Sagun () is a Nepalese ceremony which involves ritualized presentation of auspicious food to a person to invoke good fortune and show respect. It is a highly revered ceremony in

Newar Newar (; , endonym: Newa; , Pracalit script: ), or Nepami, are primarily inhabitants in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and its surrounding areas, and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation. Page 15. Newars are a distinct linguisti ...

society of the

Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley (), also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley (, Newar language, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः), National Capital Area, is a bowl-shaped valley located in the Himalayas, Hima ...

. The food items served are boiled egg, smoked fish, meat,

lentil The lentil (''Vicia lens'' or ''Lens culinaris'') is an annual plant, annual legume grown for its Lens (geometry), lens-shaped edible seeds or ''pulses'', also called ''lentils''. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in Legume, pods, usually w ...

cake and

rice wine Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermentation, fermented from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia, where rice is a quintessential staple crop. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch, during wh ...

which represent Tantric concepts. The Sagan is presented during life-cycle events like birthdays, weddings and old-age rites. It is also presented at the

Mha Puja Mha Pujā ( Newar Script: ) (Devanagari: म्हपुजा) is an annual ritual performed by the Newar people of Nepal to purify and empower the soul as part of New Year celebrations. It is performed on New Year's Day of Nepal Sambat, the nat ...

ceremony on New Year's Day of Nepal Era. Travellers are given the Sagan before departing on a long journey and upon return from a trip. People who have achieved a special feat or survived a life-threatening accident receive it. The ceremony is also held to honor somebody. The Sagan ritual is performed by both

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

and

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Newars.

Ceremony

As per the general practice, the person receiving the Sagan sits cross-legged on the floor, and a Sukunda oil lamp is placed on a large leaf in front and to the right. The eldest woman in the house brings a tray containing flowers, rice and red paste and worships Lord

Ganesh Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

, the god of good fortune, on the Sukunda. She then puts a dab of red paste on the forehead of the honoree and others in the room. The participants also take a dab of yogurt from a bowl and put it on the temple. The main ritual is performed next. The lady of the house presents a boiled egg and smoked fish which the participants accept with both hands. A woman helper follows pouring rice wine from a jar into little bowls. After everyone has been served, she walks down the line again pouring wine three times into each bowl. She serves wine a third time after which the participants can set down the bowls. The procedure and materials may vary as per family tradition and geography.

Laddu ''Laddu'' or ''laddoo'' is a spherical sweet from the Indian subcontinent made of various ingredients and sugar syrup or jaggery. It has been described as "perhaps the most universal and ancient of Indian sweets." ''Laddus'' are often serv ...

(sweet balls) or Lāgwah ( meat balls) may be presented in place of boiled eggs. Seating may be arranged on the floor or chairs

Significance

The Sagan ceremony and the materials used are based on Tantric tradition. The five food items in Sagan represent the five Tantric elements (panchatatwa) – fire or "agni tatwa" (symbolized by wine), earth or "prithvi tatwa" (meat), water or "jal tatwa" (fish), ether or "akash tatwa" (lentil cake) and air or "wayu tatwa" (egg). The warmth and fire in living beings is provided by fire, and when a being dies, the body becomes the earth, the body contains water, breathe air and exist in ether or space.

References

{{Reflist Rituals Culture of Nepal Ceremonies Tantric practices Newar

Ceremony

Significance

See also

References