Samaye Baji ~ Indra Jatra

Displays of the auspicious food of Samaye Baji. The sacred food is available at many places in the valley. Samay Baji consists of several food items representing good luck, prosperity, fortune, health, and longevity. The foods are served during family reunions and other family celebrations. The typical food items are Flattened Rice Flakes (baji, cheura), Puffed Rice (samay, syabaji), Fried-Saandheko Black Soybean, Fresh Ginger Rhizomes (palu, aduwa), Marinated Broiled Meat (chowella), Dried Fish Fried in oil (sanya, sidra-maacha), Boiled-Fried Eggs, fresh and dried Fruits, Lentil Patties (woh, baara), several variety of Newari mari breads, and a Local White Wine*+ (ailaa), Nepali style *+Sweet Paan (beetle leaf combined with a mixture of chopped areca nuts, cardamom seeds, cloves, rose petal preserve, candied fruits, and fennel seeds) is placed around the auspicious food. Several festival delicacy Laakha Mari (different sizes) are placed around the auspicious food display symbolizing good luck, fortune, prosperity and the round bread symbolized family reunion Traditional food items such as Aanarsa-roti (sweet rice patties with poppy seeds), Ladoo (sweet chickpea balls), dry fruits and other sweets are brought by devotees to put around the Samay Baji. A little red clay container of Rakshee (local liquor),Jaad (local beer), chhang or thon (the milky white, tart, slightly sweet liquor made from fermented rice) and some places a whole Head of a buffalo is placed around Samay Baji display.

During Indra Jatra festival the sacred food is being offered to goddess Kumari, Shree Ganesh, and Seto and Kalo Bhairav. Hundreds of devotees come to this area and later the ritual dish will be shared and distributed as an auspicious (prashad) food. Around Kathmandu in Ason Tole, Indrachowk, Makhan Tole, and Jaisi Debal. In this display, the smoked whole fish is placed on top of Samay Baji tower, which symbolizes good luck and fortune for the coming years ahead. Notice the well balanced combination of flavors, textures, colors and spices used in this display.