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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Surunga

Jhapa is the easternmost district of Nepal and lies in the fertile Terai plains. It borders Ilam district in the north, Morang district in the west, the Indian state of Bihar in the south and east, and the Indian state of West Bengal in the east. Surunga is a village development committee in Jhapa District in the Mechi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 16,747 people living in 2996 individual households. Surunga is one of the rapidly developing towns of Jhapa district. It is situated on the bank of the Kankai River (also known as Kankai mai by the locals).
The rich cultural heritage of Nepal, has evolved over centuries. This multi-dimensional cultural heritage encompasses within itself the cultural diversities of various ethnic, tribal, and social groups inhabiting different altitudes, and it manifests in various forms: music and dance; art and craft; folklores and folktales; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebrations; and foods and drinks.

Surunga is famous for Kotihome Religious Region that lies on the westernmost point of the VDC. Every year hundreds of thousands of devotees flock to this area to worship. The most remarkable occasion is Makar Sankranti when maghe mela is organized which is attended by hundreds of thousandpeople from as far as Biratnagar, Dharan, Itahari, Ilam, Kakarvitta and Indian states of west Bengal (mostly Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri), southern Bhutan and Assam.[citation needed]Daumukha is a tourist destination of eastern part of Nepal. With Kankai river flowing through the chure range of hills, comes reaches the plains of Terai region. Because of the Daumukha Dam that was constructed to build Kankai Nahar (canal), there's a huge reservoir of water which is serene and clear most of the year. Many youngsters visit this place for picnic, field visit, excursions and simply to cool off from the scorching heat. Daumukha is also a connecting point to Surunga for people living in high hills and southern Ilam. According to mythology, around this area used to be the palace of Kirant King in the history.Kankai Bridge: The bridge over the Kankai river is the longest concrete bridge in the country and measures 703 meters. The longest barrage/dam is on Koshi river and the longest bailey bridge is on Mahakali river connecting rest of Nepal to the 2 Nepali villages beyond Mahakali called Chandani and Dodhara villages.The population as Hindu and Buddhism was practiced by about 11% of the population (although many people labelled Hindu or Buddhist often practice a syncretic blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and/or animist traditions). About 3.2%of the population is Muslim and 3.6% of the population follows the indigenous Kirant religion. Christianity is practiced officially by less than 0.5% of the population.Hindu and Buddhist traditions in Nepal go back to more than two millennia. In Lumbini, Buddha was born, and Pashupatinath temple, Kathamandu, is an old and famous Shiva temple of Hindus. Nepal has several other temples and Buddhist monasteries as well as places of worship of other religious groups. Traditionally, Nepalese philosophical thoughts are ingrained with the Hindu and Buddhist philosophical ethos and traditions, which include elements of Kashmir Shaivism, Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, works of Karmacharyas of Bhaktapur, and a variety of tantric traditions. Tantric traditions are deep rooted in Nepal, including the practice of animal sacrifices. Five types of animals, always male, are considered acceptable for sacrifice: water buffalo, goats, sheep, chickens, and ducks.


Antyesti or Hindu funeral rites,  referred to as Antim Sanskar, is an important Sanskara, sacrament of Hindu society. Extensive texts of such rites are available, particularly in the Garuda Purana. There is wide inconsistency in theory and practice, and the procedures differ from place to place. Further, these rites also differ depending on the caste, jāti, social group, and the status of the deceased person










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Process
Burning ghats of Kankai , 
Procedures for cremation vary from place to place. Immediately after the death, family members close the mouth and eyes of the deceased, and put the arms straight. The body is placed on the floor with the feet pointing towards the south which is the direction of the dead. An oil lamp is lit and placed near the body, this lamp is kept burning continuously for the first three days following death. In Hinduism, the dead body is considered to be symbol of great impurity hence minimal physical contact is maintained, perhaps to avoid the spread of infections or germs. Most often the body is bathed by purified water, and then dressed in new clothes, if the dead was a male or a widow then generally white clothes are used, whereas if the dead was a married woman with her husband still alive or a young unmarried girl, then the body is dressed either in red or yellow.
Sacred ash (bhasma) is applied on the forehead of the deceased, especially for the worshippers of Lord Shiva (Saivites), otherwise sandalwood paste is applied on the forehead, if the dead was a worshipper for Lord Vishnu (Vaishnava). Further, a few drops of the holy Ganges water may be put into the mouth of the deceased so that the soul may attain liberation, also a few leaves of the holy basil (tulsi) are placed on the right side of the dead body. The body then may be adorned with jewels, and placed lying on a stretcher, with the feet pointing towards the south. Sometimes the body may be kept in a sitting position too. The stretcher is adorned with different flowers including roses, jasmine, and marigolds, and the body is almost covered with the flowers. Thereafter, the close relatives of the deceased person carry the stretcher on their shoulders to the cremation ground. If it is located at a distance, traditionally the stretcher is placed on a cart pulled by animals like bullocks. Nowadays vehicles are also used.

The cremation ground is called Shmashana (in Sanskrit), and traditionally it is located near a river, if not on the river bank itself. There, a pyre is prepared, on which the corpse is laid with its feet facing southwards, so that the dead person can walk in the direction of the dead. The jewels, if any, are removed. Thereafter, the chief mourner (generally the eldest son) walks around the pyre three times keeping the body to his left. While walking he sprinkles water and sometimes ghee onto the pyre from a vessel. He then sets the pyre alight with a torch of flame. The beginning of the cremation heralds the start of the traditional mourning period, which usually ends on the morning of the 13th day after death. When the fire consumes the body, which may take a few hours, the mourners return home. During this mourning period the family of the dead are bound by many rules and regulations of ritual impurity. Immediately after the cremation the entire family is expected to have a bath. One or two days after the funeral, the chief mourner returns to the cremation ground to collect the mortal remains and put them in an urn. These remains are then immersed in a river. Those who can afford it may go to select places like Varanasi, Haridwar, Allahabad, Sri Rangam and Kanya Kumari to perform this rite of immersion of mortal remains.

The preta-karma is an important aspect of Hindu funeral rites, and its objective is to facilitate the migration of the soul of the dead person from the status of a preta (ghost or spirit) to the abode of the ancestors (Pitrs)[citation needed]. It is believed that if this stage of funeral rites is not performed or performed incorrectly, the spirit of the dead person shall become a ghost (bhuta). The rites generally last for ten or eleven days, at the end of which the preta is believed to join the abode of the ancestors. Thereafter, they are worshipped during the 'sraddha' ceremonies.
 If a person dies in a different country, in a war, or drowns, or in any other manner that his body cannot be retrieved for the antyesti, his funeral rites may be performed without the dead body, and similar procedures are followed had the dead body been available. If such a person is later discovered to have not actually died, then "resurrection" rituals are mandatory before his being admitted to the world of the living. The Hindu communities in the United States have begun to look at streamlining the process of cremation rituals and post-cremation observances.










History
Before the dominance of Vedic Aryan culture in the Indian subcontinent, human bodies were either exposed to the elements of nature, and to the birds, or buried in the earth, in a river, and sometimes a cave or an urn[citation needed. Centuries later, cremation became the usual mode of disposal of the dead bodies, with certain exceptions – the exceptions being bodies of infants, yogis, sadhus, and a few others. Cremation became popular due to the Hindu concept of detachment of soul from the body at the time of death, and the transmigration of the soul from one body to another.


(a hom ritual in Hindu religion) was conducted by Late Yogi Naraharinath, a Hindu yogi and philosopher, in 1985. Now Koti Hom is going to be developed as a tourist place. Movie shooting and photo-shooting can be done there paying a little charge in KotiHom Dharmik Sthal Bikash Samiti (a committee which managKoti Homes the Koti Hom area). It is one of the most important educational and business centers in the region.






























New Birtamod

















The estate is located on either
side of the Mahendra Rajmarg, to the east of Birtamod, a small town. The
estate is visible from the road, and is often a stopping point for many people just passing by the area wanting to take photographs. The majority of the estates property is not visible from the highway as it spreads out multiple km to either side of the road. The estate also has its own factory located just off the road surrounded by the estate itself, for the processing of the green leaves.
Birtamod is the commercial, educational and transport hub of Jhapa District. Birtamod is a developing and growing town like most others' in Nepal. The main area of Birtamod is a rapidly growing town
with new building complexes, homes and local businesses constantly being built. Although the town is developing,
communication infrastructure is properly established. The town is properly wired for telephone and Internet Access (Dial-
up, ISDN, ADSL) provided by Nepal Telecom (NTC). Several local cable distributors provide Cable TV access to most of the town and the surrounding local establishments.






Climate of Birtamod is very hot and humid during summer, and mild and dry during winter. During the summer, temperatures 
can reach 36 degree Celsius, and the low in winter is about 12 degree Celsius. Rainfall is abundant during the monsoon season (June–September). There is little or no rainfall during winter, which makes it ideal for harvesting crops such as rice, wheat and Mustard.


Birtamod is connected to all parts of the country by a central highway, the Mahendra Highway (महेन्द्र राज्मार्ग्) which runs throughout
the length of the country from east to west. Chandragadhi Airport is located in Chandragadhi (चन्द्रगडी) (about 12 Kilometers from
Birtamod) and serves 5 to 6 daily flights to and from Kathmandu. Buddha Air, and Yeti Airways are some of the airlines that
NEELDAVIDS SALOON
View from the trafic Police
have daily flights to and from Kathmandu (काठमाडौं), the capital of Nepal.There are various means of transportation in Birtamode

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Damak Bazar and Gauradaha

Damak Gauradaha , a look
Gauradaha is a Village Development Committee (VDC) in Jhapa District and Mechi Zone of south-eastern part of Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 12,376 people living in 2299 individual households.[1]







                                                                       


Damak (Nepali: दमक) is a town and municipality in Jhapa District in the Mechi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. It is situated between the Ratuwa River in the east and the Mawa River in the west. As of 2001 census total population of city is 35,009.
At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 41,321 people living in 7,644 individual households.[1]Damak was changed to a municipality from a VDC (Village Development Committee) in the year 1982 AD. The Damak municipality consists of 19 wards which also includes the large Himalayan Tea State (हिमालय गूडरिक) where the Ex-Royal Family has also
invested. The municipality covers an area of 7,513 hectares and is at an average of 100 meters above the sea level. Lakhanpur in to the east, Urlabari, Rajghat and Madhumalla in the west and Chulachuli (Ilam) and Kohabhara VDC in the north and the south, respectively.
According to the census of 2001, Damak had 7,178 households containing about 35,000 people. The total area is 7,513 hectares out of which 1406.7 hectares is covered by residential area whereas 5,586.30 hectares is used for agriculture. The market area consists of 400.00 hectares, 215 hectares as forest plant area and 265.00 hectares is used in other purposes. In 056/057 there was 1 Health post, 1 Hospital (AMDA) and 1 Nursing Home (Life Line) which contains 50 beds in total. The
Population Growth Rate is 5.14 per annum as per 2047/48 census. As per 056/057 census, there were about 88 industries, 1011 shops, 244 hotels and 9 financial institutions. Black topped road were 29 km, graveled roads were 150 km and earthen road
were 500 km. In addition to it, the drainage runs 3.5 km through the main highway. There are 512 street lights and 1,114 telephone lines to public.Three bhutanse refugee camp(beldangi 1, 2, and 3) was also settled in damak in 1992.
It is one of the important trade center in eastern part of Nepal. There are many international organizations such as IOM, UNHCR, OX-FARM, LWF, NRCS, AMDA,CARITAS NEPAL etc. who are working for the refugees here in Damak.












Education
Damak Multiple Campus is oldest campus in the city established in 1981. Its only the campus offering education up to Master's Degree. Other well known colleges include Model Campus Damak and Unique College having program up to Bachelor's Degree. Damak Multiple Campus and Model Campus Damak are affiliated to Tribhuvan University whereas Unique college is
affiliated to Purbanchal University, Nepal. Notable Schools in Damak are Suryodaya English School, Siddhartha Higher Secondary School, Chulachuli Boarding School and Himalya Higher Secondary School.
School Data