Gathe Muga:
Gathe Muga: or Ghanta Karn (or Gathe Mangal) refers to the celebration of the expulsion of a Rakshyas or evil spirits and bring peace and prosperity to the society. This also marks the beginning of several festivals that will follow.
So how is it celebrated? Effigies of the demon Ghantakarna are erected at street crossroads and corners. Each area with the effigy will have a boy, painted all over his body and face impersonating the demon, with other kids chasing him. At the end of the day, the effigy is dragged to the nearby river bank for disposal with the painted man sitting on it. The demon escapes on the way to the river. Some variance is observed in the celebration. In some communities, the demon’s effigies are burnt during celebrations. People wear iron rings on their fingers to ward off any possible influence of the evil spirits. People also place pots of cooked rice at the crossroads as food for the evil spirits to eat so that they don’t harm anyone.
It is believed that this festival started in the Lichhavi era. It is also a festival of appeasement, of cleansing and of purifying. Legend has it that demon Ghantakarna, literally meaning bells like ears, used to terrify the people by stealing and eating children. People could not go out because of the terrors of the demon. Entire society looked deserted and lifeless. Frogs, friend of farmers, too were as sad as the people. Ultimately, the frogs decided to come to the rescue of the people. Frogs assembled in different directions and began agitating the demon by croaking loud when Ghantakarna was on his way for the man-hunt. Furious Ghantakarna tried to catch each of the frog. But the clever frogs led him to jump into a big swamp leaving him to die there. The valley was liberated from the fear of the demon. Frog is, therefore, worshipped by the farming communities, till today.
