Mha Puja, is unique festival to the Newar

Newar

The Newa , Newār or Newāl) are the indigenous people and the creators of the historical civilization of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The valley and surrounding territory have been known from ancient times as Nepal Mandala, its limits ever changing through history.Newas have lived in the Kathmandu...

 people of Nepal

Nepal

Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

. The newars believe that one needs to understand and respect oneself before he/she can understand others. Mha puja is purification, strengthening and understanding to oneself. Mha puja carries all the grandeur that a typical Newa festival or ritual possesses. It is also distinct from other Hindu or Buddhist worships in that it is the worship of oneself and not the usual worship of Gods and Goddesses or others. Mha puja exposes the relationship of a person with the surrounding nature and the cosmos.