Essay on Tihar Festival
With the end of the Dashain festival, Tihar is just right around the corner. Tihar is also one of the most awaited festivals that is celebrated yearly. It is a five-day Hindu festival celebrated all over Nepal and also in some states of India. It is known as Swati among Newars and Diwali among the Madhesis and Indian communities. This festival is also called “The Festival of Lights” as lights are the prominent feature of this festival. It falls in the month of Kartik (October to November in the Solar Calendar). This festival has its own unique ways of celebration for each day of the festival is devoted to worshipping different deities and gods.
The first day of Tihar is known as “Kaag Puja”. This day is for the worshipping of crows. According to ancient mythologies, crows are believed to be the messenger of death. And this day is the only day they get to have rest. This is why crows are worshipped this day. To ensure that the crows have a proper rest, people feed crows and worship them lest to prevent any negative news to be informed which would bring a stroke of bad luck.
The second day of Tihar is known as “Kukur Puja.” According to ancient scriptures, it is said that dogs are the “gatekeeper of the underworld” and can sense incoming dangers. Not only they are a man’s best friend, but they are also the protector of houses and properties. On this day, dogs are treated well, fed delicious treats, and worshipped with garland and Tika on their foreheads. Even street dogs are seen with a garland and tika.
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The third day is known as Gai Puja or Laxmi pooja. The name Gai translates to cow and cows are considered to be a reincarnation of goddess Laxmi. Like Kukur puja, cows are worshipped on this day. In the mornings, the cows are worshipped and a garland is put around their necks, with their bodies painted with red colors and sacred threads connected to their tails. Cows are one of the most useful animals to humans. This is why, as a token of thanks, juicy grasses are fed to them on this day.
This day can be considered the most lively out of all other days. People groom their houses, set up decorations with garlands and lights. People also paint small patterns of footprints leading to their rooms from the entrances to invite Goddess Laxmi in. They also use color powders to make beautiful patterns on floors known as rangoli. Laxmi is considered to be the Goddess of fortune or wealth. She is worshipped wishing for one’s success and wealthy life.
Prayers and bell ringing can be heard from almost any house in the evening. This indicates the start of the puja. Diyos and lights are also lit up. Under the night sky, cities and villages look pretty and dazzling. This is why the festival is called the festival of lights. At night, boys and girls come together to sing and dance also known as Deusi Bhailo. They visit from neighborhood to neighborhood, houses to houses, and perform. They also collect some amount of money as a tip. Children and adults too use firecrackers and fireworks for fun.
On the fourth day, people worship different animals or deities according to their norms and cultures. But it is mainly known as Govardhan puja to worship boxes. Oxes are very helpful to farmers in raising crops and hence are worshipped to thank them for their contribution. For people of the Newar community, this day marks the start of a new year and celebrates “Mha puja”. This night is also very lively as Deusi Bhailo is still going on.
The fifth day of Tihar is known as Bhai Tika. As per the mythology, it is believed that on this day, Yamraj, the God of Death, paid a visit to his sister, Goddess Yamuna, who placed the auspicious tika on his forehead, garlanded him, and served him delicious foods. They ate sweets, chatted, and laughed. Yamraj offered the Yamuna a particular present as a symbol of love and Yamuna returned the favor by giving him a wonderful gift that she had crafted with her own hands. Yamraj said on that day that anyone who receives tilak from his sister will never die on that day.
As a result, Bhai tika was born. Sisters prepare gifts for their brothers, while brothers do the same for their sisters. On their brother’s forehead, sisters apply multi-colored tikas (Saptarangi tika). It is to secure their brothers’ long and successful lives. After the exchange of wishes and gifts, everyone observes a feast with delicious meals. The day continues with festivities and family bonding and this brings the end to another lively festival.
People eagerly wait for another Tihar after this. All people celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm. Indulging in alcohol and gambling activities are some bad customs of the festival. People also believe more extravagant means more happiness, this is completely unreal. This is why we must celebrate with what we have and be satisfied. Crackers should also be handled properly and used under the guidance of elders.