Chiva Nyas Puja Done at Dhokatole
Chiva Puja is a process which let us remind ourselves that Chiva itself is not just a mere monument but a living shrine and carries lots of philosophical and spiritual values of Buddhist teachings.
Chiva at Dhokatole, Ward 19, Kathmandu needed maintenance due to theft and wear and tear. Chiva Chaitya Organization took the initiative and with the help of community, ward restored the Chiva in 2021. Now a Chiva Puja is done to mark the completion of the restoration as well as to revive the intangible heritage in the form of elaborate puja to make the Chiva a living heritage.
Establishing a Chiva passes through different phases namely 1) consecration of the ground upon which the Chaitya is to be erected. There Sūtrapātana, where a thread makes a Maṇḍala with positions of total 121 deities 2) Pādasthāpana (laying of foundation) is done with specific rules using bricks, hollow spaces etc. 3) then bricklayers lay the foundation. At top of the foundation Āsana is formed with a stone plate with 13 cavities(depicting different deities), which are filled with various substances, a ritual called Ratnanyās. 4) The stone plate with cavities is covered with copper plate inscribed with BījākṣaraMaṇḍala 5) When the building of the physical Chaitya has been completed on top of Āsana, the officiating priest summons all the deities of the VajradhātuMaṇḍala (or the DharmadhātuMaṇḍala) and “install” them in the Chaitya and request them to abide there “for as long as Mount Meru lasts”. By this rite of consecration, The Chaitya turns from a mere monument into a “living” shrine, housing the deities of different Maṇḍalas which have been made to be present in a quite literal and almost tangible manner.
We would like to thank Swosti Ratna Bajracharya for being the head initiating priest performing Vajrayani rituals, SiddhiRatna Shakya Dai for being the main person doing the Puja as being the eldest among the Chiva Chaitya team. Also thanks to Basudha Tuladhar for helping in preparing the Puja materials. We would like to show special appreciation to Hanumandhoka Durbar Kshetra Samrakshyan Karyakram, Kathmandu Municipality and chief of office Roshan Man Shakya for supporting this initiative to revive intangible heritage. Also thank you all the participating from the community, ward chief and UNESCO officials.
Puja Date: 2023 March 23
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