Source::RSS
Kathmandu Valley, full of long history, culture, tradition and heritage, many festivals celebrated by the Raithane Newar community here have their own importance and characteristics. One of the main and original festivals is 'Yomari Punhi'.
This festival which falls in the season of Hemant is being celebrated today on the occasion of Marg Shukla Purnima i.e. Grain Purnima. As the second month of Nepal Samvat falls in Thinla, it is also called 'Thinla Punhi'.
There are many festivals related to agriculture in the Newar community. In order to eat food according to the season, the Sipalu Newar community has introduced the festival by the name of the same dish. Yomari Punhi, celebrated on the day of Marg Shukla Purnima, is one such festival, which is famous for its delicious dish Yomari.
Marg Shukla Purnima is a big festival for agricultural workers. On this day, the Kirant community of Purvi Pahari district celebrates Ubhauli festival. Similarly, the Jyapu community within the Newars of the valley also celebrates this festival as Jyapu Day. The Khasarya community also has a tradition of performing Kul Puja and Diwali Puja on this day as a big day.
In Nepali language, 'Yah' means favourite and 'Mari' means bread or sweet. Yahmair/Yomarii is also accepted as Panchaattva. In Yahmari, rice flour is taken as earth, knife as fire, water as water, empty space as sky and sesame as air.
This festival is celebrated with joy in the joy of bringing in new paddy. Yomari is made from the rice of newly imported rice and in Bhakari and Bhandar where the new grain is kept, small leaf-shaped Lhonchamari (muthumari) with idols of Lakshmi, Ganesha, Kuvera, Nanglo, Sukunda, man holding rice, panas, turtle etc. is made and worshipped.
There is a popular belief that if you offer Yomari to grain storehouses including rice beggars, Goddess Dhanalakshmi will be happy and under its influence, the house will be full of grain and you will get wealth. It is customary to share the yomari with the family as prasad four days after offering it in this way.
In the evening of Yomari Punhi, there is a tradition of children and young people gathering in Tole tole and asking for Yahmari. In a way, this is a trend like Deusi, Bhailo. The practice of asking for death is also an important cultural aspect of this day which is called 'Tya Sintya'.
Yomari has cultural and religious importance in the Newar community. In the Newar community, on the day of Yomari Punhi, everyone worships and donates to various gods and goddesses along with Yomari.
Yomari is one of the must-have dishes especially for special auspicious occasions such as birthdays.
Similarly, during the pregnancy of a daughter, it is customary to go to the mother-in-law to feed curd and curd some time before the baby is born. Even at that time, there was a custom of carrying one hundred and eight yomari in some communities. Similarly, when a new house or temple is built and a new flag is placed in the temple, it is customary to worship the house and the temple and drop this marigold.
This festival has also been celebrated by Buddhist pilgrims. Buddhist scholars say that Yahmari's symbol is a form of Chaitya, while Hindu Newars interpret it as the symbol of Sinhamhu.
Om Prasad Dhaubhadel, a culture worker.said, “During this festival, Yomari is a delicious dish made from rice flour and is celebrated on the full moon day, so the name of this festival has been preserved.”_RSS
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