Godawari, Bungmati, Pyangaun, Karyabinayak, khokana and Bajrabarahi are the popular places which lies at the southern part of Lalitpur of Kathmandu Valley. These are the places chosen as picnic spot, sight–seeing, landscape still life, photography, video shoot, doing research work for biological students (plants and insects) and day out. In this article we are trying to cover the story of a buried stone lion which is at the northern gate of Machhindrabahal of Bungmati. Most people visiting the city ask excitedly why it was kept in buried form. To get the answer, we asked some local senior citizens about the history and cause of the buried stone lion.
There were three lions in Bungmati. Two lions guard and preserved the machindrabahal of Bungmati. One lion keeps on roaming the city as his day-to-day routine. The lion had the power of the occult (supernatural, magical) and can transmit disease to people. Once a “stomach pain” pandemic spread in Bungmati. People goes to Ayurvedic Doctor (Apothecary) for the cure, but Ayurvedic doctor could not even trace out the real cause and cure for the stomach pain. The medicine prescribed by him didn’t work at all at that time.
Finding no cure from Ayurvedic Doctor people went to a witch doctor in Bungmati for the cure of their stomach pain. Upon applying the enchanting power, the witch doctor discovered that the roaming lion was responsible for spreading the disease. With his knowledge he uncovers the exact reason why the lion is spreading the disease. The romaing lion had the sole intention that the people living in the city should suffer as was angry because people make the Bungmati city too polluted and dirty. The sewerage, drainage, garbage, waste materials were not properly managed and cleaned. The witch doctor then suggested the people to clean their home, sewerages and surroundings to cure the disease. After knowing the solution to get rid of stomach pain, people began to keep the house, sewerage and surrounding area cleaner.
Then they all grabbed the roaming lion and drove it underground so that it won’t be able to roam the city. The lesser the view, the lesser the chance of the lion to get angry again. That way stomach pain epidemic was cured.
In Bungmati, if someone still suffers a stomach ache, it is customary to go to the buried lion first and offer a dinner to buried lion which is called Bau Tawanegu in local newari language. This stone lion is also known to be Punahamha Lion in local language whose meaning is Lion with carrying or moving disease. Whatever the story says, it sends a message that our home, its surroundings must be kept clean for healthy life.
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