out on the day of Bijaya Dashami as it is regarded that it was on the very day that the deities were able to conquer the evil.
Many cultural experts agree that Kathmandu was a Tantric hub during the medieval periods. The Khadga is also a symbol of Tantric warrior deities. It is said that if the trail along the temples of the Asta Matrikas, the eight forms of Goddess Durga that are established in Kathmandu City is followed, it forms the shape of a khadga.
The Payas or Khadga Jatras may have different meanings in different Newar communities, but it is definitely a celebratory procession. According to agricultural significances, the festival of Dashain is supposed to be the closing time of the year, with crops ripening in the fields.
Thank you so much for sharing this detailed post about Paya Jatra festival in Nepal @bikashkhadge
Nice to know about cultural festival of Nepal.
