"Silu" (

Nepal Bhasa Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan languages, Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surro ...

: and

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 ...

:सिलु) is a traditional Nepalese song about a couple from

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

who go on a pilgrimage to Silu and get separated. The ballad in

dates from the early 15th century.Lienhard, Siegfried (1992). ''Songs of Nepal: An Anthology of Nevar Folksongs and Hymns.'' New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas. . Page 80. Crawford, S. Cromwell (1982). ''The evolution of Hindu ethical ideals.'' Asian Studies Program, University of Hawaii. . Page 80. Written by an unnamed composer, Silu is a popular seasonal song in

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 ...

society. It is one of the six seasonal songs and is sung during the rainy season (August). Silu is what the Newars call

Gosaikunda Gosaikunda, also spelled Gosainkunda, also called Silu. is an alpine freshwater oligotrophic lake in Nepal's Langtang National Park, located at an elevation of in the Rasuwa District with a surface of . Together with associated lakes, the Gosaik ...

, a

holy lake Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. ...

located to the north of Kathmandu.Waterhouse, David M. (2004). '' The Origins of Himalayan Studies:

Brian Houghton Hodgson Brian Houghton Hodgson (1 February 1800 or more likely 1801 – 23 May 1894) was a pioneer naturalist and ethnologist working in India and Nepal where he was a British Resident. He described numerous species of birds and mammals from the Himala ...

in Nepal and Darjeeling, 1820-1858.'' Routledge. . Page 45. Situated at an elevation of 4,380 m in the

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, it is associated with the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

deity

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. The lake is also held sacred by Buddhists who associate it with the

Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...

Avalokitesvara.

Synopsis

The epic song is in the form of a dialogue between the husband and wife. When he announces his plan to visit Silu to take part in the ritual bathing festival, she expresses her desire to go with him. He tries to dissuade her by reminding her of the saying that a husband and wife going together is bad luck. But she insists, and he lets her come along. When they reach Silu, the king sees her and sends soldiers to take her away and forcibly makes her his queen. The depressed husband leaves home and becomes an ascetic. One day, the queen asks the king to assemble all the ascetics on the palace grounds to give them alms. The

sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. Th ...

s are gathered as per her wish, and when she spots her husband among them, she slips away with him disguised as a nun. The couple are thus reunited.Kasa, Prem Bahadur (ed.) (1973). ''Bakhan Mye.'' Kathmandu: Chwasa Pasa. Page 17.

Pilgrimage

Silu Wanegu, the pilgrimage to Silu to take a holy dip in the lake, is a long-standing tradition in Newar society. The trek is done in August, when a festival is held on the full moon day. The pilgrimage has also been a subject of art since historical times. Silu, a movie based on the ballad, was released in 1987.

Lyrics

The first few lines of the song appear below. Nepal Bhasa :हाय हाय प्रभु स्वामि छि गन झायेतेना ::छन्त धन्दा छाय मिसा ज्याखं याना चोना :छिव जिव चोना प्रभु सल्हा साहुति मदु :गन झाय तेना प्रभू गन वने तेना ::सिलु तिर्थ मोल ल्हुय अति पुण्य लाइ ::सिलु तिर्थ वनेयात पासा माला वया :पासा माले मते प्रभु छिव जिव वने :निम्हतेपु सिलु वने अति पुण्य लाइ ::छव जिव वनेयात जोसी केने मानि ::जोशी केना स्वयां झिपि वायः माली धाल Translation :(Wife) Oh, husband, where have you been :(Husband) , wife, I went on an errand. :(Wife) We live together but there is no consultation :Where have you been, husband, where did you go? :(Husband) Taking a bath at Silu will bring much merit :I had gone to look for a friend to go to Silu. :(Wife) Don't look for a friend, husband, you and I will go :A couple going to Silu will bring much merit. :(Husband) For us to go, we will have to consult an astrologer :I went to an astrologer and he said we will be separated.

References

{{Reflist Traditional music Traditional ballads Nepalese folklore Nepalese songs Newar Epic poems Hindu pilgrimage sites in Nepal

Synopsis

Pilgrimage

Lyrics

See also

References