What is Tihar ? How Tihar is celebrated in Nepal ?

 

TIHAR- FESTIVAL

INTRODUCTION ;

Tihar is the second largest festival celebrated after the great Hindu festival dashian. It usually takes place in Nepal Kartik month (October to Novembers in Nepali calendar) some times it may takes on mangsirs (December)dashian is the celebration of long 15 days normally celebrating (CROW THAR, DOG TIHAR, LAXMI POOJA, GOVERDHEN POOJA/OXEN POOJA) and finally bhai tihar. 

  Tihar is the festival of lights as every house is decorated with colorful lights pataka is blasted to indicated that tihar has been started.

Celebration of Tihar in Nepal 

Tihar is celebrated grandly after dashian in nepal although all the festivals is celebrated grandly by the concerned religious group of people but the population density of hindu religious people is higher than the other religious people ,so the name of festival (dashian and tihar ) is more popular around the  globe. Saying  this I don't mean other religion people, don't celebrate dashian and tihar they celebrate but they don't take this festival as their major festival. for example the tharu community take (magi Sankranti )as their great festival, buddha religious people take (galbo  Loshar ) as their great festival similarly Muslim group take their (ID) as their great festival and so on.

Tihar - Festival, Decoration Before Bhai - Tika 

TIHAR FESTIVAL AT A GLIMPSE 

Crow /kag tihar  is the first day from where the tihar  begins.    In this day  people sprinkle rice on the the ground for the crows / kaag . The second day is the day for the  honoring / respecting  dog - The guardian for the god of death. The third day is to welcome the goddess Laxmi - The goddess of wealth. The fourth day is to thank oxen(  Govardhan pooja ) and the finally , the fifth day is Tihar ( Bhai Tika ) to make string bond between brothers and sisters. 

Day 1 Kaag Tihar / Crow day

The first day of Tihar is the Kaag Tihar / Crow day. [ Crow - The messenger of Death ]. This day is celebrated through sprinkling rice on the ground for crows. It is believed that birds species are the messenger of information so , this day is especially for making the crows or birds species happy so that they will give good news rather than bad ones. 

Celebration of Crow Tihar 

Day 2 kukur Tihar / Dog Day

Kukur Tiha r / Dog Day is the second day of Tihar festival. On this days, people honor dogs believing that the dog can guarantee the souls of the dead to get heaven. People worship dog putting garland on their neck and offering delicious food to the dogs . Nepal police and peace keeping NGOs also worship the dogs honoring in the aspect of having their contribution on social security.

Celebration of dog Tihar

Day 3 Gai Tihar and Laxmi pooja [ Honoring cow and the goddess of Laxmi ] 

On the third day of Tihar festival , people   worship cows and  goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. This day is also the most important day in the whole festival. People make their home clean and tide. People worship cows after a cozy bath of cows , cows are worshiped through offering garland and delicious food .

When the light falls, dazzling candles, oil lamp and bright lights are lit up at the door, steps, even on the roof. All the Nepalese make their home luminous to attract Laxmi attention. During this days Deusi- Bhailo is played on the neighbor's house and also on others community and area.  After playing Deusi- Bhailo on others house, in return  the house owner give them money, food and others gifts.

Celebration of Laxmi Goddess on Laxmi pooja

Day 4 Goru Puja [ Govardhan pooja and Maha - pooja , Celebrating Newar's Newyear ]

Aa oxen is an indispensable helper for the farmer, people will prefer Goru pooja for oxen on fourth day of Tihar festival. Considered the representative of Govardhan  mountain cow dung is worshipped in the Govardhan Puja. In addition , this day is also seen as the beginning of the new year for Newar's community in the Kathmandu valley. All the Newar's will reunite for this festival and prefer maha pooja to  worship themselves.

On this day, the elder fathe would draw the geometric figures, one is painted for blessing the whole family and the other is dedicated to death of Yama and his messenger then all the members will have a special family feast and enjoy some delicious food after the great banquet of Yama a panchale and exchange their gifts with each other to pray good luck in the next year.

  

Day 5 Bhai Tika performing Kija puja

The last day of Tihar is known as Bhai Tika. On this day, brothers and sisters will gather  together and accept Tihar Quotes on their  foreheads. After placing the multi colored Tika and Garland on the neck , the sister would offer some shsgun (a kind of candy) as tihar gift then brother would follow the same ritual to pur tika on their  sisters forehead and gives some money in return. This celebration enhanced relation ship between brother and sister to make it more close and strong.

Celebration of Bhai Tika 

In this way , The five days long Tihar festival comes to end.

Generally speaking, Nepalese  celebrate  eleven great festivals from mid-October to mid-November. Tihar comes soon after Dashain.  However Dashain and Tihar is not a same festival but after Dashain Tihar festival comes soon and both are regarded as the Nepal's Hindu religion people great festival so the name of Dashain and Tihar is spoken together and simultaneously but both are two different and unique festival celebrated differently in Nepal.

Note ; Don't forget to  add your experience on comment box.  Please follow us to  get information on culture, festival and way of living on nepal.