Spiny Babbler: Club International

Young Artist’s Giants Shine in North Beach - The Southern Maryland Chronicle Vidheha Ranjan’s Giants of This World photo exhibit at Calvert Library Twin Beaches Branch showcases stunning whale and elephant images through Sep 9

This Kukur Tihar. Celebrating Wh**ey and Brownie. This year and every year. Forever.

When it rains.

It's raining
cold droplets on bare skin, raining
scary waters on heart
I hear unseen lightning.

Coming home. You at the gate
watching, wet, waiting:
in spring's chilly waters,
winter's freezing droplets,
summer waters.

I say, you're silly, as you pad across
clean floor and rugs
and wipe you clean with a towel

red golden wet hair on cloth
musky smell of a drying dog

You are in the rain again Alone
looking for me to come to you I know.

I can't find you and you don't know how to come back
A lump in throat, I wait to hear of you

It's raining

After today's heat, rain will give you water to drink
I look for you, heart empty
you look for me, somewhere
in the rain

I will again sleep restlessly tonight
mind drowning, rain filled.

Photographs by Zoya.

BOOK Spiny Babbler Holidays Online.

Winter Adventures 2022 Anita explores images and her mind.

Dhanteras
November 2, 2021

“Dhanteras” is a Sanskrit compound word. Dhan means wealth and Teras is the 13th day of the lunar calendar. Dhanteras marks the beginning of the five-day Tihar festival. To learn more about Nepali culture, traditions, history and languages, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Dhanteras falls on the Trayodashi Tithi of the waning moon of the month of Kartik. Devotees pray to goddess Lakshmi and purchase items made of metal or alloy such as brass, iron, and copper on this day. They are said to bring good luck, remove negative energy from the house, and please goddess Laxmi.

Dhanvantri Jayanti also falls on the same day. Lord Dhanvantari of Ayurveda is said to be born on this day and helps improve health and remove disease. Importantly, Goddess Lakshmi is believed to visit every home in the night of this day and is pleased with those who light up their homes with diyas and colorful lights to welcome her.

This is believed to be an auspicious day to invest, buy appliances, automobiles, and jewelry. To learn more about Nepali culture, traditions, history and languages, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Interested in learning the Nepali language? Whether you are an adult learner or want to have your children learn, visit www.evl.edu.np Here is a video of children's music festival organized by Spiny Babbler. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ez89ptNpvg&t=162s

Children's Music Festival: September 2020 25 one to 14 year olds present songs, spirits, flute, piano, and presentations.Spiny Babbler provides cutting edge education through Evolution High School. W...

Kojagrath Purnima
19 October 2021

Spiny Babbler has been working with languages, arts, and cultures since 1991. To learn Nepali, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

On Kojagrath Purnima, or full moon day of Dasain, after 15 days of festivities, the sands, the flowers, shoots, tika,a nd celebrations of the festival is put to rest at the river banks of sacred rivers or somewhere peaceful and pure.

Kojagrath means to ‘stay awake’ and the belief is that Goddess Lakshmi will visit homes and will call out asking, “Who wakes?” Those who answer will receive a shower of her blessings.

Also known as Kumar Purnima, Kojagiri Purnima, Navana Purnima, or Kaumudi Purnima and is deemed auspicious by many religious scriptures of the East.

Both Buddhists and Hindus offer worship at Swayambhu and observe a vigil lighting the great lamp, or the Mahadeep.

To learn Nepali, whether you are an adult or have a child, visit WWW.evl.edu.np/intl

Fulpati, Flowers and Leaves
or Saptami, the Seventh Day
12 October 2021

Ful means flowers and Pati means leaves. So the thing to do on the Seventh Day of Dasain is to bring in nine varieties of flowers and leaves into the home. These specific species of plants represent nine Mother Goddesses that bring health, protection, satisfaction and prosperity to homes. To learn about Nepali Culture, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Navaratri are the nine days of Dasain the nine flowers and leaves of sacred plants (the leaves of banana, pomegranate, rice stalk, turmeric, manabriksha, kachuki, belpatra, ashok, and jayanti) are placed outside the house. These are later brought in with fanfare.

Dasain is the most important festival of Nepalese Hindus though other ethnicities and religious groups also celebrate the festival.

Have a great Dasain folks. To learn the Nepali culture, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Interested in learning the Nepali language? Whether you are an adult learner or want to have your children learn, visit www.evl.edu.np Here is a great musical prepared by Spiny Babbler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXIfCnsnQJw

Listen to Nepali music and singing. Enjoy as you learn.

Chati Bhari Ka Kura Young people of Spiny Babbler Evolution acted, sang, and made music to make this short musical. Save the Children provided partial financial support to make ...

Sohra Sarad
20 September to 6 October 2021

Nepalese communities hold those that have passed away with great respect. In many cultures, family members who have died are equal to the devas or the gods. Cultures that worship their ancestors include the Kirats, Tharus, Newars, Maithils, Brahmin Chettris, and others. To learn about Nepali culture, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Sohra Shraddha is a fortnight during which time Hindus pay homage to their ancestors. The pitris or those that have passed on to other worlds are believed to care for those who live and their fortnight, from the Purnima full moon day to the Aunsi new moon day, is also called the Pitri Paksha. Like the living they need love, food, water, and prayers.

Over a 16-Lunar days that mostly starts in September, these spirits are offered memories, food, water and prayers. Tarpan, is the respect that is offered and the shraddha rituals are performed at noon, preferably on the banks of a river or at home. Many families take on pilgrimage to significant religious sites during this time.

According to Hindu mythology, spirits of three generations that have passed away live in Pitri Loka between salvation and mortality. This place is ruled by Yama Raj, the deva who rules over the dead and judges their goodness and sins.

Sohra Shraddha also marks the advent of festivities. The rains end and cool weather starts. Right before this ritual fall the Indra Jatra, G*i Jatra, Biswakarma Puja festivals and the end of Sohra Shraddha marks the advent of important Hindu festivals like Dasain and Tihar. To learn about Nepali culture, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Artwork by Shila Shrestha.

Indra Jatra
19 September 2021

Spiny Babbler Club International is pleased to wish you a very Happy Indra Jatra Festival. To learn about Nepali culture, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Indra Jatra, also known as Yenya, is among the biggest festival of the Newari people. The main celebrations are Indra jatra and Kumari Jatra.

Indra Jatra celebrates Lord Indra, King of Amaravati where the Devas live. He is also the god of rain and lighting. Among the four Vedic gods Surya the sun, Chandra the moon, Agni the fire, Indra the god of rain is very important to the predominantly farming community of the Newars.

Kumari Jatra is the chariot procession of the young living goddess.

Celebration last eight days from the twelfth day of the rising moon to the fourth day of the waning moon. The prayers to the Rain God start early in January with the bathing of the Seto Machhendranath, then the April-May chariot procession of the Rato Machhendranath in Patan when the monsoon rains are about to come and a multitude other worship and prayers. At the end of the rice season when the harvest is about to be brought in during August and September, Indra Jatra thanks the deity for the water and tells him that the people have had enough rain and it is now time to bring in the crops and celebrate the success.

There are interesting stories related to the King of Amaravati, Indra. He is once said to have come to the Kathmandu Valley to steal a special flower for his mother, Dagini. Nobody knew who he was, he was found out, captured, and imprisoned as a thief. His ride, the Airawat elephant searched through the streets and alleys of Kathmandu but failed to find him. Indra's mother worried and came down to earth to look for him.

The people of Kathmandu found out that they had imprisoned Lord Indra and let him go. Dagini was grateful and promised to take those who died over year back to his kingdom and also to spread enough dew throughout the winter to ensure a good winter farm growth.

To learn about Nepali culture, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Happy Biswakarma Festival
17 September 2021

Spiny Babbler Club International is pleased to wish you a Happy Biswakarma Festival. To learn about Nepali culture, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl

Biswakarma is worshipped as the deva of mechanical things on the day of Kanya Sankranti (Sankranti being the first day of a Nepali month, which falls today. A divine architect, craftsman, and lord of machines, he is believed to have designed Dwarka, the city of Krishna, now believed to be submerged in the Arabian Sea. He is also believed to have built the wondrous Maya Sabha Hall for the Pandavas.

Biswakarma is depicted as having four hands, holding a measuring tape, a scale, a book, and a pot. Like Hephaestus, the Greek God, he designed and made several important weapons for the Hindu Trinity: Lord Shiva's Trishul trident, Lord Vishnu's Sudarshan Chakra discus, Lanka King Rawan’s flying machine the Pushpak Viman, and Lord Indra's Vajra (the thunderbolt).

Architects, carpenters, engineers, mechanics, sculptors and everyone else associated with creation, especially those that involve mechanical components worship Bishwakarma to gain positive energy in the workplace and from their equipment.

Fruit, flowers, incense, vermilion powder, red and white cloth strips are offered and vehicles decorated. Idols of Bishwakarma are created and taken to river sides. An important deva of the Newars, he is also worshipped during Dashain and some clans have taken to him as their Kuldevta or clan deity and have altar for him in homes.

To learn about Nepali culture, whether you are adult or a child, visit www.evl.edu.np/intl