The Newar community of Kathmandu Valley is celebrating Pahachahre, one of their major festivals after Dashain, with various programs across the country today. Also known as Pasachahre, the festival derives its name from the Newar words Pahā (guest) and Pāsa (friend), while Chahre refers to the fourteenth day of the lunar calendar. Due to the tradition of consuming garlic on this day, some also call it the “Garlic Festival.”
The festival involves early morning visits to temples like Bhadrakali, Raktakali, Shwetakali, and Kankeshwari for worship, followed by family feasts in the afternoon and evening. The main festive dish, Samay Baji, includes beaten rice, black-eyed beans, eggs, bara, greens, pickles, potatoes, fish, and soybeans.
A unique ritual of Pahachahre is the worship of Luku Mahadyah (hidden Mahadev), where an image of Lord Shiva is buried underground and offered garlic and radish flowers. The festival also features processions of deities’ chariots (Khat Jatra), particularly of Goddess Kankeshwari.
On the second day, which coincides with Ghode Jatra, infants up to two years old are fed a special dish called Mar:ja to ensure their good health and protection from evil spirits. The festival concludes with a chariot battle ritual at Asan, where devotees dressed in red, blue, and yellow gather to participate in the Dy Lwakegu tradition, symbolizing the exchange of divine energies.
