In News
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Earthquake | M4.3 at Northern Rolpa at 1:39 on Aug 30 and M4.5 at Southern Rukum
Kathmandu, Aug 30: National Seismological Center web portal reported an earthquake measuring M4.3 in Western district of Nepal at 1:39am on local time (19:54 UTC on August 29)th. NSC reported the quake was epicentered at Northern Rolpa. This is the 9th earthquake above M4 scale recorded in the region.
Update: Aug 31: NSC reported another earthquake at Southern Rukum. The earthqauke measuring M4.5 on richter scale epicentered at Southern Rukum at 14:11 UTC (19:56 NPT) on Aug 30.
Click here for more on recent earthquakes in Nepal.
Related topics:
M4.4 at Southern Dailekh (August 28)
Series of earthquakes hit Western Nepal, Rolpa, Rolpa-Rukum border (August 23)
Triple quake measuring M5 to M4.2 jolts Rukum (July 31)
M4.9 earthquake hits Southern Bajhang in Western Nepal (July 11)
M4.5 earthquake at Panchthar - Sikkim border (June 11)
M4.8 earthquake hit Pokhara (June 9)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Earthquake | M4.4 at Southern Dailekh on August 28
Kathmandu, Aug 28: National Seismological Center web portal reported an earthquake measuring M4.4 in Western district of Nepal at 2:16pm on local time (8:31 UTC) on August 28th. The quake epicentered at Southeastern part of Dailekh. Last week four earthquakes measuring M4.4 to 5.6 hit Rolpa-Rukum.
Details of the quake still waiting.
Click here for more on recent earthquakes in Nepal.
Related topics:
Series of earthquakes hit Western Nepal, Rolpa, Rolpa-Rukum border (August 23)
Triple quake measuring M5 to M4.2 jolts Rukum (July 31)
M4.9 earthquake hits Southern Bajhang in Western Nepal (July 11)
M4.5 earthquake at Panchthar - Sikkim border (June 11)
M4.8 earthquake hit Pokhara (June 9)
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Series of earthquakes hit Western Nepal, Rolpa, Rolpa-Rukum border
Kathmandu, Aug 23: USGS web portal reported an earthquake measuring M5 hit Western district of Nepal at 10:15pm on local time (16:30 UTC) on August 23rd. The quake epicentered about 100km SSE from Jumla was felt in the capital Kathmandu as well. Details of the quake still waiting.
Update: National Seismological Center confirmed magnitude of the earthquake measured M5.6 epicentered at Rolpa-Rukum border. NSC also reports of another earthquake measuring M4.4 in Rolpa minutes later at 10:27pm local time.
Update: NSC reported another two earthquakes measuring to M4.4 at Rukum at 6:02am on and and M5.2 at Rukum-Rolpa border at 9:41am on August 24.
Click here for more on recent earthquakes in Nepal.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Mataya (Nyaku Jatra) - Festival of Lights in Patan, Nepal
Text by Min Bahadur Shakya, Director - Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods
Introduction:
Mataya is a unique Buddhist festival of Patan to be held in the month of August. This day-long journey around the historical city starts at the dawn, on the third day of the dark fortnight of Shrawan (August).
Very few cities in the world compares with Patan (Lalitpur) in the richness of its cultural heritage - a claim that really makes sense, especially when you are talking about something with the unmatched wonder of – Mataya Festival.
This word "mata" means 'lights' and "ya" festival or also means to a sacred 'journey'.
Another form of interpretation is that Mataya or Matya in Nepal Bhasa i.e. not conquered (by the Maras). Being defeated Mara, the god of desire submits to the Buddha and pay homage to Lord Buddha for confession.
In this event people participate in this festival to worship Buddha and also for accumulating merits for the dead. Devotees process to all the Buddhist shrines inthe city, offering rice grains, flowers and lighting candles. Men and women walkin a line of thousands between these musician groups and do puja at the votive shrines (chaityas) carrying lighted candles and torches.
Historical background:
According to Wright's chronicle, Lichchavi King Gunakamadeva, (the grandson of King Balarchana Deva) was the first king who instituted the tradition of Mataya Festival together with Sringabheri Jatra. To organize the festival he asked ten localities (tole) of the Patan city. They were
Preparation of Mataya Festival:
The preparation for Mataya begins on the first day of Gunla. After mid-night on this day a group of some hundred people with nava bajan (traditional Newari musical ensemble) gather and follow the exact path that they are to follow on the day of Mataya. They don't finish the whole route on a single go, but gather every night for a few nights and markthe shrines and courtyard with vermilion, husked rice and coins as they pass. This eventis called Bogiwonegu.
On the grand day of Mataya, massive number of devotees, sometimes as many as several thousand, gather at the locality that is in charge of the festival for that year.There are ten different localities which take turns to organize the festival by sponsoring instruments, musicians and all the other expenses.
This year's (2012) Mataya is organized by the Koh-Bahal locality. They gather at the lead locality dawn and start their yatra with a hint of excitement and uncertainty in their cheerful faces; for they must walk all day long often bare-footed and fasting. It is a greatscene to watch people prepare for their procession around the four principal Ashoka stupas spread in and around the four corners of Patan. They must all visit all the 1400 private and local votive shrines scattered in the city on their way.
Continue reading >>
More reading at ECS >>
Related topics:
Bundyo (Rato Machhindranath) Jatra
Janbahadyo (Seto Machhindranath) Jatra
Mataya Route:
View Mataya Route (2012) in a larger map
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Earthquake | Triple quake measuring M5 to M4.2 jolts Rukum
Kathmandu, Aug 1: National Seismological Center web portal reported triple earthquakes hit southern Rukum last evening. First earthquake measuring M5 epicentered in southern Rukum about 10km south of Salle Airport in western Nepal was recorded at 11:51 UTC on July 31 (or 17:36pm local time same day). Leading newspaper in Nepal, The Kathmandu Post reports the locals were terrorized by recurring tremors measuring M4.8 and M4.2 within 15 minutes time period.
Click here for more on recent earthquakes in Nepal.
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