Kathmandu, 19 Nov: The Balachaturdashi festival, observed with prayers for the salvation of departed ancestors, was celebrated on Wednesday by scattering Shatbij (hundreds of seeds). On the day of Mangsir Krishna Trayodashi, large crowds gather in the Pashupatinath area from early morning. On the previous evening, devotees light lamps in the name of their ancestors according to rituals. On Mangsir Krishna Chaturdashi, devotees scatter the sacred seeds in the morning, praying for the eternal peace of their departed ancestors.
Although the ritual is called Shatbij (hundreds of seeds), it is now customary to scatter a mixture of seven types of seeds (Saptabij): rice, barley, sesame, wheat, chickpeas, maize, and finger millet (kaguno). From the evening of Trayodashi, devotees who keep an uninterrupted lamp lit in the name of their departed ancestors scatter the sacred seeds the next morning on Chaturdashi, praying for the salvation of the departed souls.
According to Professor and astrologer Sant Vajracharya, in the area where Lord Shiva is believed to have wandered in the form of a deer, offering a single grain of seed is believed to earn merit equal to donating a grain of gold, and the departed soul is believed to attain liberation. It is also said that after scattering the seeds, when devotees reach the Bahira Ganesh area in Mrigasthali, they shake the stone idol of Ganesh and loudly request that a message be conveyed to the departed soul so it may hear it.
According to legend, after learning that Lord Shiva had taken the form of a deer and was wandering along the banks of the Bagmati in Mrigasthali, Goddess Parvati scattered different kinds of seeds to recognize Shiva. When those seeds sprouted and turned green, and the herd of deer returned, Parvati was able to identify Lord Shiva among them.
Every year, on Mangsir Krishna Chaturdashi, devotees from various parts of the country come to Pashupatinath to celebrate Balachaturdashi. As in previous years, a large crowd had gathered at Pashupati from early Tuesday morning. Devotees from across the country arrived early to secure places to light the ritual lamps. Because of the cold weather, arrangements such as tents had been made, according to the Pashupati Area Development Trust.
Praying for the eternal peace of departed family members, devotees scatter sacred seeds at various holy sites including the 108 Shiva Lingas, Kailash, Suryaghat, Gaurighat, Aryaghat, Guhyeshwari, Pashupati, Mrigasthali, Vishwarup, and Kiranteshwar. On the eve of Balachaturdashi, the night of Mangsir Krishna Trayodashi, devotees spent the night around the Pashupatinath Temple lighting mahadip (large lamps) in memory of departed souls, singing bhajans, chanting hymns, and presenting cultural performances.
