Tihar is one of the biggest festivals that come after the fortnight of Dashain. This festival is celebrated on the day of Kartik Krishna Paksha Triodashi by the name of Kaag Tihar and is celebrated till Bhaitika (five days) on the second day of Kartik Shukla Paksha. Hindus celebrate this festival with pomp and circumstance as Diwali. It is also known as Dipawali and Diwali. The five-day festival is associated with Hindu mythology.
It is mentioned in Hindu scriptures that these five days are considered as Yamapanchak as Surya's son Yamaraj accepted the invitation of his sister Yamuna and went to her house to celebrate. While living like this, Yamraj was very pleased with Yamuna's behavior, and Yamraj told his sister Yamuna to "ask for whatever you like"; Yamuna asked: "Every year on this day, you should come to see me, and may the love of brothers and sisters be everlasting and may the life and fame of brothers and sisters always increase."
Yamaraj also said goodbye to his sister with the gift of everlasting prosperity and fame of those who make him worship the brotherhood in this way with intention, promise, karma and sincerity; And thus from ancient times till now this festival has been considered as an uninterrupted tradition.
The festival, on the one hand, paints a picture of the deep connection between humans and animals; On the other hand, it also highlights the intimate and sacred love and relationship between brothers and sisters.
Social significance of Tihar:
Tihar also has a cultural aspect. India and Nepal are agricultural countries. When it is time for farmers to grow golden crops in their fields and bring home grain-like wealth, there is no limit to their happiness and enthusiasm. On this happy occasion, they worship to express their gratitude for God's grace. Different forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped in both the first Dashain and the fifteenth day of Tihar. It is also believed that the worship of Goddess Lakshmi was done with the intention of bringing more food to the house. In many countries of South Asia, especially in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma, this festival is celebrated in different ways.
Tihar in Nepal:
Tihar is one of the biggest festivals of Nepalis and especially Nepali Hindus. According to the Nepali Hindu calendar, Kartik Krishna Paksha is celebrated on the day of Triodashi under the name of Kaag Tihar and is celebrated for a total of five days till the second date of Kartik Shukla Paksha. Since the Hindu lunar month falls according to the date of the calendar calculation, Nepali festivals do not fall on a specific date and time, so Tihar also falls at the beginning of October or November according to the English or Gregorian calendar.
1. Kag Tihar:
Kagpuja is performed on the day of Kartik Krishna Triodashi. The crow is a very clever bird. The crow is an omnivorous creature. There are various reasons for worshiping it. If the crow looks at everyone with the same eyes, it will eat the insects and grasshoppers in the crop. The crow is also considered to be the messenger of Yamaraj's message. Kaag is also a very dear devotee of Yamaraj. Similarly, various words like kakagveshana, kakanyaya, kakabali etc. prevalent in our society are associated with kag.
2. Kukur Tihar:
Kukur Tihar is celebrated on the second day of Yamapanchaka, i.e. on the day of Kartik Krishna Chaturdashi, in connection with which there have been various religious and social beliefs. This day is also called Narak Chaturdashi. Dogs are also considered as messengers. The dog is another favorite of Yamaraj. Dogs are not only considered to be obedient and protective, but also to find and study the perpetrators of various crimes. Dogs have been helping people by taking care of their homes and protecting them from thieves. In the same way, it also gives advance warning in case of any natural calamity or divine calamity. The dog is also called Bhairav's vehicle. So in Kukur Tihar we worship the dog's favorite food and put garlands on it.
3. Gai Tihar and Lakshmi Pooja:
Before performing any religious or social rites, the Hindus have a custom of covering the house and yard with cow dung, scattering cow's wheat all over and sanctifying their houses and rooms. Cows are considered as livestock. The Hindus consider the cow to be a form of Lakshmi and Gaumata. The words Gaijatra, Gaipala, Gaiprani, Gauprani etc. provide various symbolic meanings based on cows. Lakshmi is considered to be the goddess of blessings and the symbol of prosperity. The night of Kartik Krishna Aunsi is considered as a very dark night. In this darkness, the work of illuminating the night with the light of light is called Bali Lakshmi in every house. It also conveys the message that any kind of darkness should be removed by the light of the consciousness inherent in oneself.
The cow is considered a symbol of Lakshmi and Lakshmi is worshiped on the same day. Whether it is the celebration of Diwali by the people of Ayodhya in celebration of Lord Ramachandra's ascension to the throne as the king of Ayodhya on the day of Kartik Krishna Aunsi after the destruction of various demons by Ravana in the spirit of public welfare. In any case, the fact that this day is very important is clear. It is our religious tradition to specially worship and adore Mother Lakshmi on the day of Kartik Krishna Aunsi with the desire of increase in wealth and prosperity and then to use the offerings of Lakshmi to mark the swastika on one's drawers, safe, store etc.
On Diwali, the girls enjoy playing ball on the day of enlightenment in the dark, that is, from darkness to light. It is one of the major festivals of Nepal. According to the date, this festival is celebrated on the day of Kartik Krishna Amavasya. In Nepal, this festival is celebrated all over the house by worshiping Goddess Lakshmi. In Nepal, it is celebrated as a part of Yamapanchak. Of the four important nights of the year, the night of Lakshmi Puja is called Sukharatri. On this day, it is customary for women, especially virgins, to go from house to house and play ball.
Interesting facts related to this day:
Birthday of the Great Poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota: He was born in Dhobidhara, Kathmandu on the day of Gai Tihare Aunsi Laxmi Puja on the 27th of Kartik, 1966 BS. He is named as Laxmi Prasad Devkota. Another animal worshiped in Tihar is the bull. People have been using cattle for plowing fields and driving carts. An ox can walk longer than a horse. It has been used by people as it carries a lot of goods even in adverse weather. In our own country, bullock carts are used in some remote places in the Terai.
On the fourth day of Tihar, Govardhan mountain is worshiped.
Bhaili and Deusi:
The people of Ayodhya celebrated the arrival of their beloved King Ram. The people of Ayodhya lit ghee lamps to welcome Shri Ram. That night of the thick black moon of Kartikmas was illuminated by the light of the lamps. People walked from house to house, from street to street, shouting, "Lord Rama, which means: Our Rama is a deity." It is believed that Deusiri became Rama, Deusire, Deusi, distorted by Dev Shri Ram. Following the same tradition, Nepalis still play deusi. The team that plays deusi is called deuse and one of them is called deusire and the other is called deusire.
There is another story after Deusi, which is as follows:
It is said that a king called Bali ruled the earth, he was very generous, he did not eat anything without giving alms every day.
The glory of this virtue shook the people of heaven and the gods prayed to Lord Vishnu in which Vishnu promised to suppress the sacrifice and go to hell. Then Vishnu, disguised as a dwarf, went there and begged for a donation of three feet of land, in which the victim thought, What could have happened was that the form of the dwarf became huge and one foot covered the whole earth and the other foot covered the sky and then the third foot filled the land.
And, he patted his thaplo, floated the sacrifice with Vishnu's feet on the thaplo and went to hell. It is said that a lamp was lit to welcome the sacrifice. Deusi Bhatyaune says that the deusis were not ready to come to the sacrifice king and they were sent by the deusi. The females also sing the sacrificial song in a distorted way to welcome the sacrifice, playing bhali all night long.
4. Goru Tihar:
Goru Tihar, Hal Tihar or Govardhan Puja is celebrated on the fourth day. According to mythology, Govardhana is a mountain near Gokul. According to belief, Lord Krishna lived with the Gopals in Gokul. The Gopals used to worship Indra, the king of the gods, but they did not get anything from Indra. Krishna says that it is better to worship Govardhana mountain which gives minerals, grass, water and firewood than to worship Indra who will not give anything to the people of Gokul one day and everyone agrees to do so and Govardhana mountain is worshiped. Angered by worshiping Govardhana mountain instead of himself, Indra rains hail and water on Gokul and Lord Krishna raises Govardhana mountain by hand to give shelter to all the people of Gokul and finally apologizes to Krishna for his defeat. It is said that Govardhana worship started from that time.
In Sanskrit, Gau means cow. So Govardhan, Gokul, Gopal, these words explain the respect given to cows in the society of that time. In fact, Govardhana Puja is celebrated on the fourth day of Tihar (Yam Panchak). On that day, cow dung is made into an idol of Govardhan mountain and worshiped in every house. On the same day, Nepalis also worship the oxen, which are used by the people to grow food grains throughout the year.
5. Bhai Tihar (Bhai Tika):
This festival is celebrated with special enthusiasm on the last day of the festival i.e. Kartik Shukla Dwitiya. In this festival, it is customary for the sister to worship the brother and the sister to the brother, and the brother to the sister and the brother to worship the sister in a special way (respectfully, to feed her favorite food, sweets, etc.) It is believed that Yamaraj stays in Yamuna's house for five days of Yamapanchak. There is also a story that Indradi Dash Dikpal left his kingdom for the sacrifice king for these five days. Worship of Kalash and Ganesha, invocation of Yamaraj, use of bimiro, okhar, oil, velvet garland, duboka tika, katus, etc., implies the wish of happiness (prosperity, health and longevity) of one's sisters and brothers.
Bhaitika's Legend In ancient times, the king of death, Yamaraj, came to visit his sister Yamuna. Yamraj lived in Yamlok while Yamuna lived on earth. So Yamuna invited him to meet Yamaraj. It was raining at that time. Where did Yamuna stay for five years? On Bhaitika's day, Yamuna worshiped her brother and gave him gifts and received blessings from him. It is said that Bhaitika started from that time.
Bhaitika is seen as a way to meet brothers who have not met for a long time, to get rid of the tension in the relationship and to make the relationship more lasting. On the fifth day of Yamapanchaka, Bhaitika falls. It is customary for sisters to give betel leaves (betel nuts, flowers, etc.) to their brothers and sisters on the eve of Bhaitika's invitation. Okhar, mustard oil, Bimira, spices, velvet, dubo and centipede garlands, bread, sweets (sweet dishes are required. First of all, Bimara is worshiped by worshiping Diyo, Kalash and Ganesha. The path of time should be blocked.
Water and oil should block the seven sieges. Flowers, inviolability, sandalwood and lava should be worshiped and oil should be applied on the head of the brother. Yogurt should be given as a sign. The velvet, centipede and dubo garlands worn by the brothers on Bhaitika's day have a special significance. Velvet never fades, the color of centipede never fades and the dubo always stays green. Sisters wish their brothers success, health, and longevity. Peace is showered when emotions are mixed in the rainbow vaccine. It is believed that love for one's brother is as deep and healthy as color. The sisters give the brothers a Dhaka hat. It prolongs life and reflects nationality. Gifts are exchanged after vaccination. Those who do not have brothers or sisters worship at the temple at Rani Pokhari.
Saptarangi Tika:
Tika is very important in Hinduism. Tika is usually worn in red or yellow. Tika is applied on the forehead. Tihar vaccine comes in seven colors, yellow, blue, orange, white, green, red and black. These seven colored Tikas are called Saptarangi. Satrangi Tika is applied in a straight line on the forehead. It can also be used to make three colors at home. The green color is prepared by drinking green grass, the white color is obtained by drinking rice and the black color is obtained from coal or the soot of the lamp.
Diwali in India:
Tihar is also known as Diwali in India. Diwali is not a one-day festival but a group of festivals. After ten, Diwali is prepared. Dhanteras is celebrated on Triodashi two days before Diwali. On this day, the markets are crowded with people from all over. Crowds can be seen in the crockery shops and decoration shops.
It is considered auspicious to buy utensils on the day of Dhanteras so every family buys something according to their needs. On this day, a lamp is lit on the door of the house. The next day Narak Chaturdashi or little Diwali is celebrated. On this day, lamps are lit for Yama Puja. Diwali is celebrated the next day. On this day, various dishes are prepared in the houses since morning. Khil-batasha, sweets, khandak toys, idols of Lakshmi-Ganesh etc. are sold in the market. Fireworks shops are decorated in some places. Early in the morning, people go to the homes of relatives, friends and acquaintances to distribute sweets and gifts.
Lakshmi and Ganesh are worshiped on the evening of Diwali. After worship, people light lamps and candles outside their homes. The view from all sides is breathtaking because of the lighted lamps all around. Colorful electric bulbs light up markets and streets. The boys and girls are also very happy to see the scene of cracking and dripping. By midnight, the dark night of Kartik is brighter than the full moon.
The next day people decorate Gai-Goru [Cow-Ox] and worship Govardhana by making a mountain of dung. The next day, his brother's Tihar is celebrated. The day after Diwali, traders change their old ledgers. They worship Lakshmi in the shop. It is believed that by doing so, the goddess of wealth Lakshmi will have special mercy on them. This festival has a special significance for the peasantry. Farmers' fields are enriched by the preparation of kharif crop. Farmers celebrate this festival of prosperity with joy.
