Celebrating 77 Years, 7 Months, and 7 Days: When triple sevens converge and blessings multiply through the Bhimaratha ceremony. 👫 The Newars are the indigenous people of the Kathmandu Valley, which from the 14th to the mid-18th century was the kingdom of Nepal. The Newars not only celebrate the divine but also rites of passage (samskara) as central to their socioreligious tradition of the self as a sacred being. These ceremonies express and honor the importance of major life milestones, including birth, weaning, and coming of age. Bhimaratha, the old age ceremony, is celebrated when a Newar individual or married couple reaches 77 years of age. This ritual transforms them from simple beings into divine elders. The elevation in their status is marked by a series of old age rituals called “jyatha janko”, or celebration of old age. These occasions are considered powerfully auspicious in bringing longevity and removing negativities. Scholar of Nepali art and culture, Swosti Rajbhandari...