The god who traveled - Bhairavsthan of Palpa

After a scenic countryside drive nine kilometers to the west of Palpa, we get to the Bhairavsthan, a temple dedicated to the fiery avatar of Lord Shiva. We can reach the temple after a short uphill walk from the Siddhartha Highway. On top of the temple is a trident – trishul – symbolizing Lord Shiva. Many believe it is the largest trident in Asia, and the impressive brass relic is definitely worth a look.

But that is not the only thing the temple is famous for.

Palpa used to be one of the Chaubisi (‘twenty-four’) kingdoms, and the name of Palpa’s capital Tansen itself comes from the Sen Kings who ruled it then. Palpa was a prosperous kingdom then, and it also holds historic importance as the home of King Prithvi Narayan Shah’s mother.

Historian Nirmal Shrestha informs that in the fifteenth century, its Sen king Mani Mukunda Sen was powerful enough to mount an attack on Kathmandu Valley. He even ruled it for a short time, and as a symbol of his victory, he sent back an idol of Bhairav from the Valley to Palpa. According to the Bhasha Vamshavali, Nepal’s oldest genealogy, the idol was previously seated in front of the Machhindranath Temple in Kathmandu.

Today, the idol rests in an underground sanctorum in Palpa, while a facsimile is displayed in the altar above. Locals believe the real face of the statue is so scary that no human can bear to look upon it. But Shrestha thinks the aura of secrecy was created to heighten its importance. The priests of the temple worship the real statue from behind curtains.

The priests of the temples are Kanfatta (‘torn ear’) Jogis of the Naga (‘nude’) community. And even their rituals of worship have a long history. When the idol was first established, the water for worship was procured from Ridi, which is 15 kilometers away from Bhairavstan. The water from Ridi was preferred because there flowed the holy Kali Gandaki where shaligrams (stone fossils) were found. In keeping with the customs of the Kanfatta community, the priest covered his mouth with a piece of cloth as he brought up the water, and did not touch or speak to anyone on the journey. If anyone accidentally touched him, he restarted his journey. Later, Kali Gandaki appeared to the priest in a dream and told him that he need not go to Ridi River, she would appear at Jaya Dhara.

But again, Shrestha believes the real reason is more pragmatic. “Ridi was too far,” he says. “By the time the priest got back, dusk would have fallen.” Conveniently, Jaya Dhara lies at the bottom of the hill where Bhairavsthan is located.

In a world with fast disappearing traditions, the Kanfatta Jogi priests still follow their arcane traditions of worship. They cover their mouth and do not speak to or touch anyone when they bring water for worship. But even though the source of water is much nearer, the priest still brings water at 3-4 pm, around the same time he would have arrived if he had gone to Ridi. The reason is that after he brings the water into the temple, worships from other devotees are not accepted. So this gives other devotees ample time to worship the Bhairav. The next morning, the deity is worshiped with the same water.

Worship, in the form of ‘Shringaar Pooja,’ is offered to three deities: to the small temple of Mai, to the statues of Bhairav, both under and over ground, and to Kalika. Kalika is the Shakti generally associated with Mahakal Bhairav. The presence of Kalika in the premises provides positive proof of the resident deity’s identification.

Another relic linking the Mahakal Bhairav with his history in Kathmandu is a pair of cymbals which the locals believe fell from the skies along with the Bhairav. But Nirmal Shrestha informs that inside the cymbals, in tiny words in the Ranjana Lipi or script – a dead giveaway to Kathmandu – are the words ‘Machhindranath’. The Dholi community who carried the cymbals and idol to Palpa still worship the cymbals, which are now housed in a ‘Dashain Ghar’ beside Palpa Durbar.

Perhaps because of its link to Kathmandu, Bhairavsthan holds a special place in the Newar community of the area. Before embarking on journeys, typically to Butwal for trade, they offer a ‘Kshemaa Pooja’ at the temple, and also after returning from journeys.

As an aside, the Newar communities in Palpa are relics of the friendship between the Sen kings of Palpa and Kathmandu’s ruling Malla dynasties. It began from the time when the Sen Kings brought over skillful Newar architects to build houses. Their work can still be seen in many buildings including Bhairavsthan itself.

Farmers offer Rot, fried bread made of rice flour, at the temple after their first harvest. There is also the tradition, during dry months, of praying for water at Purnakot, which is a hillside near Bhairavsthan, and ending the prayer procession at Bhairavsthan. Panchabali, or the sacrifice of five animals, is offered by locals on festivals and other personal occasions. Bhairavsthan is also unique in that bali is accepted any day at this temple, unlike many temples which have restrictions on holy days like Ekadashi or Poornima.

Thus, Bhairavsthan is the centre of much faith and devotion in Palpa. The history of the temple provides a snapshot of the glorious history of the entire area. This scenic and symbolic little temple is definitely worth a visit.

Published in Republica on March 7 2014, Page 14