Asian Geographic - April 2018

(singke) #1

nuptials, with the final one culminating in


union with a man.


For these little brides, Ihi is the first step.


Sitting in their father’s lap, they cradle


the consecrated bael fruit, or wood apple


(a representation of the Hindu god Vishnu,


chosen for its resistance to rot), and become


permanent wives of the immortal deity. Some


believe this practice originated from the 19th


century, when, fearing the lusty desires of men


from other tribes, Newari families sought a


way to protect their girls’ purity by having a


god claim it first.


Still prevalent today, the practice has


expanded to protecting women from the


stigma of widowhood. After the ceremony,


20th century
The caste system is
abolished in 1962, but
discrimination thrives
up till today

18th century
The Gorkha Kingdom
conquers the
Kathmandu Valley
and unifies Nepal

Joined in
matrimony

CHILDHOOD


ADOLESCENCE


ADULTHOOD


Age

5–11


Age

7–13


Age

Mid-20s


Husband: Vishnu

Husband: The Sun

Husband: Spouse
typically arranged
by the parents

A Newari Girl’s
Successive Spouses

the girls will carefully keep the fruit in pristine
condition for the rest of their lives.
The next marriage, called Bahra or Gufa,
must happen before a girl’s first menstruation,
typically around 13 years. She spends 12 days
isolated at home in a dark room, away from
men and sunlight, during which she receives
sex education from female relatives. On the
13th day, she is unveiled outdoors and wedded
to the Sun for protection against evil in a
female-only ceremony.
In the third and final marriage ceremony,
the mature Newari woman dons a red sari to
marry her flesh-and-blood partner in Ihipa, a
three-day party with friends and family, after
which she moves into her spouse’s home, all
her weddings finished at last. ag

1.3
MILLION
(5% of Nepal total)


नेपाल भाषा
Nepal Bhasa (Newari)


Hinduism and
Buddhism


POPULATION


LANGUAGE


RELIGIONS


newar:
the Original
inhabitants OF the
Kathmandu Valley

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