members comprised of Ms. Promita Prajapati, Ms. Kerisha Singh, Ms. Sarahana Joshee, Ms. Aishwarya Shrestha, Ms. Sahara Shrestha, Ms. Kriti Shrestha, and Ms. Hridayesha Tamrakar.

 

NPPA President Mrs. Saroj Prajapati welcomed the participant kanyas, their parents, and guests, and highlighted the importance of IHI ceremony in Newah community in the US. She stated that NPPA is the pioneer in preservation and promotion of important culture and ritual practices.

 

Priest Basav Rajopadhyay performed various rituals such as Purification Pooja, Mandap Pooja, Sindhuorhan, Kanya Dan, Mandap Parikrama, Kumar Pooja, Kumari Pooja, Barachhuyagu, Thayabhu, Avishek, Ashirbad, and Jal Prasad in an orderly manner.

 

The IHI participant kanyas in 2016 are:

 

Name of Participant Kanyas             State  Parents’ Name

1. Miss Megha Chitrakar               VA      Mr. Rabi Chitrakar & Mrs. Shreeja Shrestha
2. Miss Shisujita Karmacharya      CT      Mr. Jitendra Karmacharya & Mrs. Anu Shrestha
3. Miss Aisworya Rani Joshi          VA      Mr. Manindra Joshi & Mrs. Bhagawati Joshi
4. Miss Neha J. Shrestha              MD     Mr. Gaurab Shrestha & Mrs. Nina Shrestha
5. Miss Aarya Shrestha                 MD     Mr. Prashant Shrestha & Mrs. Shikha Budathoki
6. Miss Brianna Segura                 MD     Mr. Victor Segura & Mrs. Gargi Joshi
7. Miss Melvina Ranjitkar              SD     Mr. Barun Ranjitkar & Mrs. Manisha Shrestha
8. Miss Diva Shrestha                    MD     Mr. Saroj Shrestha & Mrs. Sujata Shrestha
9. Miss Abisha Shrestha                MD     Mr. Ajit Shrestha & Mrs. Bibta Pradhan
10. Miss Sarah Rowal Shrestha      MD     Mr. Surendra Shrestha & Mrs. Sarita Shrestha
11. Miss Parisha A. Shrestha          MD     Mr. Purushotam B. & Mrs. Anupa Shrestha
12. Miss Arya Bijukchhe                  WA     Mr. Anup Bijukchhe & Mrs. Rebika Amatya
13. Miss Anika Bijukchhe                WA     Mr. Anup Bijukchhe & Mrs. Rebika Amatya
14. Miss Ritika Thanju                     VA      Mr. Rajesh Thanju & Mrs. Reetu Thanju
15. Miss Riana Gopaju                    MD     Mr. Upendra Kaji Gopaju & Mrs. Rekha Gopaju

 

Three pairs of Nayo and Naki – Mr. Bijaya & Mrs. Minu Shrestha, Mr. Manohar & Mrs. Anjaly Shrestha, and Mr. Prabodh & Mrs. Sheila Shrestha helped to facilitate the ritual processes as directed by the Priest. In the ceremony, Master Sanskar Maharjan and Miss Sanskriti Maharjan were symbolized as Kumar and Kumari, respectively.

 

More than 400 attendees/guests and observers were present in the ceremony, who were excited and delighted to view a variety of tantrik rituals performed by the Priest. NPPA EC members and active members Mr. Ram Malakar, Mrs. Bisnu Malakar, Mr. Krishna Prajapati, Mrs. Saroj Prajapati, Mrs. Sukla Shrestha, Mr. Raju Joshee, Mrs. Shilu Joshee, Mr. Buddha Ratna Maharjan, Mrs. Ganga Maharjan, Mr. Allan Maharjan, Mr. Pancha Shrestha, Mrs. Shanti Shrestha, Mr. Nani Babu Shrestha, Mrs. Magan Shrestha, Ms. Sarita Dongol, Mr. Prabin Tamrakar, Mrs. Deepa Tamrakar,  Mr.  Kailash  Singh, Mrs. Rita  Singh,  Mrs.  Shaubhagya Hada,  Mrs.  Roshani Gorkhali, Ms. Manju Shrestha, Mrs. Niti Mathema, Ms. Elina Maharjan, Mrs. Anu Shrestha Maharjan, Mr. Sajan Maharjan, Ms. Sweta Shrestha helped participants and guests during the IHI ceremony. She also thanked the hard working youth volunteers Mr. Anugh Shrestha, Mr. Pukar Shrestha, Mr. Nayan Shrestha, Mr. Sweekar Shrestha, and Mr. Subhash Khatiwada.

 

Mrs. Saroj Prajapati also expressed her sincere gratitude and appreciation to all the participant kanyas, parents, guests, volunteers, drinks and food contributors, executive committee members, advisory board members, media, and Washington Kali Temple. She also presented Certificates to all IHI participant Kanyas. She credited the success of today’s event to the participants, supporters, and volunteers.

 

NPPA would like to thank and acknowledge generous food contributors by Mr. & Mrs. Ram Malakar,  Mr. & Mrs. Krishna Prajapati, Mr. & Mrs. Raju Joshee, Mr. & Mrs. Buddha Maharjan, Mr. & Mrs. Manohar Shrestha, Mr. Allan Maharjan, Mr. & Mrs. Pancha Shrestha, Mr. & Mrs. Nani Babu Shrestha, Mr. & Mrs. Bijaya Shrestha, Mr. & Mrs. Ramji Prajapati, Ms. Sukla Devi Shrstha, Mr. & Mrs. Prabin Tamrakar, Ms. Sarita Dongol, Mr. & Mrs. Kailash Singh, and Mr. & Mrs. Ashok Jayanti Bhadel.

 

Please mark your calendar for the following NPPA’s upcoming events:

 

» August 20, 2016           सा पारु – Sa Paru (Gai Jatra) and Summer Picnic @ Wheaton Regional Park, MD

» September 10, 2016     NPPA Patron/Life Members Appreciation Dinner

» October 23, 2016         मोहनी Dashain (Maha Ashtami)

» October 31, 2016          म्ह पूजा (Nepal Sambat 1137)

» November 4-5, 2016     Nepal Sambat 1137 Bhintuna and NPPA’s 25^th Anniversary celebration

 

After the conclusion of the IHI ceremony, NPPA members and volunteers served food to all the participants and guests. Overall, NPPA successfully completed its Eighth IHI ceremony. For more information please contact Mrs. Saroj Prajapati (saroj.prajapati@nppa-usa.org).

 

IHI is the most inevitable and ritual ceremony in Newah Society to retreat Newah girls at the age between 5 and 11 years. IHI stands for a certain time and age. According to the religious and astrological belief, IHI is an act of giving a virgin in marriage, but it is not a physical wedding. The main images at the wedding – provided separately for each girl – are the bya (in Nepali, bel) which is the fruit of the Bel plant (binomial name – Aegle marmelos), and a golden image (or flat piece of gold with an image engraved on it). The bya fruit represents Lord Shiva and the golden image represents Lord Vishnu/Narayana, also called Subarna Kumar. At the exact astrological time, called out by a priest, the father offers his daughter to the god as manifested by pressing her thumb against the golden image. The image is held against the bya, representing Lord Shiva as the witness to the marriage. This occasion, therefore, is popularly known as IHI (misinterpreted as Bel-bibah). The principle behind this traditional practice is that the girl having been married with human being, should her husband decease, she would not be considered “widowed” because she was married to Lord Subarna Kumar at her pre-pubescent age. It is performed to prevent widowhood of Newah women. Thus, IHI ritual is the most important ongoing ritual prevalent in Newah culture.

 

The NPPA, established in 1991, is a Newah organization based in the metropolitan Washington, DC. The Nepa Pasa Pucha Corporation is a registered legal name of NPPA which is a nonprofit tax-exempt organization under the IRC Section 501(c)(3). Its primary mission is the preservation and promotion of Newah cultural heritage, traditions, and customs in the United States.