Mass Bel wedding to be held in Hetauda

By Anil Parajuli

Hetauda, Jan. 22: A mass Bel marriage (marrying young girls with stone apple)  ceremony of 65 girls is set to be held in Hetauda with the aim of preserving and promoting the ancient culture and traditions of the Newar community.

In the Newar community, it is customary for a girl to be married to a stone fruit before she reaches menstruation. This ritual is known as Ihi in the Newari language.

Following this tradition, a mass wedding ceremony will be organised in Hetauda. The 54th Ihi Yagya (Suvarna Kumara Bel Bivaha) Guthi, Hetauda, has informed that the ceremony will be conducted over two days on January 23 and 24.

The programme will be held on the auspicious occasion of Sri Panchami, according to Guthi Chairman Harishchandra Shrestha.

He said that the Subarna Kumara Bel Bivaha Guthi, Hetauda, is planning to organise the mass marriage by performing a yagya at a babali at the bus park, with the objective of reducing extravagant expenses while keeping Newar traditions alive.

Shrestha, the head of the Guthi, said that the organisation has been conducting mass wedding ceremonies to preserve Newar culture and minimise unnecessary social extravagance by carrying out rituals at a low cost.

In Hetauda, the Guthi has been organising mass Bel marriages on the occasion of Sri Panchami for the past 53 years. The Guthi includes girls in the ritual worship at a minimal fee and bears all expenses for girls from underprivileged families.

The Bel wedding programme was conducted for the first time outside the Kathmandu Valley in Hetauda in 1972. According to the Guthi, it was initiated by the late Bikulal Taujle and the late Prem Lal Shrestha.

The ritual is performed in accordance with traditional practices rooted in the Malla civilisation and goddess worship. The puja is conducted by Brahmins of the Newar community, including Bajracharya, Karmacharya, Joshi, Sevacharya, Pujari and Pandits, who are invited from the Valley.

The stone fruit is regarded as the embodiment of Lord Shiva. It symbolises stability as the fruit is durable, it does not rot when dried and is not eaten by insects. The practice of Bel marriage is unique to the Newar community.

According to Newar tradition, a woman should never wipe off the vermilion applied during marriage and should not present herself as a widow even after the death of her husband. 

The Guthi has stated that this year’s programme will be organised under the coordination of Guthi in-charge and lifelong member Yes Kumar Shrestha.