Kachhala (month)

New Year's Day bunting in Kathmandu.
Halimali display, grain art showing auspicious jar on Kārtik Purnimā.

Kachhalā (Nepal Bhasa: कछला) is the first month in the Nepal Era calendar, the national lunar calendar of Nepal.[1] The month corresponds to Kārtik in the Hindu lunar calendar and roughly matches November in the Gregorian calendar.

Kachhalā begins with the new moon and the full moon falls on the 15th of the lunar month. The month is divided into the bright and dark fortnights which are known as Kachhalā Thwa (कछला थ्व) and Kachhalā Gā (कछला गा) respectively.

The most important festival that occurs during this month is Tihar (Swanti). The first day of the bright forthnight of Kachhalā is New Year's Day when Newars observe Mha Puja, an auspicious ceremony to invoke good fortune during the coming year.[2]

The full moon Kārtik Purnimā is also a major religious holiday. In Nepal Mandala, the day is celebrated as Saki Milā Punhi (सकि मिला पुन्हि) or Saki Manā Punhi (सकि मना पुन्हि). Sacred paintings known as Halimali, which are made of popcorn, wheat and black soybeans, are displayed in front of temples to mark the end of the month-long hymn singing season. The special food of the day is boiled arum and sweet potato.[3]

Days in the month

Thwa (थ्व) or Shukla Paksha
(bright half)		 Gā (गा) or Krishna Paksha
(dark half)
1. Pāru 1. Pāru
2. Dwitiyā 2. Dwitiyā
3. Tritiyā 3. Tritiyā
4. Chauthi 4. Chauthi
5. Panchami 5. Panchami
6. Khasti 6. Khasti
7. Saptami 7. Saptami
8. Ashtami 8. Ashtami
9. Navami 9. Navami
10. Dashami 10. Dashami
11. Ekādashi 11. Ekādashi
12. Dwādashi 12. Dwādashi
13. Trayodashi 13. Trayodashi
14. Chaturdashi 14. Charhe (चह्रे)
15. Punhi (पुन्हि) 15. Āmāi (आमाइ)

Months of the year

Devanagari script Roman script Corresponding Gregorian month Name of Full Moon
1. कछला Kachhalā November Saki Milā Punhi, Kārtik Purnimā
2. थिंला Thinlā December Yomari Punhi, Dhānya Purnimā
3. पोहेला Pohelā January Milā Punhi, Paush Purnimā
4. सिल्ला Sillā February Si Punhi, Māghi Purnimā
5. चिल्ला Chillā March Holi Punhi, Phāgu Purnimā
6. चौला Chaulā April Lhuti Punhi, Bālāju Purnimā
7. बछला Bachhalā May Swānyā Punhi, Baisākh Purnimā
8. तछला Tachhalā June Jyā Punhi, Gaidu Purnimā
9. दिल्ला Dillā July Dillā Punhi, Guru Purnimā
10. गुंला Gunlā August Gun Punhi, Janāi Purnimā (Raksha Bandhan)
11. ञला Yanlā September Yenyā Punhi, Bhādra Purnimā
12. कौला Kaulā October Katin Punhi, Kojāgrat Purnimā

References

  1. ↑ "Nepal Sambat gets national status". The Rising Nepal. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "Mha Puja today, Nepal Sambat 1132 being observed". Ekantipur. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Levy, Robert Isaac (1990). "A Catalogue of Annual Events and Their Distribution throughout the Lunar Year". Mesocosm: Hinduism and the Organization of a Traditional Newar City in Nepal. University of California Press. p. 643. ISBN 9780520069114.
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