There is a close association between the Newar culture and food, and feasts are very common in Newari families.[break]
A traditional feast or “vo’ye” boasts a wide array of dishes starting with “sagun” (Newari holy offering), typically consisting of a boiled egg, smoked fish, “bara” (deep-fried black lentil patties), “haku chhoila” (smoked buff) and “aila” (holy liquor) and ending with “dhau” (curd) as Newari dessert.
There is a saying in Nepali, “Parbate bigryo mojle, Newar bigryo bhojle” which means that Parbatyas (hill people) ruin themselves by excessive enjoyment and Newars ruin themselves by feasting. It is thus apparent how important feasts are in the Newar culture. Food is closely related to all rituals and religious functions. Every Newar festival of importance begins with a day which is referred to as “choyala bhu.” During this day, one enjoys roasted meat and flattened rice and drinks beer and spirits. A typical traditional Newar feast can have up to 84 items and even today vo’yes, which are increasingly rare, have a wide range of delicacies.
Newari cuisine is unique and one of the most diverse types. A host of spices, such as cumin seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, vinegar, are used in the preparation of the dishes. The dishes served in feasts are considered to make a properly balanced and healthy diet meal. Newars cook varieties of foods, depending on the climate and occasions; and the staple “baji” (beaten rice, “chiura” in Nepali) is one of the most commonly used food items.
A typical Newari thali (plate) consists of beaten rice, chhoila, different kinds of bean preparations, potatoes, spinach, bara, sour soups and typically two kinds of liquor. Thwon (rice beer) and potent blue-flame aila are the common liquors that Newars commonly brew at home.
Sitting on the floor on a long straw carpet, Newars take their meals on a lapti (a plate of woven and stitched leaves). If there is more than one person eating, people form a line in hierarchical order. After sitting down to eat, one usually offers a share of the food to the gods before the food has become “polluted” in any way, i.e., before they start eating. This share is called “dyo chhaye” (God’s share). It consists of a few beaten rice grains and a little bit of each of the additional foods. If the meal has drinks, a few drops of it have to be scattered in the air, whereas the food items are set neatly next to the plate. At the conclusion of such elaborate meals, “sisabusa” (salad) is offered.
Newari food culture is slowly diminishing with more and more people opting for catering services and buffet lunches/dinners rather than the traditional feast; and even those who opt for traditional feasts are tweaking it in their own ways for the sake of modern convenience. For instance, some use paper plates or steel plates instead of the traditional lapti.
Satya Mohan Joshi, the octogenarian culture expert of Patan City, believes that younger generations should be aware of the rich traditions and not let them vanish.
“With the rise in the number of catering services, and also because of their busy schedules, people often opt to have their parties catered to. We hardly see many vo’yes happening these days. But I believe these traditional ways of feasting bring families closer and remind them of their rich roots, which is why people need to be aware of their culture and not let it diminish,” he says.
In an attempt to keep the tradition alive, Powerful Hands, a social event management agency, in collaboration with Social Tours, a five-time responsible tourism award-nominated soft adventure specialist, are organizing a grand 19-course “Vo’ye” on Sunday, September 11 on the occasion of Indra Jatra. For details and reservations, call 01-4412508.
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