Marriage with the Sun: An important tradition

Would you ever imagine yourself getting married to the Sun? Sounds weird, right? Not here in Nepal. You will probably be surprised to hear that it’s a very important culture of a particular ethnic group of Nepal. It is a traditional ritual known as “Gufa”, performed by the Newar community of Nepal and it carries a great significance. Gufa, also known as Bahra tayegu in Newari language is one of the most important traditions. “Gufa” is the Nepali word for cave (here, a dark room) and “Bahra” is the Newari word for cave. So, basically a girl between the ages of 7 to 13 is put in a dark room before she gets her first period. The girl is supposed to stay in the dark room for 11 days and on the 12th day, she gets married to the Sun traditionally. It is believed that marrying the Sun this way keeps the girl safe from any kinds of evil in her life.

The “dark room” is a significant part of this tradition. It is set in any one of the rooms of the house where sunlight can’t easily reach or doesn’t reach at all. Throughout the 11 days, the girl isn’t allowed to see the sunlight and any males. A doll representing “Bahra Khayak” (Cave ghost) is made and put in a corner of the room. It is believed that the girl is possessed by the ghost for 12 days and hence she should worship the Bahra Khayak every day till the 12th day.

On the 12th day, the day to get married to the Sun, the girl wakes up early and takes bath before the sunrise. As this is the final day and it ends with celebrations, she is dressed up traditionally with a red saari and jewelry like in an actual wedding. With the help of priest or her grandmother, the girl worships the Sun. Some wheat seeds and rice grains are given to her by her grandmother and she throws those grains backward for three times. She then puts “sindoor”, a red color on her forehead and this way she gets wedded to the Sun and thus is considered wife of the Sun. The ritual ends with a traditional party known as “Bhoj” in Newari language, where traditional meals are served. Relatives and friends attend the rituals with clothes, rice grains and varieties of foods for the girl.

This tradition is considered to be of a great significance as it is believed that it marks the maturity of girls. This sounds like a beautiful tradition, it indeed is, but it can be harsh at the same time. Staying in a dark room for twelve days without seeing the father or brother or any close male relative isn’t very easy. They have certain restrictions regarding the foods and that often makes them fall sick which in some cases has even led to the death of the girls. If the girl dies during this period of 12 days, she should be buried somewhere in that room. Despite the negative part of this ritual, people of Newar Community have been performing it as it is a part of their culture which they respect very much.

So, what do you think about this tradition? I would love to hear your views.

Image sources : http://gstreksnepal.com
http://www.imgrum.org/media/1330186706376260481_2204490911
https://primewomen.com/travel/featured-destinations/where-would-you-go-part-ii/