Puja

Yesterday Sapkuda Dai (Nepali kitchen staff at the home) invited me to attend a puja at his home. The puja was for his father, who was breaking a four-month-long religious fast! As a Hindu, this fast is one of the most well respected things a man can do. I was so, so honored to be invited because this puja is a BIG deal!

The ceremony was beautiful. I was told that it is very similar to a Hindu marriage ceremony. There were flower garlands everywhere; multiple priests; offerings of water, rice, colored powder, and cil roti; so much fire, smoke, and incense; and so many guests dressed in their finest clothes and gold. And of course, there was tons of food.
I was treated like royalty at the puja because I was a guest. I received tika before the children, I was given mala (garland), I was given nice seats when others were standing, and I was invited into the kitchen to be served SO much special food (rice pudding, aloowa, achar, curry, cil roti). They kept giving me more and more! I never expected such treatment, and I was so grateful for being allowed to participate.
So many of the guests were so thrilled to see a white face at the puja; none of them were expecting it. Everyone was taking photos of me, and one man even took a video of me eating (which I find really weird, but what can you do?). Everyone wanted to speak to me but few of them spoke English so it ended up being a lot of staring. At times, I felt like I was getting more attention than the ceremony!
The puja lasts for days but we could only stay a few hours. Of course before our departure, Meaghan and I were asked to sing Deushi Bhailo for the guests. Why do the Nepali people love to watch foreigners sing Tihar games so much? We agreed and they were thrilled. Deushi Rae!

In the end, the puja was such an amazing experience. I felt so special to have been invited, and it was so interesting to witness. I am learning so much about Hindu and Nepali culture here and I love it.