Chandra Kumar Gurung Ji has been holding yoga sessions for our community every Sunday for the past few weeks. He has graciously been teaching beginner and moderate levels of yoga and it has been an amazing experience.
He was born in a remote village of Gorkha, Nepal, and had an inexorable quest for life and the wonder of the universe which led him to become a student of science. A student who wanted to get deeper into the idea of mind and matter. But, he thought that there must be a broader concept than science for learning and applying the idea to life and it was spirituality. In order to quench the thirst for spirituality, he was involved in the practice of yoga and meditation under the tutelage and direct discipleship of Dr. Yogi Vikasananda. Through the long years of practicing yoga and meditation, he realized that the quest and thirst for spirituality are unappeasable and he felt to make it his life-long phenomenon. With his dedicated and devoted mind, he received unpayable and invaluable wisdom during the period of a program named ‘Five Years Self-transformation and Personality Development’ conducted by his mentor Dr. Yogi Vikasananda at Manokranti Matrix Gurukul, Godawari, Lalitpur, Nepal. Determined to be a spiritual practitioner, he became a Yoga and Reiki Master.
The longing for spirituality even got higher and higher which led him to undergo the ‘8 Days Underground Meditation’. He didn’t stop there. He kept doing various experiments to realize the power of spirituality. To be specific, the power of yoga and meditation. On the other hand, he also undertook ‘21 Days of Water Fasting’ which had a lot to tell about the mind power and power of spiritual practice. Definitely, spirituality doesn’t emphasize the practice of power. However, they are the tools to heighten and empower one to lead further into enlightenment. After getting as much knowledge as he did, he followed the path of healing and teaching needy people. He imparted his spiritual knowledge and life-inspiring ideas to people from different corners of society. He traveled to many places in Nepal to share his practical experience so that he could share the practical approach to spirituality through yoga and meditation by incorporating them into the life of people. Not only did he deliver the wisdom on spirituality, but also inspired many people to live their life with optimism, positivity, and hope. While traveling different districts of the nation, he kindled the light of health, peace, positive mind, and happiness to hundreds of thousands of people. The unyielding effort of helping the humanity has not ended but has been continuing even after moving into the USA. Mr. Chandra Kumar Gurung from Nepal currently resides at Seattle, Washington with his loving wife Ambika Adhikari and a beautiful daughter Satyaa.
Please watch this Moderate Yoga tutorial by our Reiki and Yoga Master Sri Chandra Gurung.
Thank You to all of our Board of Directors, especially Tara Aryal and Saurav Kakshapati, our Yoga Master, and Videographer Deepak Karki for making this event session possible.
Pramoj Adhikari, RN, BSN is the 2022 candidate for DNP-FNP at the Pacific Lutheran University and is an active community member of Nepal Seattle Society and the newly formed Nepali Health Board. In guidance with Nepal Seattle Society, Nepali Health Board and Bhutanese Community Resource Center, especially in participant recruitment, Pramoj was able to go door-to-door and provide education geared toward Nepali diet. This webinar was made possible under Project Spring Forward funded by Department of Health. Please watch to learn about his project findings and how you can incorporate some of the stuff discussed in your day-to-day life!
On the morning of May 7th, Pramoj Adhikari presented his study findings to the community and we had around seventeen participants. Our questions and answers session was very engaging and interactive and we had great questions like what type of rice to eat and when to eat rice as we Nepali love rice.
Sachin Gurung, one of the participants who works as Software Engineer at Amazon shared,
“Very informative presentation. Loved it. Looking forward to future projects!”
Pramoj shared that the next phase of the project is going to be creating informative materials about what to eat as a Nepali living abroad with pre-diabetes.
On May 5th, 2022, the Nepal Seattle Society organized a Gardening 101 class to learn the basics of gardening in the pacific northwest region. Our respected community leader and organic gardener, Nil Tilija conducted the class and gave us a tour of his garden. Even though the evening started with some rain; our host Nil Tilija started up a fire pit and served us some warm tea with organic mint and honey from his garden. He started the class by sharing some benefits and background of how he began his journey to become an organic gardener.
Benefits of Gardening
With several benefits from gardening, Nil mentioned some from his own experiences. For instance:
Gardening as meditation and stress reliever; a relief of mind, body, and soul.
One can be as close as possible to nature.
A great form of physical activity; pulling plant roots, digging soils, reaching to various tools and plants, twisting and bending your body helps strengthen muscles, and build flexibility.
Eat what you grow, healthy and nutrients from your own hard work.
Cost efficient and pesticides free organic food.
Process of Growing your Vegetables
As a beginner for gardening, an individual should have some basic knowledge and familiarize themselves with what kind of planting zone they belong to such as timing and seasons best for each vegetable, consideration of exposure to lights, water, soil, fertilizers, and insects. To start with, we do not require a big yard to start. One can start from their patio or a small backyard where there is better exposure to light.
Timing is one crucial part in gardening that every individual should be aware of and which season is best for which kind of vegetables. There were varieties of vegetables and herbs that were planted and explained which vegetables are best according to seasons. He gave a brief explanation about vegetables that are suitable for summer, spring, fall and winter seasons. The best growing season in the pacific northwest region is from May 10 to October 5 (5/10 to 10/5) , but there are certain vegetables that can be grown in winter such as: garlic, leeks, potatoes, kale, chards, mustard green (Rayo Saag), and other root vegetables such as carrots, beets, turnips, parsnip etc.
In addition, an individual should have knowledge on what kind of nutrients are required for the plants. Another crucial ingredient for the initial stage of gardening is soil and light. He also mentioned that using organic compost is a good nutrient for the plants and better for the environment. Nil makes his own organic compost which is very beneficial to the plants and soil health. He collects vegetable waste from his kitchen including eggshells and coffee grind in a worm bin to make the organic compost by feeding earthworms in order to expedite the fertilization process. Earthworm casting is the source of organic fertilizer that is full of microorganisms. This process is beneficial for the growth of the healthy plant. Furthermore, he also mentioned that without pollinators we can not grow vegetables and fruits. Bees, hummingbirds, and other forms of insects and flies are the best pollinators.
The final step after planting is proper irrigation. It is another crucial process for growing healthy vegetables. The best way to water plants is with the help of a sprinkler system. We can also water plants with a hose and make sure that the water reaches the root of the compost by feeding earthworms in order to expedite the fertilization process. Earthworm casting is the source of organic fertilizer that is full of microorganisms. This process is beneficial for the growth of the healthy plant. Furthermore, he also mentioned that without pollinators we can not grow vegetables and fruits. Bees, hummingbirds, and other forms of insects and flies are the best pollinators. The final step after planting is proper irrigation. It is another crucial process for growing healthy vegetables. The best way to water plants is with the help of a sprinkler system. We can also water plants with a hose and make sure that the water reaches the root of the plants without overflowing our plants.
He then took us inside to his first phases of gardening where he explained how to start the seeding process and how to take care of seeds at an early age and when to transfer them outside. For the initial stage of seeding, one should be prepared with seeds, potting mix, and seed starter kit which are easily available in the market during the season. The most informative part of the seeding process is that it depends on the size of the seed and how deep we need to plant the seed. The early stage of seeding needs heat and light. As we live in the pacific northwest, heat and light are the things to be concerned about. Nil mentioned that in this kind of weather like the pacific northwest, we can put the seed starter by the window for light and provide them with additional grow light and heat pad. Once the plants are a few inches tall from the starter kit, it can be transferred outside for further growth. Another takeaway note was, not to transfer the seed starter if the weather is not consistent. The plant needs consistent heat and light and the weather should not be frosty, which will kill the plants.
Lastly, as a participation appreciation, the participants received various seeds which Nil Tilija had harvested in his garden and distributed to the group. It was an informative gardening session for beginners as well as medium gardeners. There were positive responses from the participants and Nepal Seattle Society is looking forward to conducting this kind of event again in the future.
After almost two years of being trapped in lockdowns due to the pandemic where we were unable to get together, Nepal Seattle Society opened the doors after much consideration, to celebrate the auspicious New Year 2079. Saturday, April 30th in Shoreline Community College we gathered together head to toe in our beautiful cultural dresses and with big smiles.
महामारीका कारण सिर्जना भएको लकडाउनको विषम परिस्थितिले गर्दा हामी सँगै भेला हुन नसकेको झण्डै दुई वर्षपछि नेपाल सिएटल सोसाइटीले नयाँ वर्ष २०७९ को शुभ अवसरमा नयाँ बर्ष बिशेष कार्यक्रम आयोजना गर्यौं । हामी शनिबार, अप्रिल ३० गते शोरलाइन कम्युनिटी कलेजमा भेला भयौँ । हाम्रो सुन्दर सांस्कृतिक पोशाक र मीठो मुस्कान पहिरेर हामी आएका थियौं |
More than 300 new and existing members of the Nepal Seattle Society filled the air with happy conversations and some meeting each other for the first time ever not behind a zoom screen.
नेपाल सिएटल सोसाइटीका 300 भन्दा बढी नयाँ र पुराना सदस्यहरूले zoom बिना भेट्न पाएको अवसरमा खुसी साटासाट गरे |
Youth and Cultural Committee members and the Board of Directors worked hard over the past month to organize this large event. We worked hard on trying to organize logistics, and coordination and ensure that the event would be inclusive and welcoming to all of our Nepalese community and not just the members of the society.
Youth and Culture Committee का सदस्यहरु र Board of Director विगत एक महिनादेखि यो ठूलो कार्यक्रम आयोजना गर्न मेहनत गरेका थिए । हामीले कार्यक्रम सु-व्यवस्थित गर्न कडा परिश्रम गर्यौं र यो सुनिश्चित गर्यौं कि यो कार्यक्रम समाजका सदस्यहरू मात्र नभई हाम्रा सबै नेपाली समुदायलाई समावेशी र स्वागतयोग्य हुनेछ।
We started with paying respect to our motherland, Nepal, and {karmabhumi}, USA reciting the national anthems followed by remarks from NSS president Dasharath Budhathoki about all the amazing efforts from NSS in the past few years.
हामीले हाम्रो मातृभूमि नेपाल अनि कर्मभूमि अमेरिकाको रास्ट्रीय गान पालैपालो बजाएर कार्यक्रम को शुभारम्ब गर्यौं ।
त्यसपछि झण्डै 2006 देखी नेपाल सियाटल society ma board of director, सल्लाहकार हुँदै 2019 देखि नेपाल सियाटल सोसाइटीको अध्यक्ष भएर काम गरी रहनुभएका दशरथ बुढाथोकीलाई stage मा आमन्त्रण गर्यौं।
The pandemic didn’t stop us from serving our community and we wanted to let our community know how hard we were working in extending partnerships with various health organizations like the Department of Health and the CDC Foundation to work around health equity and vaccine equity for our minority community. Our partners in return wrote statements and made a video to wish our community a happy and safe rest of the year.
महामारीले हामीलाई हाम्रो समुदायको सेवा गर्नबाट रोकेन र यसकै प्रमाणस्वरुप हामीले स्वास्थ्य विभाग र सीडीसी फाउन्डेशन जस्ता विभिन्न स्वास्थ्य संस्थाहरूसँग साझेदारी विस्तार गर्न कत्तिको मेहनत गरिरहेका छौ भन्ने बारेमा भिडियो देखायौ ।
We then started opening the event to our performers who showcased their many talents and amazed the audience. Our first performer who opened our show was Aaryav Adhikari who is only 10 years old, self-taught, and uploads his dances on youtube. Aarvav mesmerized his audience with his fast footwork and hip-hop moves.
त्यसपछि हामीले कार्यक्रमलाई हाम्रा कलाकारहरूका लागि स्टेज खोल्न थाल्यौं जहाँ आफ्ना धेरै प्रतिभाहरू प्रदर्शन गरेर दर्शकहरूलाई हेरेको हेरै पारेका थिए। हाम्रो पहिलो कलाकार आर्यभ अधिकारी थिए जो केवल 10 वर्षका छन्, स्वयं-सिकेका छन्, र युट्युबमा आफ्ना नृत्यहरू अपलोड गर्छन्। आर्यभले आफ्नो हिप-हप फुटवर्कले दर्शकहरूलाई मोहित पारे।
Next, we had Ava, Ira, and later Trisha from the Newah Organization of America perform a Newari Dance, choreographed by our talented Palpasa Manandhar. Their parents were watching from behind the stage curtains beaming with pride as they represented their beautiful traditional culture.
त्यसपछि अमेरिकाको नेवा अर्गनाइजेसनबाट आभा, इरा अनि त्रिशाले नेवारी नृत्य प्रस्तुत गरेका थिए। उनीहरूका अभिभावकहरू मञ्चको पर्दा पछाडिबाट उनीहरूको सुन्दर परम्परागत संस्कृतिको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दै गर्वले मुस्कुराउँदै हेरिरहेका थिए।
Bringing nostalgia back and reigniting our love of our villages was Sanvi Sharma who performed in the beautiful song Dada Ghare Saili.
पुराना सम्झना फिर्ता ल्याउदै र हाम्रो गाउँघर प्रतिको मायालाई पुनर्जीवित गर्दै सान्भी शर्माले डाँडा घरे साइली गीतमा प्रस्तुति दिएकी थिइन् ।
Following up with the beautiful performance were our youth and culture committee’s members Sakar Shakya, Soniya Kunwar, Smriti Dahal, Kajal Sapkota, Reecha Sapkota, and Sandhya Basnet, Shubhu Shakya who also helped as volunteers behind the scene. Special thank you to Soniya for being the liaison with our performers, finding the venue, writing the itinerary, and being on top of it. A special thank you to Smriti Dahal for keeping track of all of the expenses. Another special thank you to Kajal Sapkota for leading the decoration of the venue and Shubhu Shakya for being on top of meetings, and logistics, and contacting our sister organizations. These are only some of the things on top of our heads!
यसलगत्तै अर्को सुन्दर प्रस्तुति दिन Youth And Culture Committee का सदस्यहरु stage मा आए हाम्रा कलाकारहरूसँग सम्पर्क भएकोमा, स्थान पत्ता लगाउने, र हाम्रा कलाकार हरु लाई सम्पर्क गर्नु भएकोमा सोनियालाई विशेष धन्यवाद। सबै खर्चको ट्रयाक राख्नु भएकोमा स्मृति दाहाललाई विशेष धन्यवाद | कार्यक्रम स्थलको सजावटको नेतृत्व गर्नु भएकोमा काजल सापकोटा, हाम्रा भगिनी संस्थाहरूसँग सम्पर्क गरेर कार्यक्रम सफल पार्न सहयोग भएकोमा शुभु शाक्यलाई अर्को विशेष धन्यवाद।
We took a break from the dances by opening the floor to Ritika Khanal who sang beautifully the song Timile ta Hoina by Bacchu Kailash on her ukelele. Ukulele was accompanied by Krishna Gurung with his Madal and Bhawan Thapa with his Basuri. It was a special performance for Ritika and us because this year is her last year in Seattle and she will be going to Harvard Law School with her whole family who is going to move there to support her and her education.
बच्चु कैलाशको ‘तिमिले त होइन’ गीत सुन्दर ढंगले गाएकी ऋतिका खनाललाई फ्लोर ओपन गरेर नृत्यबाट विश्राम लियौं । युकेलेले साथमा कृष्ण गुरुङको मादल र भावन थापाको बासुरीले माहोल मन्त्रमुघ्द बनाएको थियो । ऋतिका र हाम्रो लागि यो विशेष प्रस्तुति थियो किनभने यो वर्ष सिएटलमा उनको अन्तिम वर्ष हो र उनी हार्वर्ड ल स्कूल जाँदैछिन्।
To celebrate our diverse ethnic cultures, we had another group dance performed by Swosti Adhikari, Himansa Poudel, Sahistha Shakya, and Samana Acharya who also wanted to connect with both our younger and older audiences. They are sophomores and juniors in high school who connect with Nepali culture through dances that they perform in these types of events.
हाम्रा विविध जातीय संस्कृतिहरूलाई ठाउँ दिनका लागि अनि नयाँ र पुराना पुस्तालाई जोड्न high-school मा अध्ययनरत स्वस्ति अधिकारी, हिमांसा पौडेल, सहिष्ठ शाक्य र समना आचार्यद्वारा प्रस्तुत गरिएको अर्को सामूहिक नृत्य थियो।
Next, we had our most entertaining dance of the night which got the most “once more” from the audience. We had Khusiman Gurung and Srijita Gurung performing a Gurung Dance from the Northwest Tamu Society. The audience was energized watching them perform so graciously spreading young love in the air.
त्यसपछि हामीले हाम्रो रातको सबैभन्दा मनोरञ्जनात्मक नृत्य गरेका थियौं जसले दर्शकहरूबाट सबैभन्दा धेरै once more को ध्वनि गुन्जायो। उत्तरपश्चिम तमु समाजका खुसीमान गुरुङ र सृजिता गुरुङले गुरुङ नृत्य प्रस्तुत गरेका थिए ।
Following up with that same energy were our two talented duos bringing their hip-hop moves with a western Nepali and traditional Nepali song fusion which continued increasing the energy of our audience.
त्यही उर्जालाई निरन्तरता दिंदै हाम्रा नयाँ प्रतिभाशाली जोडीले पश्चिमी नेपाली र परम्परागत नेपाली गीत फ्युजनको साथ हिप-हप चालहरू ल्याएका थिए जसले हाम्रा दर्शकहरूको ऊर्जालाई उचा राख्न मद्दत गर्यो ।
Once again we had our Youth and Cultural Committee members Soniya Kunwar, Smriti Dahal, Kajal Sapkota, Reecha Sapkota, Sandhya Basnet, and Shubhu Shakya dancing to another wonderful medley of western Nepali songs. They all looked absolutely gorgeous with their belly dancing outfits and their synchronized belly moves.
फेरि पनि हाम्रा Youth and Culture Committee का सदस्यहरु सोनिया कुँवर, स्मृति दाहाल, काजल सापकोटा, ऋचा सापकोटा, सन्ध्या बस्नेत र शुभु शाक्यले पश्चिमी अनि नेपाली गीतहरूमा अर्को अद्वितीय तालमा नाचिरहेका थिए। बेली डान्सिङ आउटफिटहरू र उनीहरुको मनमोहक चालहरूमा साथ एकदमै सुन्दर देखिन्थे।
Surprise Surprise! Our event went so smoothly that we even had time to open up the dance floor to our audiences! And once again we had the cutest couple from the Northwest Tamu Society, Ram Chandra Gurung Ji and Usha Gurung Ji stepping up to serenade the audience with their performance that didn’t even seem free-styled. The audience burst with amazement at how good and entertaining their impromptu dance was.
आश्चर्यको कुरा त हाम्रो कार्यक्रम यति सहज ढंगले सम्पन्न भयो कि हामीले हाम्रा दर्शकहरूलाई dance floor खोल्ने समय पनि पायौं! र फेरि एकपटक हामीले नर्थवेस्ट तमु समाजका प्यारो जोडी राम चन्द्र गुरुङ र उषा गुरुङको प्रदर्शनले दर्शकहरूलाई मन्त्रमुघ्द पार्यो। उनीहरुको स्वत-स्फुर्त अति नै राम्रो र मनोरञ्जनात्मक नृत्य देखेर दर्शकहरु पनि छक्क परे ।
This was the perfect setup to end the event and open the dance floor where it was our guests’ turn to dance the night off. Our DJ/ Sound Manager Krishna Gurung electrified the dance floor with the songs submitted by the Youth and Cultural Committee while our Photographers/ Videographers Saurav Kakshapati and Bharat Gurung captured all the crazy moves in the beautiful Nepali dresses.
यो कार्यक्रम समापन गर्न र dance floor खोल्नको लागि उत्तम समय थियो – अब नाच्ने पालो हाम्रा पाहुनाहरूको थियो। हाम्रा डीजे/ध्वनि प्रबन्धक कृष्ण गुरुङले Youth and Culture committee ले समायोजन गरेका गीतहरूद्वारा डान्स फ्लोरमा उर्जा संचारित गर्नुभयो भने हाम्रा फोटोग्राफर/भिडियोग्राफर सौरभ कक्षापतिले सुन्दर नेपाली पोशाकमा सबै रमाइला पलहरु कैद गरेका थिए।
All of this would not have been possible without the relentless efforts of our many volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to ensure that everyone would have a great time.
यो सबै हाम्रा धेरै स्वयंसेवकहरूको अथक प्रयास बिना सम्भव हुने थिएन जसले हामी सबै यस कार्यक्रममा रमाइलो गर्न सकौं भन्ने सुनिश्चित गर्न आफ्नो समय र शक्ति समर्पित गरेका थिए।
Our Volunteers:
Food Preparation:
Gagan Chettri
Sushil Mulepati
Krishna Sapkota
Prakash Dhamala
Mohan Shrestha
Ananta Sharma
Tanka Dahal
Ishwor Khonsi
Lila Shrestha
Ganesh Shiwakoti
Ram Gurung
Prem Gurung
Kailash Rajbhandari
Srijana Gurung
Utkarsha Dixit
Chandra Gurung
Anuja Regmi
Achar:
Bina malla
Kunta Thapa Magar
Sita Niroula Sapkota
Surakshya Pandey Dhital
Sita Bhattarai
Dejina KC
Sushila Shiwakoti
Food Servers:
Lok Dhakal
Bikash Tripathi
Dega Rijal (Dinesh Rijal)
Performance Schedule/Management Team:
Roshani Shiwakoti
Shubheccha Shakya
Smriti Dahali
Soniya Kunwar
Volunteer Coordinator: Sophiya Kunwar
DJ/Sound System Engineer: Krishna Gurung
Decoration Crew:
Kajal Sapkota
Biraj Pandey
Shraddha Malla
Simran Rimal
Arya Karki
MC Announcers:
Abhi Kafle
Shraddha Malla
Backstage Coordinators:
Biraj Pandey
Prakash Dhamala
Clean-Up:
Sophiya Kunwar
Saurav Kakshapati
Suzanna Khadka, etc.
Membership Committee Volunteers:
TP Khanal
Era Budhathoki
Sunny Adhikari
Salma Adhikari
Angelina Karki
Subha Pakwan etc.
Entrances:
Shraddha Kc
Suzanna Khadka
Era Budhathoki etc.
Social Media Posts:
Shraddha Malla
Roshani Shiwakoti
Booths:
Nepal Seattle Society Health Committee:
Dolma Sherpa
Sagma Prajapati
Nepal Seattle Hiking Committee:
Swornima Chitrakar
Subha Pakwan
Savesoil.org
Writu Kakshapati
Shailini Karkera
Thank you to our Board of Directors (2019-2022) and Volunteers including those we may have missed mentioning for making this event possible !
Take a look at what we did this year from January 2021 to April 2022!
On March 26th and 27th, Seattle FC in partnership with Nepal Seattle Society successfully hosted the annual Nepali New Year Cup. The tournament was divided into two categories: Teams under age 35 and Teams over age 35.
The under-35 category had 12 teams, including 3 out-of-state teams from Oregon, Idaho, and California, and included 144 players.
The 35+ category had 4 local teams competing with a total of 56 players. Total attendance for the two-day event was over seven hundred, with around five hundred spectators on Saturday and roughly two hundred on Sunday.
In the under 35-category, Seattle FC Yellow team won the finals and took first place. Seattle FC Black team was second place. The MVP in the under-35 category was awarded to Umesh Pandey from Seattle FC Yellow. The final’s Man of the Match was Bharat Monger of Seattle FC Yellow.
In the 35+ event, Everett Warriors Red team won the finals and took first place. Everett Warriors Blue was second place. The MVP in the 35+ category was Jamyang Dorjee.
A total of $5000 cash prizes were awarded to the winners.
The NEYPVAL team conducted a health assessment survey during this event. The survey assessed the accessibility of healthcare in the surrounding Nepali community. 180 surveys were completed with the help of our community ambassadors. Stay tuned to see what data we have gathered and what we can learn about our community.
On March 20th, 2022, the Nepal Seattle Society- Health Committee’s NEYPVAL Team organized a first-ever literacy training focusing on teaching technology to our older Nepali-speaking population. This event was hosted at the Asian Counseling Referral Service Kent Office. We had a total of eight eager and friendly participants ranging from 60 to 71 years all from the local kent area. We all enjoyed piping hot samosas and chiya. During this event, we showed our participants how to use the self-test kits via video and live demonstration and how to use their cellphones.
Aayush Gupta, our community ambassador teaching participants how to use their phones. Shraddha Malla, our public health officer teaches participants how to set a timer on their phones.
The crowd favorite was how to use Facebook, especially using the like button and posting their grandchildren’s pictures on their Facebook profiles. Unfortunately, two hours was a short time to teach all about social media to our adorable participants. The good news is that we are thinking of hosting similar literacy workshops, whether it be technology or health-focused such as measuring blood pressure. For now, if you are interested, please go ahead and put your thoughts under the comments or email us at [email protected].
Lastly, this event couldn’t have been possible without our volunteers: Aayush Gupta, Bickrant Shrestha, Saurav Kakshapati, Mitra Dhital, Tara Aryal, Padam Pokhrel, Buddhi Kunwar, Arjun Adhikari, Durga Shrestha, our Board of Directors and Advisory Board, as well as our partners CDC Foundation and Department of Health. We are grateful to Asian Counseling Referral Service at Kent for letting us host our event there. Thank you also to our volunteers Jyoti Lama and Samek Mulapati for making the instructional videos you can find here on how to use the zoom on mobile phones and computers. Also, if you want to learn how to use my chart for your healthcare organizations click here.
We are two years into this pandemic and things seem to be getting better. This has only been possible because we have taken precautions and gotten the vaccines to protect ourselves and our community from Covid-19. However, some of us have yet to get the Covid-19 vaccine or its booster.
It might be because of time constraints, or not being able to get an appointment. Or, maybe, because you had a dose of a different vaccine overseas, and didn’t know if you could get one of the boosters available in America.
This was the case for a husband and wife who had just moved to Seattle from Nepal. They have taken their first dose of COVOVAX in Nepal but didn’t know if they could get a booster in Seattle. They reached out to NSS, and with the help of the NEYPVAL team and King County Public Health, we found out that they were approved to receive the Moderna booster after getting their COVOVAX shot in Nepal. During our recent vaccination event, we were able to get them their booster shots and update their vaccination cards.
Shubhechha Shakya and Sakar Sakya, our administrative assistant and community ambassador, also got their booster shots during our vaccination event. In total, we were able to get 8 people vaccinated during our 2-hour camp held at Sanatan Dharm Mandir on March 19th, in partnership with Sanatan Dharm Mandir, WA Department of Health, King County Public Health, and the CDC Foundation.
These days there’s an app or website to do everything, from calling family back home to making doctor appointments. If you would like help navigating the wide world of new technology available, come join us at our Tech Literacy event on March 20th. We will be showing you how to navigate through My Chart, access your electronic vaccination card, and use Zoom. If there is anything else you would like to learn about, please RSVP and leave us a comment down below.
Our elders 60+ are encouraged to attend, but everyone is welcome!
This month we are holding a vaccination event as well as a Tech literacy event. If you are still waiting to get your COVID-19 vaccine, join us on March 19th, or if you need help navigating through My Chart, Zoom, accessing your electronic vaccination card, or have any other queries, RSVP and join us on March 20th!
Follow the links below to get your COVID-19 Vaccination appointment for March 19th!
If you or anyone you know haven’t got your COVID-19 shot yet or need your booster, come join us at Sanatan Dharm Mandir on March 19th to get your shot!
We made this video because there was a lack of education around using home testing kits in Nepali language catered for our community. This was made during the initial phase of government policies providing free home testing kits around the second-third wave of COVID spike.
If you are showing COVID-19 Symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has COVID, you can use the At Home Covid testing kit to check if you have it. If you do test positive for it or test negative and are still showing symptoms, please contact your health care provider!
We have also made an instruction manual in Nepali to provide information for Nepali-speaking people and work towards health literacy.
The professional development committee of NSS has been running a mentorship program that takes in mentees and pairs them with mentors who have professional experience in the related field. Our goal is to help our community members with growing their careers, hone professional skills, and plan their goals. This is a very good opportunity to talk to someone with many years of experience in your field of work. If you are interested, please visit the link below to register yourself while they are taking in new mentees.
On this holiday season, we want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. As the spirit of Christmas surrounds us with gifts, Christmas decorations, best wishes, and family gatherings, we wanted to emphasize the tradition and religion behind this holiday that only a few Nepali celebrate.
What is Christmas?
Christmas is a religious holiday observed around the world celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. However, Christmas is commemorated both by Christians and non-Christians and is also a secular holiday.
Kajal Sapkota
Soniya Kunwar
Soniya Kunwar
Smriti Dahal and Family
Smriti Dahal and Family
Shubheccha Shakya and Sakar Shakya
Shubheccha Shakya and Sakar Shakya
Sakar Shakya and Family
Sakar Shakya
How do Nepali-Christians Celebrate Christmas?
Nepali Christians celebrate Christmas on a two-day basis, although it may be observed differently depending on the church they are affiliated in. The Eve of Christmas holds a candle night service. Some Nepali Christians follow this Christmas tradition gathering around in a circle, lighting candles, singing the announcement of Christmas in gospels, preparing for the next day.
Most Nepali Christians celebrate this important and meaningful tradition a whole month before Christmas day by going to different believers’ houses, singing carols, reading the Bible, praying, dancing, gathering and eating good food, and sharing offerings for their church’s Christmas preparations. They decorate the whole church a week before.
On Christmas day, Nepali Christians gather in the church for fellowship, singing hymns, preaching from the Bible, and praying gratefully for their lord and savior Jesus Christ, celebrating his birth. They also perform dances, dramas, and share gifts holding contests for their young ones. They invite their friends and neighbors to participate with them on their day of celebration. At the end of the day, everyone gathers for a communion (“Aghapye” meaning “love feast”) meal.
Nepali Christians also often get together holding rallies and gather in Nepal’s “Khula Munch”, an open field on the heart of Kathmandu. This is to proclaim their religion conveying solidarity and their best wishes to all the other religions, sharing their gospel good news that their savior is born.
Nepali Christians abroad gather together with their families in their houses, share best wishes and gifts, sing and pray, share the Bible gospel, eat good food and open their presents.
What is the meaning behind Christmas?
Christmas indicates the spirit of giving as in the Bible, the three wise men brought gifts- gold, frankincense, and myrrh, to the newborn Jesus Christ. Biblically, gold signifies royalty or kingship, as Jesus the King of Kings, frankincense signifies priestly role, and myrrh the anointing oil, respecting and honoring Him.
Christmas Tree is often decorated in the heart of the living room, symbolizing the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The evergreen tree’s branches and shrubs symbolize immortality and the painful thorns Jesus wore on his head on the cross, the day he was sacrificed.
Traditionally, the presents are kept under the Christmas tree. Saint Nicholas aka Santa Claus, who lives in the North Pole, brings presents to the young children. He represents a jolly man in red who rewards the children if they behave well throughout the year.
Teej, also known as Haritalika Teej, is one of the biggest festivals in Nepal. Often occurring around August and September, this festival lasts for three days and is celebrated by women all over Nepal. This year,Haritalika Teej occurs on September 9th, 2021. Women dress in intricate red sarees, tika, chura– they sing and dance to folk music for days until the day of Teej itself. Traditionally, married women get invited by their ‘maiti ghar’, their maternal home to rest and feast. Due to this being a significant festival for Nepali Shivaites, hundreds of women gather at the Pashupatinath temple and other temples dedicated to Shiva and Parvati in order to pray on the day of the celebration.
Religious Significance and History
The main significance of this religious holiday is to pay homage and ask lord Shiva for special blessings on their marriage– including their husband’s long, healthy and good life.
Teej is dedicated to the union of Parvati and Shiva, who is considered to be the symbol of marriage. Parvati and Shiva by many Nepali Hindus are considered to be the ideal husband and wife. Legend has it that on the day of Haritalika Teej, Parvati is incarnated as Shailaputri, the manifestation of the goddess Durga, another highly venerated deity in Nepali Hinduism.
The Story behind the name “Hartalika Teej”
Hartalika is a combination of two words “harit” and “aalika”. Harit means “abduction”, and aalika means “female friend”.
As the story goes, Parvati made a Shiva lingam out of her hair and prayed to Shiva. This impressed Shiva and he married Parvati. In order for Parvati to be able to marry Shiva, her female friend ‘aalika’, had to abduct her ‘harit’. Therefore, this day is referred to as Hartalika Teej.
Dar Khane Din
The day before the second day of Teej, women are invited to their maternal home where they engage in a large feast called “Dar”. Women dance and feast and indulge in their merriment. Traditionally, men do not partake in the festivities, instead, they are the ones who host the feast for the women. Women do not do any work and chores during the day of dar, it is a day for them to dress up lavishly, embellish themselves, eat good food, and dance before the day of the fast. Along with jolly and happy music, women also sing and dance about their pains and the struggles of womanhood. This feast and celebration last until midnight, and then the fast begins.
The Day of Fast
On the second day of Teej, women fast. Some women do not eat or drink anything at all, whereas others allow fruit and water. Fasting is not strictly for married women, unmarried women also participate in the fast. Traditionally, it is believed that fasting shows their devotion and loyalties to God. They believe that Shiva will be pleased by his devotees and that their marriage will be blessed. Unmarried women fast with the hopes that they will be blessed with a good husband.
On this day, women visit Shiva mandirs dancing and singing on their way to pray and offer fruits, coins, flowers, etc. to Shiva and Parvati. Pashupati mandir annually records the highest number of devotees on this day. The oil lamp which gets lit during prayer should be lit all throughout the night. It is believed that this light will bring prosperity into the lives of their husband and family.
The Final Day
The last day of Teej is known as Rishi Panchami. On the final day of this three-day festival, women offer food, money and other supplies to seven saints. Traditionally, they bathe in red mud and brush their teeth with datiwan. This is believed to purify the soul and body. Women participate in ritual bathing and puja.
Teej Songs
One major and notable part of the Teej festival is the songs and music of choice. Traditionally, these songs were used to reiterate and emphasize the roles of Nepali women in traditional Hindu piety– subservient, submissive, and loyal to their husbands. These songs reinforced religious ideologies and gender norms. However, with the progression and rapid development of Nepali society, songs are now centered around women, feminism, their struggles, and critique about the condition of women in the country. Teej songs have emerged as a way to give voice to nepali women.
