Big drum offered to Kola Samaiji Temple in Dadeldhura

BY PUSHKAR BHANDARI,Dadeldhura, Jan. 8: A 125-kilogram ‘Damaha’ (traditional brass drum) has been offered Kola Samaiji Temple located in a forest above Mudrada village in Ajayameru Rural Municipality-1, Dadeldhura district. 

The Damaha offered by a local, Bhakta Bhandari, son of a member of the erstwhile Raj Parishad late Karna Bahadur Bhandari, is considered the biggest Damaha in the entire Sudurpashchim Province.

Kola Samaiji is the ancestral deity of the Bhandari family. Since Samaiji is considered a milk-consuming deity that does not require sacrifices, the temple holds significant religious importance. 

The drum, crafted in Kathmandu, reached the Kola Samaiji Temple on January 4. Being the largest and most significant drum in the region, it is expected to enhance the temple's beauty and attract more religious devotees.

Previously, the temple had only a 12-kilogram Damaha, also donated by the Bhandari family. 

The new Damaha was carried to the temple from Puilek Bazaar in Ajayameru-1 with traditional musical processions. 

Temple priest Pandit Devaraj Bhatt said that it was the first time such a large drum had been installed in the Sudurpaschim Province. The drum measures 4 feet 5 inches in height and 4 feet 6 inches in width. 

Additionally, restoration work on the temple is also underway. According to Bhatt, funds are being collected through offerings and donations from the local community to lay stones in the temple premises and repair the roof. Earlier, the rural municipality allocated Rs. 1 million to lay stones and build walls, but the lack of sufficient funds delayed the completion of the project.

Worship and rituals are performed at the temple on Shreepanchami, Chaite Dashain and Navaratri. 

On Kartik Shukla Dashami, special worship is conducted, and the deity is revered as per traditional customs, said Pandit Bhatt. 

During major rituals, members of the Bhandari, Bhatt, Bhat, Aire and Tamrakar communities, along with villagers from over a dozen localities, bring offerings, including ‘Puja Pokhal,’ ‘Deuro,’ and ‘Chaulo,’ to honour Samaiji. 

The temple is widely believed to fulfil the wishes of those who pray with devotion.