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Mask of Seto Bhairab (White Demon, 1794) in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

The big golden mask of Seto Bhairab (or White Demon) dates from 1794 in the time of Rana Bahadur Shah, the third king of the Shah Dynasty, in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepal Airlines uses this mask in their winged symbol. By the way, "Royal Nepal Airlines" dropped the "Royal" word in 2006, to be consistent with Nepal's interim parliament rejecting the Monarchy. In Newar mythology, Seto Bhairab showed disrespect towards the important goddess Mahakali, tempting her terrible retribution. When Seto Bhairab later offered a cock as an offering of respect, Mahakali first refused the rooster, then suddenly bit the head off as a bloody warning to Seto Bhairab: "Don't upset the hierarchy of the gods". For ten days once a year during the Indra Jatra festival (and the coinciding festival of the Living Goddess) in September, this Seto Bhairab mask is uncaged, and devotees shower him with rice and flower petals, while rice beer is poured through his fearsomely fanged mouth. Men struggle with each other to drink from the sacred brew, which is blessed by the rain god Indra, the ancient Vedic god who came with the Aryan forefathers from Persia to India, many centuries before Christ. The rest of the year, terrifying Seto Bhairab is kept safely caged behind a wooden grille, on the Deotali Mandir royal temple. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.

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Filename
07NEP-1258.jpg
Copyright
© Tom Dempsey / Photoseek.com
Image Size
5000x3752 / 4.3MB
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Contained in galleries
NEPAL: Kathmandu Valley, "Light Travel" book images 1981-2009, NEPAL: favorites
The big golden mask of Seto Bhairab (or White Demon) dates from 1794 in the time of Rana Bahadur Shah, the third king of the Shah Dynasty, in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepal Airlines uses this mask in their winged symbol. By the way, "Royal Nepal Airlines" dropped the "Royal" word in 2006, to be consistent with Nepal's interim parliament rejecting the Monarchy. In Newar mythology, Seto Bhairab showed disrespect towards the important goddess Mahakali, tempting her terrible retribution. When Seto Bhairab later offered a cock as an offering of respect, Mahakali first refused the rooster, then suddenly bit the head off as a bloody warning to Seto Bhairab: "Don't upset the hierarchy of the gods". For ten days once a year during the Indra Jatra festival (and the coinciding festival of the Living Goddess) in September, this Seto Bhairab mask is uncaged, and devotees shower him with rice and flower petals, while rice beer is poured through his fearsomely fanged mouth. Men struggle with each other to drink from the sacred brew, which is blessed by the rain god Indra, the ancient Vedic god who came with the Aryan forefathers from Persia to India, many centuries before Christ. The rest of the year, terrifying Seto Bhairab is kept safely caged behind a wooden grille, on the Deotali Mandir royal temple. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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