Friday 3 February 2012

Nepali girls "wed" god in ancient ritual

An adorned Newar girl is pictured while performing rituals during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
An adorned Newar girl is pictured while performing rituals during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu January 28, 2012. In the ceremony, girls are married to Bel, the fruit of a wood-apple tree, before reaching puberty. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. A Newar girl will be married thrice in her life, first to Bel, a second time with the sun in
A foot of a Newar girl is pictured during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
A foot of a Newar girl is pictured during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu January 28, 2012. In the ceremony, girls are married to Bel, the fruit of a wood-apple tree, before reaching puberty. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. A Newar girl will be married thrice in her life, first to Bel, a second time with the sun in another ritual
An adorned Newar girl looks at herself in the mirror during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
An adorned Newar girl looks at herself in the mirror during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu January 28, 2012. In the ceremony, girls are married to Bel, the fruit of a wood-apple tree, before reaching puberty. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. A Newar girl will be married thrice in her life, first to Bel, a second time with the sun in anothe
A foot of a Newar girl is painted red before performing rituals during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
A foot of a Newar girl is painted red before performing rituals during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu January 28, 2012. In the ceremony, girls are married to Bel, the fruit of a wood-apple tree, before reaching puberty. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. A Newar girl will be married thrice in her life, first to Bel
Adorned Newar girls are seen while rituals are performed during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
Adorned Newar girls are seen while rituals are performed during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu January 28, 2012. In the ceremony, girls are married to Bel, the fruit of a wood-apple tree, before reaching puberty. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. A Newar girl will be married thrice in her life, first to Bel, a second time with the sun in
Adorned Newar girls are pictured while performing rituals during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
Adorned Newar girls are pictured while performing rituals during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu January 28
Parents hold their daughter's hands during the Kanyadan ritual of an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
Parents hold their daughter's hands during the "Kanyadan" ritual (giving away the virgin) of an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
The hand of a Newar girl is seen while performing rituals during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
The hand of a Newar girl is seen while performing rituals during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu January 28
An adorned Newar girl has lipstick applied to her lips by her mother during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu
An adorned Newar girl has lipstick applied to her lips by her mother during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu January 28,
Newar girls sit side by side during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu