Janku

I and my friend were having lunch in a cafe last Friday when an old man entered. That old man seemed to be over sixty and he was a Newar. My friend who was with me also happened to be a Newar. That old man had put on two pairs of earrings and it wasn’t very strange for me as we can see a lot of old men like him. Upon seeing this, my friend asked me if I could guess the old man’s age. I answered, “must be somewhere around 65”. He said no. He said that the old man is above 90. I couldn’t believe him as that old man was walking on his own without any difficulties and was smoking a filter less cigarette. I asked him how you can say that he is above 90 years. He then explained to me that the two pairs of ear rings mean that he has completed two Jankus. I asked him what Janku is. Then he told me everything about Janku.

A Janku is a kind of celebration which is performed when a man or a woman from a Newar tribe gets 77 years old. The first Janku is performed at the age of 77 and it is done after an interval of 7 years from the first Janku. This is a ritual where the old man or woman when reaches 77 years are treated as a new bride or a bridegroom. They organize a big feast where all the relatives and friends are invited. It’s almost like a marriage ceremony. According to the traditional concept, old newar people even think that, if a man or a woman is able to attend a third Janku, then he or she will have black hair growing and teeth as well. However it might not be true but it’s a belief.

So in a newar society in Nepal, Janku is a grand festival. It is a unique celebration and we can see people enjoy this occasion with a lot of joy and enthusiasm.