Waking up in Nepal

Khusi means happy in Nepali. I can tell you that I am a happier woman after hearing of the rituals that Hindu women have to take part in yearly in order to cleanse themselves of sin.  At breakfast this morning, Pramita proceeded to tell us a couple of details. The festival is called “Rishi Panchami”. Each has to wake up at 4am to begin their purification. Not necessarily in this order, she then has to rub 360 pieces upmarga (a medicinal plant)  across her teeth. That can’t be good. She has to rub her body with a potion of equal parts milk, curd, butter and cow dung thoroughly mixed in a copper container.  After she washes her husband’s feet she then takes a holy bath which is, apparently, much needed. During this bath a trained professional holds a strainer filled with a type of tea  leaves over her head and pours water through it. She is then dipped into a body of water. If she lives quite a distance from the temple, she must form the likeness of a god out of cow dung in order to worship.

Through Jesus we are saved without any works of our own!

Happy 🙂

Liz