सितला माजु
Sitala Maaju is a goddess who is worshipped by the natives of Kathmandu valley as the goddess of chicken pox. Sitalaa maaju is also considered to be another form of " Harati ajimaa" who resides in Swayambhu.
The group of Newa people still sings a hymn named " Sitala maaju" which explains the pain and suffering of people during the time of Ranabahadur Shah (1777-1805 AD) in Kathmandu Vally when chicken pox spread as an epidemic disease. The song explains about how cruely and worstly people were exiled and forced to leave the place without any mercy .
Then king Ranabahadur Shah had 4 queens and the youngest of all was his beloved one . He had one son from the young queen named " Givaarna Yuddha Bikram Shah ". The king ordered a lot of people to leave the place with the fear that chicken pox might transfer to his queens and son.
The song explains about the pains and sufferings of people when they were forced to leave, when they were exiled and they were beaten without any mercy with nettles , bamboo sticks . The king even didn't let the family to cremeate the dead bodies of the dead childs and instead forced the parents to drag their remaining children and where kicked out of country with the force of soliders. The dead bodies were snatched from the family and was thrown in the river.
Finally when his queen also suffered from the chicken pox and queen died, he went to Swayambhu and ordered to lift the statue of Harati Ajima and he destroyed the statue and ordered to throw away. Legend says that when he was destroying the statue, it cried out loud and it is also said that the statue was thrown near to Vishnumati river in Karna Deep ( a cremeation center). He furthermore destroyed a lot of statues and when he went to destroy the doors of " Shantipur" shrine he lost his vision of one eye and fainted there. Later, he apologized and established new statue of Harati Ajima in the temple and he started a new tradition of offering gold coin once a year in Shantipur and perform " Chyamaa Puja " every year as an apology for what he did. The tradition of Chyamaa puja is still continued but gold coins are not offered these days but instead brought for the ritual and is taken back again by the guthi sansthan . Ranabahadur Shah also started tradition of offering " Sarkaari Pujaa " to the temple of Sitalaa Maaju in Lhuti area during Chaitra Purnima .
The below is the native hymn or song of Sitalaa Maaju which mentions about pain and suffering of people and problems :
शितला माजु स्वहुने परजाया गथिन हवाल - हेर्नुस् शितला माजु प्रजाको कस्तो दु:खको हालत
न्यना मदु खना मदु कचिमचा तय मदु
महाराज हुकुम जुल (१) - कहिल्यै नसुनेको कहिल्यै नदेखेको कचिमचा(नहुर्केको शिशु) राख्न नहुने माहाराजको हुकुम आयो
नायखिन बाजन थायका सिपाहिन घेरेयाका
कचिमचा पि तिनाव छ्वत (२) - कटवाल लगाएर, सिपहिँले घेरेर कचिमचालाई निकालियो
नसा बजि ब्यकुं च्यसे कचिमचा लुकुं चिसे
वने माल तामाखुसि पारि (३) - खानलाई बजि(चिउरा) पोको पारेर बोक्दै कचिमचा पिठ्युँमा बाँधेर जानुपर्यो तामाखुसि(तामाकोशी) पारी
छम्हा मचा लुकुं चिसे छम्हा मचा ब्यकुं च्यासे
छम्हा मचा लुतु लुसे यन (४) - एउटा बच्चा कम्मरमा बाँधी, एउटा बच्चा पिठ्युँमा बाँधे, एउटा बच्चा तान्दै डोर्याएँ
यँदेसं दना वना ख्वपदेस बास जुल
तल्जुमाजु दरसन याये (५) - येँदेस(काठमाडौँ)बाट उठेर ख्वपदेस(भक्तपुर)को बाँस भयो, तल्जु माजु(तलेजु भवानी)को दर्शन गरेँ
ख्वपदेसं दना वना भोंतबास बास जुल
चण्डेश्वरी दरसन याये (६) - ख्वपदेस(भक्तपुर)बाट उठेर भोंत(बनेपा)को बाँस भयो, चण्डेश्वरी दरसन गरेँ
भोंतं दना वना पलांचोस बास जुल
भगबति दरसन याये (७) - भोंत(बनेपा)बाट उठेर पलांचोस(पलान्चोक)को बाँस भयो, भगवती दर्शन गरेँ
- पलान्चोक पुग्दा "नेवा: देय् पुल" अर्थात् नेवा: सीमा कट्यो भन्ने गरिन्थ्यो। पलान्चोकलाई सो गीतमा पलांचोस भनेर लेखिएको छ। हुनलाई नेवा:हरू मल्ल कालमै तनहुँ, कास्की, पाल्पा व्यापारका लागि पुगेका त थिए, बजार बसाले। तर नेवा:हरू आफ्नै छुट्टै राज्य छ, जसमा भनेर पलान्चोकबाट सकिन्थ्यो।
पलांचोसं दना वना दोलाघाते बास जुल
भिमसेन दरसन याये (८) - पलान्चोकबाट उठेर दोलालघाटको बाँस भयो, भीमसेनको दर्शन गरेँ
दोलाघातं दना वना तामाखुसि बास जुल
वाने मानि तामाखुसि पारी (९) - दोलालघाटबाट उठेर तामाखुसि(तामाकोशी)को बाँस भयो, जानुपर्छ अझै तामाकोशी पारी
- नेपालभाषामा नदीलाई खुसि भनिन्छ
दोलालघातं दना वना तामाखुसि पारि थ्यन
माहाद्य: दरसन याये (१०) - दोलालघाटबाट उठेर गएँ, तामाकोशी पारी पुग्यो, म्हादेव दर्शन गरेँ
नययात नसा मदु तियययात वसः मदु
च्वनेयात बास जिता मदु (११) - खानलाई खाना छैन, लगाउनलाई कपडा छैन, बस्नलाई बाँस छैन
लखि मखु पसि मखु न्हाकप्वाचाँ दाया हल
सिपाहिन घेरेयाना हल (१२) - कोर्रा होइन, कटबाँस होइन, सिस्नोमुठाले पिटे, सैनीकले घेरे
कै बिम्हा कछला माजु लख जायकिम्ह शितला माजु
यनकिम्ह बछला माजुयाके फ्वने (१३) -बिफर दिने कछला माजु, पानी भरिदिने शितला माजु, लगिदिने बछला माजुसँग माग्छु
थ्वहे मचा रहे जुसा जोलिंजोल बखुन ब्वयके
लुँयागु वयागु द्वाफोस्वन छाये (१४) - यो बच्चा बाँच्यो भने जोडी परेवा उडाउँला, सुन चाँदीको बेलीफूल चढाउँला
सुरद्य: को म जो थास चिकुं पुना मचा सित
माम बुबां नुगः दायाः ख्वल (१५) - सुरद्य:(घाम) कम भएको ठाउँमा चिसो लागेर बच्चा मर्यो, आमा बुबा छाती पिटेर रोए
सिम्ह मचा उय मदु मचा गाले थुने मदु
परजाया गथिन हवाल (१६) - मरेको बच्चा जलाउन नपाइने, खाल्डोमा गाड्न नपाइने, प्रजाको भयो कस्तो दुखको हातल
बाह्म मचा मामं जोंसे बाह्म मचा बुबां ज्वंसे
तामाखुसि कुतकाव छ्वत (१७) - आधा बच्चा आमाले समातेर आधा बच्चा बुबाले समातेर तामाकोशीमा खसालिदिएँ
गोरखा जुजुन बिनति याहुने परजाया गथिन हवाल (१८) - गोर्खाको राजालाई बिन्ती गर्दछु, प्रजाको यस्तो दु:ख
स्वामि जुजुया धरम मदया कचिमचा वाके छ्वत
वाने माल तामाखुसि पारि (१९) - स्वामी राजाको धर्म नभएर कचिमचा फाल्न पठाए , जानुपर्यो तामाकोशी पारी
गोरखा देसन वकम्हा नेपाल देसया छत्रपति श्री रणबहादुर
परजान अति दुख सिल (२०) - गोर्खा देशबाट आएका नेपाल देशको एकछत्र राजा श्री रणबहादुर, प्रजाले अति दु:ख पाए
मते मते शितला माजु सहस्र बिनति छिके
याहुने लोक उद्धार (२१) - नगर्नु नगरुनु शितला माजु, बिन्ती गर्छु, गर्नु लोकको उद्दार
सिपाहिन घेरेयाका थ्त देसन पि तिनाव छ्वत (२२) - सिपाहिँले घेरेर आफ्नो देशबाट निकालियो
Notes :
1. Shantipur is considered to be a doorway to the secret underground places where it is still belived that Jamana Gubhaaju is meditating . This door is never opened.
2. Jamana Gubhaaju is a famous tantrik during the time of Malla king Pratap Malla in 17th century.
3. Lhuti is the native name for the present Baalaaju .
4. Chyamaa Puja is the ritual performed to apologize for his or her mistakes.
5. Sarkaari pujaa is a ritual that is performed by the government on behalf of then kings. Government manages to send the necessary things required for performing certain rituals.
The image here is of Harati Ajima from Patan
Article and Photo : Frannkey Franz
Lyrics of song : Taken from a page named " Old Photos of Nepal ".
Source:-मध्यपुर थिमि या कला संस्कृती ।।
