Author:
Publication: Ecs.com.np
Date: September 2010
URL: http://www.ecs.com.np/heritage_tale.php?tale_id=42
When you walk into any traditional eating
place or 'bhatti,' you will notice a framed picture or idol of Bhimsen. In
the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhimsen is a very illustrious character who is
one of the five Pandav brothers. As the story goes, the Pandavs are tricked
into and end up gambling away their kingdom, wealth and even their wife Draupadi
to their cousins, the Kauravs. If this was not bad enough, they are also required
to spend 12 years in the wilderness and an additional year incognito. It is
during this incognito year (gupta baas) that the local Newars believe Bimsen
spent his time as a chef and cook.
The epic tells us that Bhimsen found work
as BALLABH, the cook at King VIRAAT's palace and this role served as a good
disguise for him for the whole year. It is in recognition of Bhim's role as
a master chef that the local eating places have a special alter or a framed
photo of Bhimsen and is worshipped each day before serving the clients with
the various tasty and popular local dishes. In the Kathmandu valley and most
Newari settlements across Nepal, there are large temples and annual festivals
dedicated to Bhimsen who, the local people believe, enables them to profitably
run local eating places.
It is, therefore, not a simple coincidence
that traditional eating places (bhattis) in the Kathmandu valley and outside
are often located around Bhimsen temples. In Patan, the temple and eating
places are at the north western corner of the Durbar Square and, in Kathmandu,
just south west of Hanuman Dhoka at Bhimsenthan. In Bhaktapur, it is at the
western end of the Datattreya Square. All these temples are multi-storied,
very large and are rectangular in shape. Other temples are square in shape.
This year, the festival of Bhimsen (Jatra) falls on the night of September
2, 2010. Local traders also believe that the trade with Lhasa was a contribution
of Bhimsen.
If you watch TV regularly, there is a very
popular show called "Master Chef Australia" that is on three times
a week. It is a captivating competition where 50 of Australia's best chefs
are aspiring for the title of Master Chef Australia. In the Kathmandu valley,
we could very well launch a franchise and organize our very own "Master
Chef Bhimsen Festival" annually. Recently, the World Food Program organized
a photo exhibition on food and there is going to be a book on the same theme.
Cooking is one of those professions that will never go out of style or value.
