Wednesday, November 16, 2016

“Pani Ghatta” (traditional water mill )

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The “Pani Ghatta”  traditional water mill has been used over the ages to grind flour. A traditional ghatta: The wooden ‘turbines’ are fashioned by local carpenters, which drive the grinding stone are used to grind corn, wheat, and other grains for the local agricultural community. 
The fundamentals of a ghatta are fairly basic. Water is diverted from a stream or river and flows down a chute towards the ghatta’s turbine. The vertical shaft of the turbine runs up through the floor of the ghatta house and turns the top stone of a pair of grinding stones. Grain is stored above the stone in a suspended woven basket. It slowly falls out through a feeder mechanism at the bottom of the basket. The top stone has a hole carved in its center all the way through it. Grain from the feeder mechanism falls down through this hole, and is then ground between the pair of stones.
Ghattas are made from local materials, so naturally each is to some extent unique. Although they have the features outlined above, the sizes or materials can significantly vary from location to location. The grinding stones can come in many different sizes, for example. Their diameters generally range from 24 to 34 inches, and the thickness can range from 3 to 10 inches (although we’ve heard of stones 

“Pani Ghatta” (traditional water mill )

Monday, November 7, 2016

Chhath Puja (Nepalese Festival)

 Chhath Puja (Nepalese Festival)
Chhath is a Hindu festival celebrated each year by the people very eagerly. This is very antique festival of the Hindu religion dedicated to the God of energy, also known as Dala Chhath or Surya Shashti. People celebrate this festival to offer thanks to the Lord Surya for blessing the life on the earth as ever. People worship the God Sun very enthusiastically and pray for the well-being, success and progress of their family members, friends, and elders. According to the Hinduism, Sun worship is related to the cure of a range of diseases such as leprosy, etc.
The rituals at this day is to wake up early in the morning, take a holy bath in the Gange and keep fast for whole day, even people do not drink water and they keep themselves standing in the water for a long time. They offer prasad and aragh to the rising sun. It is celebrated in the various states of India like Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and Nepal. According to the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated at 6th day of the month of Kartika (month of October or November).
At some places, Chaiti Chhath is also celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March or April) few days after Holi. It is named as chhath because it is celebrated at the 6th day of the month of Kartika. Chhat puja is very famous in the Dehri-On-Sone, Patna, Dev and Gaya. Now, it is celebrated all over the country.