Mha Puja
म्ह पूजा
November 10, 2026 · Kartik 24, 2083 BS
Kathmandu Valley (Newar communities)
Plan a trip around Mha PujaHistory & origin
Rooted in Newar Tantric and Buddhist-Hindu syncretic practice, Mha Puja treats the self as worthy of the same ritual reverence given to a deity — an unusual emphasis within South Asian religious practice, reflecting the Kathmandu Valley's distinct Newar cosmology.
How it’s celebrated
Family members sit in a row on a mandala drawn on the floor, and an elder (traditionally the family matriarch) performs a puja on each person in turn, drawing a mandala around them, applying tika and offering food — the ritual is understood as worshipping the divine light within each individual.
Tips for visitors
A private, home-based Newar ritual rather than a public spectacle — worth knowing about as one of the more philosophically distinctive traditions in the Kathmandu Valley's festival calendar.
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