Nepali Times

PICS: BIKRAM RAI

When people talk about the festivals of Kathmandu Valley, they mention Shivaratri, Dasain or Tihar. But there is one festival that happens every 12 years that in terms of number of pilgrims is larger than all others put together: the Godavari Mela.

The month-long festival saw 2 million visitors in 2003, but this year organisers estimate there will be at least double as many pilgrims from all parts of Nepal and India. Already the road from Patan to Godavari on the lush and forested southeastern edge of the Valley is crowded with buses, people and shops.

The festival officially started on Tuesday when about 400 priests and devotees left a temple in Harisiddhi at 2am towards Godavari escorted by 15 musical bands. Among the pilgrims was the main priest of the village, Shiva Ram who formally opened the event.

Ajay Maharjan is in the organising committee of the festival and explains that the Godavari Mela officially began when Shiva Ram reached the holy pond and poured milk into it, took his holy dip, and was followed by 28 other priests who entered the pond one by one, the older ones first.

Godavari’s holy pond with five dhunge dhara (stone spouts) is believed to have been formed when the oceans were churned and one drop of amrit (nectar) that came out fell on Godavari and the other in Nasik in India.

Bahadev Baral, 75, from Godavari has written a book on the Godavari Mela and quotes the legend that one of the seven saints of Hinduism, Gautam Rishi, was once grazing his cattle when one of his cows fell off a cliff and died. He asked Lord Shiva to help, and was told to pray to Ganga. That night the river goddess appeared in a dream and the next day the waters of the Ganga somehow came to Godavari, at a time of the auspicious conjunction of Jupiter with the Sun – which happens every 12 years. The saint is then supposed to have built the Siddheshwar Temple beside the pond at Godavari Kunda.

“From that day, the Godavari Mela occurs on this same day Ganga appeared to Rishi, every 12 years,” Baral explained.

In the coming weeks, hundreds of thousands of devotees will take a holy dip in the two ponds of Godavari to receive redemption and to worship Lord Shiva.

Sumbu Puri, a fifth generation priest of Godavari says the Mela is attracting more pilgrims this year, compared to 2003. “Twelve years ago we had mainly people coming from the Kathmandu Valley,” Puri said. “This year we see people from all over Nepal and India.”

Dhunu Singh Takuri, 40, a devotee from Swayambhu says she has come to Godavari Mela to thank Lord Shiva for having survived the April earthquake. “The earthquake reinforced my belief that Gods exist,” she added.

The Godavari Mela will see special days to mark Janai Purnima and Rishi Tarpani on 29 September, and Tij on 16 September.

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