Kaw Bhatt Kawo!/Kaw Punim

Image courtesy: Vishal Raina

aw Punim is one of the unique festivals of the Kashmiri Hindus i.e. Kashmiri Pandits. This year, ‘Kaw Punim’ is being observed today, 25th of February. This festival is austere, simple and indigenous in character. Unlike other festivals, there is no ostentation on this occasion. It is not being celebrated in the same fashion as it once used to be when Kashmiri Pandits lived in the Kashmir valley. Many such festivals are celebrated with less fervor and enthusiasm or forgotten now due to detachment from community’s cultural roots. Before the exodus from the valley, Kashmiri Pandits used to celebrate ‘Kaw Punim’ every year. There was special kind of charm associated with ‘Kaw Punim’. Children used to wait anxiously for this occasion. They would make ‘Kaw Potul’ (a hand type ladle/spoon made of a long stick and hay) for pious offerings to crows from the window of upper storey or balcony of their respective houses. While offering the food, the children would chant -   Kaw Bhatt Kawo, Khechrey Kawo. Gangabala Sharana Karith, Gurey Mechey Tyoka Karith. Walbha Saney Larey Pyeth, Dal Bata Khyene.   It means, “O erudite crow! O Khichri (a mixture of rice and moong dal cooked together) eater! After having a dip in river Ganga, put tilak (of clay) on your forehead and come to our house to have dal and rice.” In Kashmir, the women of each and every Kashmiri Pandit family used to offer fresh cooked food to crows every day before serving it to the family members. She would not even taste it to confirm the quality of dish. A ‘Kaw Paet’ (smooth wooden piece) hanging on the front wall of a house signified that that particular house belongs to Kashmiri Pandit. Many myths are attached with crow in Hindu mythology. One of the myths is of Kak-Bhushandi, who was a pious man devoted to Lord Ram but he was cursed to become a crow. The crow is considered to be very curious animal. Kak-Cheshta and Kak-Snaan are the idiomatic expressions of curiosity and bathing like a crow (crow only dips his head while having bath) respectively in Sanskrit language. According to Hindu belief, crows are the representatives of our ancestors, planet Saturn, Yama, Dharamraja and Krishna. By offering food to crows, they get pleased. The Nilmat Puran which is our source of cultural history says, “Pournmasyam Tu Maaghsya Shraadam Kritva Tiler-narah, Kakanaam Bhojnam Dadyaat Prabhootam Bali Sanyutam.” (Verse 516) It means, “On full moon night of Maagh, a man should perform Shraadh with sesame and give enough food consisting of pious offerings to crows.” It is also believed that ‘Kaw Punim’ is birthday of the crow. Hindus see God in many creatures; be it crow, snake, or human being. As such offering food to crows is equal to Jeeva-Karuna i.e. having pity on every creature. Also, it is equivalent to Bhoot-Yajna i.e. one of Panch Mahayajnas (fivefold duties) a family man should perform every day. I think crows serve as a hot line medium between living and deceased ones. Therefore, we should maintain the tradition of offering food to crows and other animals to make the departed ones happy so that they shower their blessings and good wishes upon us. The ubiquitous crow does not eat alone but along with his fellows. This activity of crow is indicative of fellow feeling and community care. The Kashmiri Pandit community may not be celebrating this festival with great charm due to uprooting from their homeland or advancement of western culture but its significance is even much more relevant today when human values have faded away. Let it be either out of sheer compassion or out of blind beliefs perpetuated since ages, it is clear that this festival gives us a message that fellow feeling is transacted through collective sharing and community caring which is must for our survival in exile.

Dr. Jai Kishan Sharma is Ph.D. in Kashmir Shaivism from University of Jammu. He has written research papers and articles for several magazines, journals like Shiraza, Hamara Sahitya, Dharma Marg etc. He devotes his time in reading, researching and writing.

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Kaw Punim .

 

Kaw Punim .

Kaw Potul is ready. Dishes are all set to be served to the Crow . Another unique culture of Kashmiri Pandits who worship the Nature in every form.

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Text Courtesy Ashutosh Hanjura : Today is Magh Purnima a very sacred day for all Sanatanis. In Kashmiri Pandit tradition this day is celebrated as " Kaw Punim" which translates to "Purnmashi dedicated to Crow".. Crow as per Hindu tradition is taken as representative of our Ancestors or transporter of food given away in their name of our Ancestors to them in their abode in the Pitruloka.

Crow is also considered as the vehicle (vahan) of Shani (Saturn) and it also represents the Yama and Dharmaraja. When this festival was being celebrated in Kashmir it used to be the harsh winter during this time and crow was taken as harbinger of Hope symbolising our tradition of remembering our Ancestors and giving thanks to them. Kaw Punim is followed by "Hurie Okdoh" the first day of start of cleaning of our houses towards making preparations for Herath ( Mahashivratri) a very great and important festival for KashmirI Pandits which falls on Phalgun Krishna Paksha Dwadashi...

On the day of Kaw Punim cooked rice or yellow rice ( Taher in Kashmiri) or Khichdi is prepared and a portion of it is placed on a large ladle made by putting two unequal stick lengths in the shape of a cross, tying those in centre and weaving a grass mat at its anterior end, giving it a spoon shape the posterior end serving as it's handle. This is called " Kaw Potul" in Kashmiri and it used to be kept on the porch if house. While putting tte cooked rice forfeeding crows on it following would be recited:-

"Kaw Batt Kawo,

Khechrey Kawo.

Gang Bal Shrana karith..

Gurute meche Tyoka karith...

Saney Nawe larey Kanna Darey beh...

Dal Batta kheney..."

(Oh Crow the True Batta, the lover of Khichdi, you have taken your holy dip at the sacred Gangbal and adorned yourself with Red clay Teeka. Now come and roost on the porch of our New House and partake of this Cooked rice and Lentil)....

Neelmat Purana signifies this day as the day dedicated for performing the Til Shradha of our ancestors. It says:

"Purnamasya tu Maghsya Shradhaam..

Kritva Tilar Narvah...

Kakanam Bhojam Dadayat...

Prabhootam Bali Sanyatam..."

( On Magh Purnima one should perform Shradha of his Ancestors with Sesame and thereafter give enough food as pious offerings to crows)...

In other parts of India also Magh Purnamasi is celebrated as a very sacred day. There is a tradition of taking a holy dip called Magh Snana at the pre -determined Mahurat on this Day. As per Braham Vairavat Purana, on this day Lord Vishnu takes his abode in the waters of Holy Ganga and even a mere touch of the Holy Gangajal on this day ensures Vaikuntha prapti to a person. Taking a bath in some Holy river on this day at morning time at proper Mahurat after making a Dhyana of Holy Ganga Maya ends all Sins and Grief of a person and cleanses his Mind and Soul. The Holy dip is followed by Satyanarayan Puja. There is lot of significance to giving charity to poor and needy on this day in the form of Dhan ( money), Ann ( Food) and Vastar ( Clothes). While doing Dhana- Punya on this day the person should do a mental jaap of Sarav Sidh and Shaktishali Mantra" Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaye"..

There is also tradition of doing Satyanarayan Puja called Satydeev on this day amongst Kashmiri Pandit Community..

Wishing all my friends a very Happy and blissful Kaw Punin/ Magh Purnima. May our Ancestors be always blessing us and May Lord Vishnu always Preserve and Protect us and our Prognies..

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदे 

Kaw Punim: The full moon of the lunar month Magha is also known as Purnima of the crow. Two sticks are tied in the shape of a cross and on the open ends of the cross grass is woven to make a long handled flat spoon. Again after some pooja, yellow rice is served on this spoon to be offered to the crow. The children sing a melodious song while making the offering to the crow. The song loosely translated reads thus:

O clever crow;
O, the lover of khichri, crow;
Come to our new house along with your spouse;
Be seated on the threshold of our roof –
And partake of the salty pudding.

This festival is indicative of the love that the Kashmiris have had for the birds and the care they took of them. It may be worth mentioning that every Kashmiri household will scatter some cooked rice on a wooden shelf kept outside the house everyday before serving food to any member of the house. This shelf kept near the top right hand corner of the window is called Kaw paet - a shelf for the crow. Likewise every person keeps apart a little rice from his or her plate to be fed to the dogs. This is called Hoonya myet - the roll of rice for the dog. This shows the compassionate nature of the Kashmiris for the animal world. No doubt the Gita defines a Pandit as one who treats equally a well read Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a downcast chandala who devours dog-flesh.

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