"straw effigy"

#12577874

23 July 2025

People prepare the parts for the effigy of ''Ghantakarna'' using hay-straws in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on July 23, 2025. Falling on Trayodashi (the third day) of the month of Shrawan (July/August), Ghantakarna Chaturdasi is celebrated in memory of the mythical demon Ghantakarna's death. According to legends, the demon Ghantakarna terrorizes villagers by stealing children and women from the village and demands money and other gifts as ransom for their release. His body is painted in red, blue, and black, and he wears a pair of bells on his ears. He looks very scary, and every time he moves, the bells jingle. He gets his name from the bells on his ears, with Ghanta meaning 'bell' and Karna meaning 'ears'. The fear of the dreadful monster keeps people inside their homes most of the time. Even during the planting season, they do not dare to leave their homes. However, one day, a large number of frogs come to the village and begin to croak near Ghantakarna's place. He becomes furious, but the frogs do not stop. They croak even louder, and when he tries to catch them, they jump into the water. He, too, jumps into the water without realizing that it is a swamp and soon starts to drown. The frogs swarm around his head, and he drowns to death. In this way, the frogs save the village and the villagers from the demon. Effigies built at the turnings and roadways of the locality are later dragged and burnt to ashes in areas that lie far from the residential areas, mostly at the crossroads. This festival is also celebrated as a symbol of cleanliness, even though the garbage inside and outside the house is cleaned and disposed of in a systematic manner. This festival is celebrated by cleaning the garbage, calling it a ghost to get rid of it, as it does not pay attention to sanitation during the planting period, and various insects cause grief at this time.

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#12577878

23 July 2025

People prepare the parts for the effigy of ''Ghantakarna'' using hay-straws in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on July 23, 2025. Falling on Trayodashi (the third day) of the month of Shrawan (July/August), Ghantakarna Chaturdasi is celebrated in memory of the mythical demon Ghantakarna's death. According to legends, the demon Ghantakarna terrorizes villagers by stealing children and women from the village and demands money and other gifts as ransom for their release. His body is painted in red, blue, and black, and he wears a pair of bells on his ears. He looks very scary, and every time he moves, the bells jingle. He gets his name from the bells on his ears, with Ghanta meaning 'bell' and Karna meaning 'ears'. The fear of the dreadful monster keeps people inside their homes most of the time. Even during the planting season, they do not dare to leave their homes. However, one day, a large number of frogs come to the village and begin to croak near Ghantakarna's place. He becomes furious, but the frogs do not stop. They croak even louder, and when he tries to catch them, they jump into the water. He, too, jumps into the water without realizing that it is a swamp and soon starts to drown. The frogs swarm around his head, and he drowns to death. In this way, the frogs save the village and the villagers from the demon. Effigies built at the turnings and roadways of the locality are later dragged and burnt to ashes in areas that lie far from the residential areas, mostly at the crossroads. This festival is also celebrated as a symbol of cleanliness, even though the garbage inside and outside the house is cleaned and disposed of in a systematic manner. This festival is celebrated by cleaning the garbage, calling it a ghost to get rid of it, as it does not pay attention to sanitation during the planting period, and various insects cause grief at this time.

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#12046379

12 February 2025

Participants engage in traditional customs to celebrate the first full moon of the Year of the Blue Snake, making wishes and planning for the year ahead during the 2025 Namsangol Jeongwol Daeboreum 'Blueprint' event at Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea, on February 12, 2025. Organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the event features the Daljip Wish Ritual, where attendees write their wishes on notes and attach them to a straw rope before tying them to a straw structure to be set alight.

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#12046380

12 February 2025

Participants engage in traditional customs to celebrate the first full moon of the Year of the Blue Snake, making wishes and planning for the year ahead during the 2025 Namsangol Jeongwol Daeboreum 'Blueprint' event at Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea, on February 12, 2025. Organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the event features the Daljip Wish Ritual, where attendees write their wishes on notes and attach them to a straw rope before tying them to a straw structure to be set alight.

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#11450429

2 August 2024

An elderly woman is carrying hay straws to make an effigy of the demon deity Ghantakarna to immolate it, veering off the bad omens and warding off evil spirits in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on August 2, 2024. Falling on Trayodashi (third day) of the month of Shrawan (July/August), which is also known as Ghantakarna Chaturdasi, the festival is celebrated in memory of the mythical demon Ghantakarna's death.

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#11450219

2 August 2024

Nepalese devotees are playing traditional instruments and carrying a straw effigy of the demon Ghanta Karna during the Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal' festival. Ghanta Karna is a festival celebrating the defeat of the mythical demon Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal'.

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#11450220

2 August 2024

Nepalese devotees are playing traditional instruments and carrying a straw effigy of the demon Ghanta Karna during the Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal' festival. Ghanta Karna is a festival celebrating the defeat of the mythical demon Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal'.

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#11450221

2 August 2024

Nepalese devotees are playing traditional instruments and carrying a straw effigy of the demon Ghanta Karna during the Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal' festival. Ghanta Karna is a festival celebrating the defeat of the mythical demon Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal'.

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#11450222

2 August 2024

Nepalese devotees are playing traditional instruments and carrying a straw effigy of the demon Ghanta Karna during the Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal' festival. Ghanta Karna is a festival celebrating the defeat of the mythical demon Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal'.

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#11450225

2 August 2024

Nepalese devotees are playing traditional instruments and carrying a straw effigy of the demon Ghanta Karna during the Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal' festival. Ghanta Karna is a festival celebrating the defeat of the mythical demon Ghanta Karna 'Gathemangal'.

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#6135418

29 October 2020

Jaroslaw Kaczynski's effigy is seen during a demonstration against restrictions on abortion law in Poland. Krakow, Poland on October 28, 2020. The protest was organized by Women Strike after Poland's highest court has ruled that abortions due to fetal defects are unconstitutional, moving the country towards a near-total ban on terminations.

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#5908284

5 August 2020

Nepalese devotees along with the rituals participate in a saparu parade at Khokona, Lalitpur, Nepal on August 05, 2020. On the occasion of Saparu, Nepalese people celebrate by remembering deceased ones and pay tribute to the departed souls. A cow is regarded as holy by Hindus, who believe it will help the deceased relative's journey towards heaven.  

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#5908286

5 August 2020

A Nepalese devotee pouring rice beer towards enthusiastic people during the saparu parade at Khokona, Lalitpur, Nepal on August 05, 2020. On the occasion of Saparu, Nepalese people celebrate by remembering deceased ones and pay tribute to the departed souls. A cow is regarded as holy by Hindus, who believe it will help the deceased relative's journey towards heaven.  

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#5908288

5 August 2020

A Smiling Kid during the saparu parade at Khokona, Lalitpur, Nepal on August 05, 2020. On the occasion of Saparu, Nepalese people celebrate by remembering deceased ones and pay tribute to the departed souls. A cow is regarded as holy by Hindus, who believe it will help the deceased relative's journey towards heaven.  

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#5908290

5 August 2020

Kids stick the cow poster and participate in the saparu parade at Khokona, Lalitpur, Nepal on August 05, 2020. On the occasion of Saparu, Nepalese people celebrate by remembering deceased ones and pay tribute to the departed souls. A cow is regarded as holy by Hindus, who believe it will help the deceased relative's journey towards heaven. 

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#5908292

5 August 2020

Kids stick the cow poster and participate in the saparu parade at Khokona, Lalitpur, Nepal on August 05, 2020. On the occasion of Saparu, Nepalese people celebrate by remembering deceased ones and pay tribute to the departed souls. A cow is regarded as holy by Hindus, who believe it will help the deceased relative's journey towards heaven. 

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