Prof. Dr. Shyam Joshi

The Kumari Jatra is one of the major festivals of Dolakha, beginning the day after Gai Jatra (i.e., on Bhadra Krishna Dwitiya) and continuing for five days until Khaste. This festival features a 14-member musical group comprising 2 kasahi (playing dholak and jhyamta) and 12 kusule (playing sanai).

Similarly, there is a 14-member team for the Kumari Jatra procession, including Bhairav, Kumari, and their attendants (called Chakal Chukul) such as horse riders, nose-cutters, cloth weavers, net throwers, porters carrying baskets (kharpan), and Gubhaju (tantric priest), among others. However, Gubhaju and the porter with kharpan only participate from the second day onward. These attendants dance in their own unique styles and precede Bhairav and Kumari in the procession.

Only members of the Gharti clan are allowed to participate in this jatra. Participants refrain from eating any food on the day they take part to remain ritually pure. The tradition is to alternate the responsibility of organizing the jatra every three years between Taschicha Tol and Pingal Tol.

Bhairav wears a black mask made of cloth and wax, black attire, and jewelry offered by devotees. His body is covered with long black hair at the back. Kumari wears a red mask, complete red attire, and ornaments, earning them the nicknames "Black Kumari" and "Red Kumari" respectively. Although their masks are painted annually, the masks themselves have never been changed since the beginning.

The jatra involves dancing Bhairav and Kumari from evening to morning. On Dwitiya, the first day, the jatra is conducted with minimal fanfare: not all members participate, Bhairav has no phallic symbol (linga), and the masks are not decorated. There is a belief that on the first day, evil spirits tried to disrupt the procession.

From the second day onward, the full team, decorated masks, and Bhairav with a linga tied around his waist proceed in the jatra. A Jaisi, a special person, offers sacred offerings (prasada) from fasting women to Bhairav and Kumari, along with a ritual of boiled egg sagun. During this time, musicians play a special tune known as Sagun Baja. After the Kazith (manager) dons a turban, the team prepares to exit wearing their masks.

First, Gubhaju comes out to ward off evil spirits. Then, the attendants (Chakal Chukul) perform dances in the courtyard. Finally, Kumari and then Bhairav exit and start dancing. The musical tone changes as they come out. They visit all major temples around the town, and in front of each temple, Bhairav and Kumari perform the ritual “pahar” (a time-bound dance), whose duration is determined by the dholak player based on available time.

In Nakche Tol’s Shimbhuthan and Sarchuka of Upper Tol, Bhairav blows a loud whistle, believed to be a call for help to another deity residing in Sahardeu in the town’s southwest.

From the second day, Bhairav’s performer wears a nearly 1.5-meter-long copper linga on his waist, which is carried all night by another person. A legend says if Gubhaju fails to control the evil spirits or ghosts, Bhairav uses his linga to repel them.

All families in Dolakha worship Bhairav and Kumari with deep devotion when they pass in front of their houses. There is a strong belief that their blessings can solve any problem. If someone is seriously ill or if a house is haunted, it is believed Bhairav’s touch or entry into the house can drive away the affliction.

During the five days of Kumari Jatra, many devout women observe fasting, pray for their families' well-being, and worship the deities. Some devotees follow Bhairav and Kumari all night, lighting petromax lamps, incense sticks, and raw incense, especially to pray for the peace of deceased family members.

On the fifth day (Panchami), large crowds of pilgrims from far and wide gather in Dolakha to witness the festival. Locals host various programs like dramas, dances, songs, and comedies to entertain visitors.

Watching Bhairav and Kumari dance just before dawn as they prepare to re-enter their homes is quite entertaining. Before crows start flying, Bhairav and Kumari must be taken inside. A melancholic musical tune is played at this moment. Bhairav enters reluctantly after multiple entrances and exits. Kumari then searches for him in all corners, mimicking the same reluctant back-and-forth motion before finally entering. The jatra concludes on the day of Khaste.

The Temple of Bal Kumari (Young Kumari)

The Bal Kumari Temple is located in the southeast part of Dolakha town, surrounded by trees and bushes, and is locally known as "Kobideu" (deity of the lower place). Except for those initiated into the temple, others are not allowed to enter. However, members of the Shivbhakti clan are permitted since it's their ancestral deity.

During major festivals like Dashain and Maghe Sankranti, every family in Dolakha offers food to Kobideu before eating. Offerings are delivered to the temple via designated individuals allowed to enter.

Legends about the Origin of Kumari Jatra

There are many legends regarding the origin of this jatra. According to one, Shiva Acharya and Bandhu Acharya of Dolakha brought Bhairav and Kumari from Kathmandu using tantric rituals. They established them near the current Tripura Sundari Temple. After the installation, a deadly epidemic broke out. During this time, a Gharti woman became possessed by a deity and demanded that she not be kept there, but be moved to a forest area between Tamkoshi River and the town. She instructed that a mask made only of cloth and wax be created and that the jatra be held once a year, with only Gharti clan members as participants. She reportedly showed these instructions carved on a stone with a piece of charcoal.

Skilled craftsmen copied the stone’s script onto paper and made the masks in Kantipur (Kathmandu). The deity was then moved to Kobideu as instructed. A metal chain still exists over a pit there, symbolizing the incident.

Later, even though the jatra was performed for three days each year, deaths among worshippers still continued. Tantrics then concluded that the goddess must not be displayed publicly and instead buried her beneath the ground with a vow that she would only reappear when:

• roasted soybeans would sprout,

• river stones turned into mangoes,

• bumblebees walked step-by-step like other birds.

Since then, only initiated individuals are allowed inside the temple.

Another Legend

Another tale recounts that Kalinchowk Bhagwati, Tripura Sundari, and Bal Kumari were bathing in the Tamkoshi River when two tantric brothers from Dolakha spotted them and persuaded them to stay in Dolakha. Bal Kumari, being the youngest and mischievous, started roaming the town, causing trouble, even harming children.

Her elder sister Tripura Sundari couldn't control her. To tame her, locals invited a Gubhaju from Patan who tricked Kumari into entering a pit. He bound her with an iron chain and bound himself with a flour chain for her trust. Once inside, his chain broke, and he escaped, covering the pit with a stone and tying the chain end to it. The iron chain is still said to be visible today.

Since the jatra's origin is tied to Kumari, the festival is named after her. Bhairav only participated to help restrain the mischievous Kumari, which is why Kumari is never allowed to walk ahead of Bhairav in the procession. She always follows behind, often acting out a sorrowful search for Bhairav while slow, haunting music plays.

After Kumari was trapped, a Gharti woman named Shiva Laxmi began tormenting locals and was suspected of murdering children. When punished, she revealed her true identity as Bal Kumari and denied the accusations.

Gubhaju, regretful for deceiving her, vowed to conduct the Kumari Jatra annually for five days, along with Bhairav and their attendants. Shiva Laxmi provided detailed instructions and ordered that only Shivbhakti clan members participate. Even within the clan, some families only portray Bhairav, while others portray Kumari.

Historical Reference

The exact date of the jatra’s beginning is unknown. However, according to the late Prof. Bal Krishna Joshi ("The Origin of Bhairav-Kumari and the Jatra", *Hamro Sanskriti, 2024 B.S