Ehee Ceremony

Locals from Madhyapur Thimi jointly celebrating the Ehee Ceremony (Bel Bibah) at Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur.
Ihi or Ehee is a Newari tradition where girls are symbolically married to Suvarna Kumar, representing Vishnu. Its purpose is to ensure fertility and well-being. If the girl’s future husband passes away, she is not considered a widow as she is already married to Vishnu. This tradition was created to avoid the practice of “Sati Pratha,” where widows were expected to self-immolate.

Bel Bibaha is often mistakenly associated with Ihi, but in reality, girls are married to the golden statue of Vishnu, not a wood apple (bel). The bel fruit is presented as a witness due to its unique quality of remaining fresh indefinitely, symbolizing divinity.