The Winter Festival Of Yomari Punhi

The popular festival of Yomari Punhi is celebrated mostly in the Kathmandu Valley to shoo the cold away and also to enjoy and mend the relation among the people. The word Yomari is taken from the Newari dialect, with yo’ meaning ‘like’ and ‘mari’ meaning ‘cake’. So, the ‘yomari’ means the cake liked by all, or the popular cake. And the word ‘Punhi’ means the full moon day as per lunar calendar. The advent of yomari punhi heralds that longer days are on the horizon. 

As the festival is observed on a full moon day, it has the Buddhist origin in nature. It is celebrated by both the Buddhist and the Hindus in harmony to enhance the relation among them. It is observed in December, the coldest month of the year. The celebration stimulates the heat inside the body, driving away the cold.  On the day of the festival, early in the morning before dawn, the mother wakes up and readies herself to visit the temple for prayer, as it is the special day of the month. She takes with her various items for offering, including the yomari cake prepared just the day before as a special item of the day. Naturally, she asks for blessing from the god to earn punya (merit).

Popular cake

Hurriedly, she moves back home, as it is a much busier day. She has to prepare more yomari cakes at the kitchen and feed the children to make them happy. This is the prime duty as a mother at home on this special day. But keeping them always happy is a difficult task. So far the shape and design of the yomari is concerned, it is quite peculiar. If a child sees it, s/he will say that it is a ‘katamari’, not a yomari. Because it really looks like a ‘toy doll’. And, if a master baker goes to international food fair and showcases it as a Nepal’s unique product, the visitors there will be amazed to know it as Nepal’s popular cake, and probably would say: "It really tastes great."

The mother shapes it skillfully; the lower part is little bit pointed like a tail, the middle part is round and bigger like a pregnant lady’s belly, the upper part is shaped like neck and head separately. But sometimes the head may be designed like that of two moustache of the famous Gurkha soldier. The design is quite popular among the Newars of the valley. For the preparation, the mother sits cross legged on the mat spread on the kitchen floor. The dough is made ready first by mixing rice flour with warm water, and it is covered with clean cloth to keep it warm. Then, one piece at a time, the size may be that of an egg, she takes out from the dough and makes it round and hollow inside with the fingers. Then she puts inside a black sweet paste of molasses and sesame cleaned and dried properly the day before. After cooking and steaming it for a few minutes, it will be ready to serve hot and delicious.

The children gather at the kitchen to watch it curiously how the mom prepares it. Once the yomari is cooked and ready, they try to touch it, but the mother scares them away. She first offers it to the fire god and the fore-fathers, only after that, it is served hot to the kids.  The elderly members of the family are given less priority and are served later. As this is the Newars’ unique tradition of the live kitchen, nobody has yet complained about it.

 As some people feel lazy to prepare them at home, they flock to the market in Ason bazaar, sometimes standing in a quite long queue. When their turn comes to buy and taste it, the cunning chef-cum-seller sometimes says that it is all sold out for that day. Then they return home disappointed and empty handed. So, one should not be lazy to prepare them at home in a hygienic way. 

International recognition

Friends and relatives come together to celebrate the festival fervently and in a grand manner.  They have all kinds of musical instruments including flute and drums called ‘dhime’ and plan it as a big day for fun and entertainment. They move around the city singing songs and dancing for the well-being of the families, and they are offered the donation of money and yomari. The Newars, the inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley, are now scattered all over the country and even migrated to many parts of the world. No matter where they go, they take with them the culture and tradition not only to enjoy it there, but also to keep it alive – nationally and internationally.

The Jyapus, the famous Newar farmers, are always in the forefront as far as the celebration of a festival is concerned in the valley. This time, they are celebrating yomari punhi as ‘the 21st grand ceremony of the jyapus’. This can enrich the Newar culture and spread it widely. The government has declared the festival day as a holiday in the valley. It should also work for the international recognition of the culture of the country. Doing so can go a long way to help promote the tourism sector. 

(The author is a former tourist guide and a culture enthusiast.)