Tihar is the five days celebration in Yama Panchak.
Tihar is the most celebrated festival
after Dashain in Nepal. It is a five-day festival celebrated in late
autumn. It has its unique ways of celebration.
The Five days of Tihar
Kaag Tihar - Crow Pooja
Kukur Tihar - Dog Pooja
Gai Tihar or Laxmi Pooja – Cow or Goddess of Wealth Pooja
Goru Tihar, Govardhan Pooja, Maha Puja, (Aatma pooja) – Ox Pooja
Bhai Tika, Bhai Dooj - Bother and Sister Pooja
First day - Kag Tihar (Crow Puja)
On the first day of Tihar, crows are
worshiped and fed early in the morning. People leave different food
items outside for crows to eat. So like other people we also left food outside for crow to eat and inorder to worship it.
Second day - Kukur Tihar
The second day of tihar is dedicated to
the most loyal friend of mankind. Kukur, the dog, Puja is done by
putting a red tika on dog’s forehead and flower garland around the neck
offering him foods and sel roti.On the second day we did pooja of a dog by putting red tika and offering it food.
Third day – Gai (cow) Puja and Laxmi Puja
On the third the afternoon cow are worshipped in the morning. In the afternoon we clean our houses, paint floors with Red Mud (Rato Mato) and cow dung (gobar). So we at first in the morning worshipprd the cow and in the afternoon we cleaned our house and started painting the floor with red mud , made rangolies and decorated oyr house with lights.
Fourth day – Goru Tihar
On Govardhan puja Goru Tihar, three
different Kinds of puja are performed. We perform Goru Puja, or worship
Oxen. We also perform Govardhan Puja, which is done by making a hill of
govardhan parbat using Cow dung. Cow dung has big importance in Hindu
culture. In the old days it was used for everything from light at night
(Methane) to polish mud floors of traditional houses. Still now no Puja
is complete without cow dung in Nepali Hindu culture.
Fifth Day: Bhai Tika or Bhai Duj
The fifth and last day of Tihar is Bhai
Tika. This day sisters put “Tika of five colours” Paanch Rangi Tika -
Yellow, green, red, blue and white on forehead of her brothers, to
ensure long life and pray to Yamraja for her brother’s long life and
prosperity. So in the afternoon me ,my brother's and sister were gathered in my mamaghar. our sister following all customs she did the pooja and she put tika of five color to all brother's.Then she gave us Bhai masala and a pair of clothes we also offered her money.Then after completing Bhai tika we had meal together.
