Asan Tol Project
odd: label: General
content: Local Numbers: HSFA 1989.5.1 - 1b
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Lewis, Todd, 1952-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Todd Lewis films of Asan Tol
physdesc: label: Extent
content: Video recordings (color sound)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1987
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Video recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Full video record is a documentation project of a day in the life of Asan Tol, a central marketplace/bazaar in Kathmandu. This video cassette records part of the Pachare Festival and accompanying devotions to the three goddesses Bhadrakali, Wotuagina, and Kangesvari. During this annual festival troupes of devotees (identified by red, yellow, and blue hats), transform the bazaar into a kind of religious theatre. Devotees enter the square carrying palequins of their goddess and then circumambulate the square. Shots of the dancers and drummer of Bhudrakali and Wotuagina already in place with large heavy umbrellas being twirled above the respective palequins. Offerings of food and flowers from shopkeepers are showered onto the palequins; Indian vendors attempting to make their way through the crowd are stripped of their loads of food which are then showered onto the palequins as offerings (such antisocial behavior suggests the liminality of the occasion); shots showing the entry of the palequin of Kangesvari which enters the square and circumambulates the palequins of the two other goddesses; the passing of torches by from one palequin to another according to a specific ritual protocol; the rapid exit of the devotees and the palequins with an equally sudden transformation of Asan Tol back to a maretplace.

Legacy Keywords: Festivals Panchare Kathmandu (Nepal) ; Bazaar markets ; Streets social interaction in Kathmandu ; Cosmology ritual festival ; Markets Asan Tol Kathmandu ; Dance drumming Pachare Festival Kathmandu ; Ritual devotions puja offerings festival ; Flowers as ritual offerings festival ; Liminality festivals behavior assoc/w ; Umbrellas as ritual objects Pachare Festival Kathmandu ; Crowds bazaars social interaction Kathmandu ; Language and culture

Video camera: Brian Hollander