‘Sweating God’ sends across fear in the country, former King performs ‘Puja’

Kathmandu, Aug 2: Nepal has rich and diverse culture, faith and beliefs. Some practices may appear superstition to many in and outside the country, but they have been getting continuity for centuries, with involvement of the state authorities.

Bhimeshwar Mahadev is the presiding deity of Dolakha area–around 140 KM from Kathmandu–which used to be the trade route to Tibet till over a century ago.

The ancient idol housed under a temple last renovated in 1611 A D is different from the rest and unique in the sense that it occasionally sweats which is taken as an indicator or omen for bad things to happen for the country. In the past , every time sweating has taken place, head of state and government authorities have performed ‘ Kshyama Puja’—rituals to appease the deity and seek forgiveness–in the belief that such acts contain the likely damage.

In February 2020, the secular Republic’s president sent her representatives to the temple for special worship for containing any likely damage.

The idol has been perspiring repeatedly for the past two weeks, and as locals fear that something bad might happen, a delegation from the area including from the temple priests approached former King Gyanendra Shah, to represent the state and send his representatives to offer Puja there.

According to the local media, two representatives of the former king performed ‘puja’ on behalf of the former king seeking ‘peace and well-being of the people’.

Sources in the secretariat of the former king confirmed that the temple priests had sent ‘sweats’ collected from the idol to the former king, and as per the practice in the past, he dispatched people to perform necessary puja in Dolakha, and ‘it was done on Friday.’

The local  people and the priests were keen that the former king–monarchy was abolished in May 2008–perform the puja this time as the ‘shashtra’ (scriptures) and ‘parampara’ (customs recognise only the king and not the presidents.

Legends have it that the idol, generally known as Bhimeshwar, changes its appearance three times –Bhimeshwar or Bhindyo, patron god of trade and commerce in the morning, Mahadev in the afternoon, and Narayan or Vishnu in the evening– and over 5,000 people on an average make pilgrimage there daily,

As recorded in the media, or claimed by the local people, the idol perspired in 1934 just prior to the earthquake, and in 2001 May just before the royal massacre, and in between few times.