30:: बराह तयेगु or बराह चुयेगु ) is a rite of passage in the Newar community of Nepal, involving girls aged 7 to 13 practicing self-discipline for 12 days. Throughout this period, women within the community impart knowledge about womanhood and its various challenges to the young participant. Contrary to the misconception that a girl is wedded to the sun god in a marriage ceremony, it's important to clarify that this is inaccurate. Instead, the ritual is more focused on the practice of self-discipline. In Nepalbhasa, the term "bahra" originates from the word "Bareyagu," which translates to restraining oneself or practicing self-discipline. During this ritual, adolescent girls undergo a 12-day period of seclusion in a dark room. Unfortunately, there is a common misconception where the term "gufa" is inaccurately used to describe "Baarhaa." It is essential to clarify that Baarhaa should not be referred to as "gufa". In a softly lit room, shielded from sunlight and devoid of any male contact, the crash course commences. Its purpose is to equip her for the transition to a new phase where she must conduct herself as a woman. These preparations constitute a crucial process, ensuring she is ready to navigate the world beyond her parents' home when she embarks on living with her spouse's family. The final day is marked with a
87:
ceremony by gazing at the sun. This is the origin of the misconception regarding a sun wedding. The girl is veiled all the time during the ceremony and at the end she lifts her veil and looks at the reflection of the sun on water. The completion of the 12 day ceremony is celebrated with a traditional party. If the girl were to die during this 12 day ritual, the tradition has it that the body should not see the sun. Thus, the body is to be buried underground the same house the girl dies.
86:
On the 12th day the girls wakes up before the sunrise to take a full bath. Then she is dressed up in traditional wedding dress with red sari and heavy gold jewelry as if it were an actual wedding. Concluding with an intricate ritual, the priest formally welcomes her back to the world, starting the
74:
to the khayak. For the first 5 days she is not allowed to clean herself or eat salted food. After the 6th day her female relatives come to visit her with variety of delicacies. Also from this day onward the girls has to put on a special face mask called
50:- generally at the age of 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13 year old. When the girl is chosen for the ceremony the priest is consulted for a suitable date and place for ceremony. The first day of the ceremony starts with a usual
146:
66:, the cave ghost, is prepared and put at one corner of the room. It is believed that for the 12 days the girl is possessed in some way by the
230:
186:
150:
291:
286:
203:
256:
62:
which consists of 9 dishes is offered to the sun god. Then the seclusion starts. A doll representing the
182:
178:
Growing Up: Hindu and
Buddhist Initiation Rituals among Newar Children in Bhaktapur, Nepal
71:
51:
296:
280:
176:
121:
27:
47:
95:
Bahra ceremony marks the change from a girl to a fertile woman. In the
79:
made of rice flour, roasted fenugreek flour, sandalwood and other herbs
104:
55:
207:
126:
96:
116:
231:"Marrying the Sun God is a rite of passage for Nepal's girls"
181:. Wiesbanden, Germany: Harrasowitz Verlog. pp. 173–186.
99:
community the girls are married twice only: first to the god
54:
conducted either by the eldest woman of the lineage or the
204:"gufa...a Newar tradition..and some of my experiences"
70:and thus as homage the girls regularly conducts
16:Coming of age ritual in Newar community of Nepal
8:
170:
168:
175:Gutshow, Niels; Michaels, Axel (2008).
138:
46:The ceremony is conducted before the
7:
255:Coon, Ellen (July–September 2010).
14:
229:Tuladhar, Pratibha (2012-02-12).
149:. Worldview Nepal. Archived from
206:. worldpulse.com. Archived from
257:"Nepal Style: Rites of Passage"
1:
103:which is a symbol of the god
313:
107:, finally to a human.
83:to make her beautiful.
292:Marriage in Hinduism
38:) and celebrations.
210:on 8 September 2012
58:. The ritual food,
36:a traditional party
188:978-3-447-05752-3
304:
287:Culture of Nepal
271:
270:
268:
267:
252:
246:
245:
243:
241:
226:
220:
219:
217:
215:
199:
193:
192:
172:
163:
162:
160:
158:
143:
312:
311:
307:
306:
305:
303:
302:
301:
277:
276:
275:
274:
265:
263:
254:
253:
249:
239:
237:
228:
227:
223:
213:
211:
201:
200:
196:
189:
174:
173:
166:
156:
154:
145:
144:
140:
135:
113:
93:
44:
17:
12:
11:
5:
310:
308:
300:
299:
294:
289:
279:
278:
273:
272:
261:Hinduism Today
247:
221:
194:
187:
164:
153:on 3 July 2013
137:
136:
134:
131:
130:
129:
124:
119:
112:
109:
92:
89:
43:
40:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
309:
298:
295:
293:
290:
288:
285:
284:
282:
262:
258:
251:
248:
236:
232:
225:
222:
209:
205:
198:
195:
190:
184:
180:
179:
171:
169:
165:
152:
148:
142:
139:
132:
128:
125:
123:
120:
118:
115:
114:
110:
108:
106:
102:
101:Suvarna Kumar
98:
90:
88:
84:
82:
78:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
41:
39:
37:
33:
29:
25:
24:bahra chuyegu
21:
264:. Retrieved
260:
250:
238:. Retrieved
234:
224:
212:. Retrieved
208:the original
197:
177:
155:. Retrieved
151:the original
141:
100:
94:
91:Significance
85:
80:
76:
68:bahra khayak
67:
64:bahra Khayak
63:
59:
45:
35:
31:
23:
20:Bahra tayegu
19:
18:
122:Nepal Bhasa
42:Description
28:Nepal Bhasa
281:Categories
266:2020-06-05
202:Maharjan.
133:References
60:Samaybaji
240:24 April
214:24 April
157:24 April
111:See also
77:Kghwao (
48:menarche
235:Mid Day
147:"Newar"
185:
105:Vishnu
56:priest
297:Newar
127:Newar
97:Newar
242:2013
216:2013
183:ISBN
159:2013
72:puja
52:puja
32:bhwe
117:Ihi
22:or
283::
259:.
233:.
167:^
269:.
244:.
218:.
191:.
161:.
81:)
34:(
26:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.