121th Day of the year: May 1st, May day
May 1st is the 121th day of the year (122nd if it is the Leap year). This day of the year is celebrated around the world as International Labor Day with great participation and closeness to labor-related elements.
Many around the world tend to associate May Day with socialism and communism, as well as confine this day just concerning Cuba and the former Soviet Union, however, it is important to see this day of labor as a more democratic and more important day in today's context. Let me take you back to the 19th century, the 19th century is known as the century of workers and their labor. The beginning of this century has embarked on the beginning of a new dimension of various factories, industries, production and development, the industrial revolution, and economic growth.
Background of May Day
In commemoration of the "Hey Market Scandal" in Chicago, the USA on May 4, 1886, before the turn of the 19th century, May 1 is celebrated as a special International Day for Labor and Labor Issues.
On this day, May 1 commemorates the workers' agitation for an eight-hour day, in which an unidentified person threw a bomb at the police, and in retaliation, many innocent people were killed in a retaliatory attack by the police.
Remember that before that movement, workers from all over the world used to work up to 16 hours a day. May Day has brought a momentous change in the field of labor and the credit and vision of today's growing labor-friendly society have been started from this day.
The first ever proclamation of May Day
It is also important to remember unknown and known labor martyrs across the globe. The English and Nepali adaptations of the historical phrase used on the first day of May 1886, are to be found here only in the courtyard of Hamro Patro.
THE DAY WILL COME WHEN OUR SILENCE WILL BE MORE POWERFUL THAN THE VOICES YOU ARE THROTTLING TODAY.
The above phrase has addressed the industrialists of that time, in this sense, more than 130 years ago, to some extent, the gap between industrialists and workers still exists.
May this May Day speak to the world about this. Institutionalize the changes that have taken place and give a working environment and the right value for labor.
Without the support and involvement of Nepali laborers, no revolution, people's movement, and socio-political transformation would have been possible.
Now that the definition of labor has become wider, we all Nepali are included in this wide range. The remittances coming from labor abroad have supported Nepal's economy, in that sense, most of the taxes we pay, eat, walk, and run the country are the product of the sweat of those working brothers and sisters. But the extent to which the country itself seeks to respect labor and workers is evident from the looting that begins at the airport and the brokerage system and the government's institutional silence in the vulnerable process and issues of foreign workers.
The fear of being discriminated against as a laborer commences right from a mother by showing her children to a worker from infancy, if you don't read it, is that you have to work and eat.
Studying and sweating are completely different, being educated doesn't mean you should be labor, to create a conducive environment in Nepal, we all have to pay attention to this. Let's not educate our kids with a false hope that being educated skips them from being labor, labor is a privilege. The price of sweat is enough to make you laugh, let's restore the value of labor and reinstall smiles.
Yogi Matseyanandrnath , Matseyanandrnath Ratharohan in Lalitpur
Kathmandu valley annually commemorates the chariot festival (Jatra) on the glory of Yogi Matseyanandrnath since 1600 years and even more. This Jatra lasts for two months starting from Baisakh Shukla pratipada till Asar Shukla Chauthi.
The cultural and religious significance of Jatra is of particular importance, says the cultural expert.
The Jatra, which is one of the most important of Patan and the longest Jatra of the valley has been carrying an undisputable discipline and symmetrical faith prehistoric. Today is the commencing day of this Jatra, my utmost prayers for Matsenyanandrnath before I begin my write-up by reintroducing Yogi Matsenyanandrnath through my drab words and naive explanations, forgive me if any wrong judgment.
Who is Yogi Matsenyanandrnath?
Yogi Matsenyanandrnath is a Siddha who can control the forces of nature, he is hugely observed as a lord of rainfall in Nepal. One who practices Yoga is called Yogi and Yogi Matsenyanandrnath is a Siddha who is also acknowledged for delivering his knowledge to Gorakhnath, Yogi Gorakhnath is hugely worshipped across the globe and Nepali royal clan expresses their large proximity with the rituals in offering and worshiping Yogi Gorakhnath.
Yogi Matsenyanandrnath and Yogi Gorakhnath.
Go means "Earth" and Rakh means to protect, the entire earth is protected by a boy called Gorakhnath who is not just a disciple but also a son of Yogi Matsenyanandrnath. There is a very interesting story of the manifestation of Gorakhnath by Yogi Matsenyanandrnath, I will elaborate that story some other day. In Sanskrit Matsenyanandrnath translates to the lord of fishes, Yogi Matsenyanandrnath is Maha svarupa and Matsya Svarupa, he is a founder of Kaula tradition. Let me explain Kaula for you, it is said that Yogi Matsenyanandrnath spent twelve years in a belly of fish in the ocean (this is called "Kula"). Kula is also described as an illusion that is mastered and defeated by Yogi Matsenyanandrnath, "Kaula" is the origin of Vajrayana Buddhism and Kashmiri Shaivism.
oṁ siddha yogī matsyendra nāthāya namaḥ
Matsenyanandrnath or Machindranath is called Bunga Dyah in local Newa language, recognized by both (Hindu and Buddhists) as an incarnation of Lord Shiva in Hindu and as an incarnation of Avalokiteśvara in Buddhism.
At the beginning of the Jatra of Lalitpur-based Red Matsyendranath, the idol of Karunamayi is made from the soil of the present Mahepi hill and the spirit of the Karunamayi in the Kalash is established in that clay idol. That idol is washed today, all these rituals happen under delicate supervision and keen involvement of community people. This auspicious chariot is then carried and placed in several avenues of Lalitpur city during these two months of the Jatra celebration, finally, after showing the auspicious "Bhoto" at Jawalakhel this Jatra concludes and the idol is respectfully carried to Bungmati. The ancient village of Bungmati is the birthplace of Yogi Matsenyanandrnath, this is where the holy idol of Matsenyanandrnath rests for the next six months after the chariot festival.
This year is adverse and congregations are forbidden because of the Corona crisis. Lord Matsenyanandrnath have a million Kripas upon us, may his blessings and leadership drive us.
Suyog Dhakal
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