Ihi or Bel Bibaha
Ihi or Bel bibaha is a unique tradition in Nepal which portrays a distinct culture of Newar Community. The daughters of Newar community are married thrice in their lives. And the very first marriage is "Ihi" in Newari language or "Bel sang Bibaha" in Nepali language.The second one marriage is with the Sun which is called "Bara Tayegu" in Newari or "Gufa Rakhne" in Nepali. And finally they are married to a human guy which is actually their marriage. These marriage ceremonies are commonly conducted among both Buddhist Newars & Hindu Newars.
Although the way of doing the ritual may be different. "Bel" is one kind of rare fruit. The marriage between a virgin Newari girl and Bel fruit is held before the girl attains puberty. This ensures that the girl acquires active and healthy reproductive powers. On this day, for the puja, the girl is decorated with different make-ups, red clothes and various kind of traditional ornaments, so as to resemble a little bride. Here, the Bel fruit is the bridegroom, representative of Lord Kumar, son of Lord Shiva. On the other hand, this Bel fruit must look rich and ripe and must not be damaged in any kind. And it is believed in Newari culture that if by chance the fruit turns out to be a damaged one then the girl or the bride will be destined to spend the rest of her life with an ugly looking unfaithful husband after her third one or her real marriage.
However, the most significant aspect of this "Bel Bibaha" is that once the girl is married to the "Bel" which symobilises Lord Kumar, the woman will remain pure and even if her real husband dies after the marriage in the future, she should not be considered a widow, the case in point being that she is already married to the lord. On this occasion, some of the close relatives are invited and they gift the bride with lots of presents. "Bel Bibaha" being one of the major tradition of Newar community residing in Nepal, also enriches the Nepali culture with uniqueness and diversity.
