Kavrepalanchok, 26 Kartik(11 November): Kartik Shukla Purnima Tithi, the day on which it is said that ‘Rajkumar’ gave life to Baghini in his previous birth of Gautama Buddha, the symbol of peace. Namobuddha is a historical place here known as the place where Gautama Buddha gave up his life after he was reborn in Lumbini.
Named Namobuddha from ‘Namobuddhay Namah’ is mentioned in the document. A big fair is held on the occasion of Kartik Shukla Purnima in Namobuddha municipality-11 Namobuddha, a historical, touristic, religious and beautiful place of the district. This year, the fair will be celebrated for three days from the 15 November. According to the legend, the chaitya was built as the skeleton chariot of the same prince of Dwapara era and at the place where he gave up his life, a huge crowd of Buddhists gathers every year to offer prayers and light the lamp.
According to the temple management committee, about 100,000 people visit Namo Buddha and offer prayers during the annual fair. A fair is held in Namobuddha during the entire night of the beginning of the festival, and there is an equal crowd of people performing traditional songs and dances throughout the duration of the fair. According to the president of Namobuddha Guthi, Lopsang Bajr Lama, lights are lit in memory of ‘forefather’ throughout the duration of the fair. “Here, a lamp is lit for forefather every year, it is believed that by lighting a lamp, Pitri(forefather) will be illuminated throughout the year”, said the Lama.
Kanchha Lama, the original lama guru of Namobuddha, said that the fair was filled by religious people especially from the Tamang and Newar communities. According to him, there is a legend that while the three sons of King Maharatha and Queen Satyavati of the then Panchaladesh (Panauti Kingdom) were hunting in Gandhaman Parbat (forest) to the east, the younger prince sacrificed his life by feeding the starving pregnant Baghini by cutting his own blood and flesh. Based on this belief, a big fair is held on the occasion of every Kartik Shukla Purnima.
“A female tiger who gave birth to five cubs is considered as Lakshmi and five cubs monks, after the prince sacrificed himself after saving Baghini, Rajarani spent the rest of his life in Chaityaseva nearby”, says Lamaguru Lama, “Then Rajarani is known as Shankheswari Aji-Ajima.” In Samvat 974, there is a record of making a Stupa (Chaitya) by gathering skeletons on the top of Gandhaman mountain. The mountain is at a height of eight thousand feet. On the said mountain, there is a statue carved with the scene of the prince feeding Baghini himself by cutting the flesh of the body. Rakesh Lama, a local, says that Namobuddha is always crowded with pilgrims from home and abroad. According to him, the neighboring districts of Sindhupalchok, Sindhuli, Ramechhap, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Dhading, Nuwakot and others will participate in the fair this year.
A fair is also held in Namobuddha on Bhadra Krishna Dwadashi and Chaitra Krishna Dwadashi. According to tradition, on the day of religious Bhadra Krishna Dwadashi, Namabuddha’s body is brought to the royal palace in Panauti and a grand procession is organized with two Dipankara bands, Aja Aziman. The birthplace of the prince is Kashivarna Mahavira i.e. near the famous Taleju Bhawani of Panauti. It is found that most of the Buddhist pilgrims go to Namobuddhasthal instead of Panauti. In the Gandhaman mountain (current tourist Namobuddha), there were hundreds of plants like Kalpa tree, Rudraksha, Ashoka, Masala, Uttis, Salla, Agrakha, Lapsi, Kapur, Kafal, Shrikhand and animals like tiger, bear, boar, rabbit, deer. Besides, birds such as peacocks, ducks, and forest fowls are found in the forest, Lama said.
Namobuddh can be reached by hiking from Panauti through the Shankhu Valley and from the tourist town of Dhulikhel. At present, there are huge monasteries, temples, monasteries and chaityas in the place. A Buddhist school is also operating in the monastery. Located at a distance of 32 km from the central capital Kathmandu, Namobuddha is located at a distance of 18 km south of Dhulikhel. In this area, there are lama, Mahayani monastery, big stone Buddha statue, Chaitya. ‘Namobuddha Mahasattva Degal’ is also a typical Newari house-style temple. From this mountain, one can observe the historical Panauti and other green settlements and the snow range and mountains in the east-north direction.
