Buffalo Picture is Back - Not for the Faint of Heart

C

Craig Gottlieb

Joined
Mar 8, 1999
Messages
1,760
Some of you haven't seen this picture before, so I thought I'd post it. Here's the picture:

deadox.jpg


Nepal religious tradition tells the story of the Goddess Durga's victory over the form-changing demon, Maheshasur. During the battle, this demon changes into several different animals. Durga slays Maheshasur when the demon is in the form of a water-buffalo.

During the Dassein festival, a waterbuffalo is sacrificed in honor of this event. The khukuri used during the sacrifice, or Maar is usually the "Buffalo Head" that we sometimes carry in stock. The aim is to accomplish the beheading with one blow. The Dassein festival is a very important festival for the Gurkhas, with the morale of the troops for the next year tied to how well the sacrifice to the Devi goes off.

Just thought you'd all appreciate this. Today, I sold my only Buffalo Head (it was special ordered) and I had forgotten just how heavy it was. You don't need to add much strength to the gravity and inertia in order to pull something like that pictured above off. It's HUGE!




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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Indeed not for the faint of heart, but impressive, nevertheless! Craig, any idea how the guy who does the chopping is selected? Is he of some particualar status within the community? And what if he doesn't accomplish the task with a single blow -- is he banned?

Just thought I'd ask.
 
Steven: Well, from what I'm told, nowadays, they select a big gurkha and a little buffalo to ensure that everything "comes off" without a hitch.

Shrike: That's a darn good question. Let me ask and get back to you on that one. I know of no prohibition against buffalo eating (cows yes, buffalos - no). But I will forward your question to Lalit.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
That looks rather messy and probably smelly. From the mess on the ground it looks like more than one stroke was required or this is not the first animal.

There seems to be a circle of blood around the animal in the picture? Does this have any signifigance?

Will
 
As for the significance of the circle of blood, I have no clue. I do know that the photo depicts the first and only swing, as the point of the ceremony is to do the job in one swing. I'd guess that the fateful spot was previously occupied by other waterbuffalo.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Hi everybody! Thought I'd jump in here and put in my two-bit worth. Now, this is based only on what I've seen as a kid growing up around the Gorkhas, Indian Army.

The blood all around the post is because of the several other "Maar" or sacrifice (actually Maar translates more correctly as Kill) that precedes the "main event", the beheading of the "Rango" or male water-buffalo. Usually in a Gorkha battalion several chickens are beheaded, followed by a goat for each Company (there are usually 5-6 companies in each battalion), which is beheaded by someone selected from that Company. Then the buffalo is led out and someone selected carefully from within the battalion takes care of the business.

Now as for the circle-of-blood, that's because after each kill, the body is customarily dragged around the post before being carted away. The heads are taken to the Devi's shrine which faces the post and placed in a row at the front with a burning coal from the ceremonial-fire placed on each neck.

Yup! It can be a pretty gory sight for the uninitiated! The smell of blood intermingled with that of incense and what not is quite something.

As for the animals, the goats and chickens end up in the cooking-pot for the celebrations that follows. As for the buffalo, the Gorkhas themselves don't eat it, but it is given to the "lower-caste" sweepers, washermen, etc. that is assigned to each battalion.

Hope that answers some questions.

- Sonam
 
Sonam,

I was secretly hoping you would see this thread and lend your expertise in the matter to the forum. Guys: Sonam has many stories to tell, and has seen a lot growing up where he did.

Sonam: thanks for your input. You are a pleasure to read!

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Thanks for the kind words, Craig! I don't know about "expertise" though, I'm just relating whatever I remember from my time as an army-brat, and memories being what they are, some of it might be a distorted view.

Steven F, I personally haven't seen what happens to the poor fellow who isn't able to make the Maar in one clean cut, but I daresay he won't exactly be the most popular person going around
wink.gif
Folks don't want to take a chance in "angering the Devi" so they carefully choose a seasoned hand who can be depended upon not to mess things up.

John Masters in his wonderful book, "Bugles and a Tiger" describes one such incident that took place in his unit (2/4 GR) before WW11. A fellow from another company isn't able to make the cut in one shot (I gather back in those days each company sacrificed a buffalo in addition to the battalion buffalo) and his angry mates pounce on him, smear his face with blood and gore, etc.

This is overall one of the best memoirs I've ever read. I remember reading it as a teen, looking around me and thinking Wow! things haven't changed much since the author's days. Masters is regarded as "one of our own" by the Gorkha Regiments, and is practically a required reading for all subalterns joining "The Brigade".

- Sonam
 
I've read about the beheading ceremony in "The Gurkhas" by Farwell. If the Gorkha fails to make a clean cut, he flees for cover, pursued by irate soldiers who smear blood on him.

Bob
 
Years ago I sent a doctor to Nepal to "find himself". After being there several months he returned and related me several JD bottles worth of stories. One of them was about his guides inability to cleanly behead the ox. It broke loose and ran away. The chopper was last seen in hot pursuit. The rest of his nepalese porters fled in the other direction. Never to be seen again. He had to hoof it to another villiage and hire new porters for his truk. I do not know the truth of all this but I have not caught him in a lie yet.

Cheers,

ts

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Guns are for show. Knifes are for Pros.
 
GTKGUY,

Thanks for the details. Was John Masters with the Gurkha's in Burma. I recall seeing his name mentioned in Mike Calvet's book.

Will
 
Sonam, thanks for the enlightenment. We're fortunate to have someone who can share firsthand observations and experiences.
 
Will, yes, that was the same John Masters. He was commissioned in the 2/4 Prince of Wales' Own Gurkha Rifles in the 30s, saw action in India's notorious Northwest Frontier before the War, in Iraq and Syria during the early part of the War, commanded a brigade of Chindits in 1944 (if I remember correctly, I think it was 111 Bde., Calvert commanded 77 Bde.), was CO 3/4 GR after that operation, and ended the War with the 19th Indian Division in Burma. Incidentally, Joe Lentaigne, who took command of the Chindits after Wingate got killed, was ex-4th Gurkhas himself.

After the war Masters moved to the US and became an author. His books include his above-mentioned memoir, "Bugles and a Tiger" which, I think, gives us an excellent glimpse of life in a pre-war Gurkha battalion, as well as the larger British-Indian Army. His second memoir, "Road Past Mandalay" is about his wartime experience, most highly recommended! His fiction includes, "The Ravi Lancers" about an Indian cavalry regiment in WW1, "Nightrunners of Bengal" about the Indian Mutiny, "Lotus and the Wind" about the Great Game (the main character of this novel is an officer in the Gurkhas), etc. Sadly, I think most of these books are out of print and can only be found in used bookstores, bibliofind, etc.

As you can see, I love his books! I also loved reading Mike Calvert's book! And yes, Farwell's "Gurkhas" is great too. E.D. Smith's recent book "Valour, a history of the Gurkhas" has a photo of a CO congratulating the person who just did a successful Maar.

- Sonam

[This message has been edited by gtkguy (edited 22 November 1999).]
 
Sonam: thanks for the info again! You know, even though I have all of those books listed on my website, I haven't had the time to read even one - again, very embarrassed. Speaking of that: Forumites - there's no special savings here, but you can visit my website (the books page) and link through to Amazon.com to the books Sonam mentioned, plus some more. I get a few cents for each book ordered through my website, but it's not much. I put the list there for convenience if anybody needs them.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
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