Kumha Pyakhan (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental syste ...

: , also known as Kumar Pyakhan) is a sacred dance of the

Tuladhar Tulādhar (Devanagari: तुलाधर) is a Nepali/Nepalese caste from the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The name Tuladhar is derived from the Sanskrit words "tula" (weighing scale) and "dhar" (possessor), thus meaning scale ...

and

Kansakar Kansakār () or Kasāh (कसाः) is a Nepalese caste group belonging to the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. In Sanskrit, Kansakar means bronze worker, and their traditional occupation has been metal working and trading. Toda ...

caste groups of the

Newar Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisatio ...

s of

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

. The dance is performed in temple and market squares during religious festivals. Page 192.

The dancer

A young boy impersonating the god Kumha performs the dance accompanied by a musical band consisting of drum and ponga (पोंगा) trumpet players. The dancer, who carries a bow and arrow, symbolically protects the image of the goddess Taleju when it is brought out of her temple at

Kathmandu Durbar Square Kathmandu Durbar Square (''Basantapur Durbar Kshetra'') is located in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom and is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNES ...

. Performances are held on the seventh and tenth days of the

Mohani Mohani or Mohni (Nepal Bhasa: ) is one of the most important festivals among the Newars which involves a packed itinerary of religious services, pilgrimages, family gatherings and outdoor celebrations lasting several days. Special dinners kno ...

festival (

Dashain Dashain or Bada'dashain, also referred as Bijaya Dashami in Sanskrit, is a major Hindu religious festival in Nepal. It is also celebrated by Hindus of Nepal and elsewhere in the world, including among the Lhotshampa of Bhutan and the Burmese Gur ...

) which takes place in October. The dance is also performed on the stone platform at

Asan, Kathmandu Asan ( new, असं, ne, असन) (alternative names: Asan Tol असन टोल, Asan Twāh असं त्वाः) is a ceremonial, market and residential square in central Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is one of the most wel ...

Selection

The dancer is chosen by lot from among the Tuladhars of Asan and Kansakars of Jana Baha. He receives training from a Gubhaju or

Bajracharya A vajrācārya (vajra + acharya, Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་སློབ་དཔོན་, ''dorje lopön'', Wyl. ''rdo rje slob dpon,'' Jp. “kongō ajari” 金剛阿闍梨) is a Vajrayana Buddhist master, guru or priest. It is a general ...

priest. The dancer's term lasts around five years when he has to adhere to the rules of his office, which include daily worship of Nasadyah, the god of dance, and eating restrictions. The Kumha Pyakhan has not been performed since 1998 for lack of funding and candidates when Dibesh Kaji Tuladhar played the part of the deity.''Bhintuna Guthi Lumanti Pau'' (2003). Kathmandu: Bhintuna Guthi. Page 43.

References

Ritual dances Dance in Nepal Newar Sacred dance Nepalese folk dances Culture of Bagmati {{Nepal-stub