Festival Of Light And Sibling Bonding

Tihar is a five-day Hindu festival celebrated joyously by Nepali communities globally. Also known as Deepawali, a festival of lights, Tihar is one of the most awaited festivals of Nepal and is the second longest festival after Dashain. The first day of Tihar is Kaag Tihar on which people worship crows and offer them foods conveniently placed on rooftops. Crows are thought to be messenger of the God of death, the fearsome Yamaraj. It is believed that worshipping of crows brings good luck. The second day of Tihar is Kukur Tihar during which people offer tika, garlands and foods to dogs.

 The third day of Tihar is Gai Tihar and Laxmi puja. On the morning of Gai Tihar, people worship cows which are considered sacred animals in Hindu religion. Cows are worshipped with tika and garlands along with offerings such as fodder. In the evening, the Goddess of wealth, Laxmi is worshipped during which people light diyos or candles around their houses so that Goddess Laxmi can bless their homes with good luck, fortune and prosperity. The fourth day of Tihar is Govardhan Puja in which Govardhan parvat is worshipped. On the night of Govardhan Puja, the Newari community performs Mha Puja which is the worship of self.  

The fifth day of Tihar is Bhai Tika which celebrates auspicious bond between brothers and sisters. According to the Hindu mythology, Yamaraj visited his sister Goddess Yamuna and she adorned his forehead with tika and offered him garlands and delicious dishes. This led to the tradition of celebrating Bhai Tika as an expression of affection between brothers and sisters. On Bhai Tika, sisters adorn their brothers' forehead with tikas of seven colours and offer garlands and delicious foods. Brothers in turn put tika on their sisters and offer them gifts. Additionally, in Terai, Tihar is followed by Chatt Parva in which the Sun God is worshipped over the rising and setting sun. 

Tihar is rich in traditions which are observed with certain meaningful rituals. Youngsters play bhailo and deusi from the third and fourth day respectively on Tihar. They are ceremonies in which groups of boys and girls visit their neighbourhood and perform traditional songs and dances. Homeowners in return offer these singers and dancers money along with sel rotis which are made with rice flour and sugar. People decorate their houses with marigold flowers. They adorn front door steps with rangolis made out of vibrantly coloured rice flour. Likewise, cards games are played in a spirit of joviality.

 In the evenings of Tihar, lights in the form of candles, diyos or electric bulbs are decorated on homes to welcome Goddess Laxmi. However, fireworks have been banned in Nepal these past few years keeping in view the risks of sound pollution and unanticipated accidents. Tihar is synonymous with bright lights that illuminate the whole community at nights in an atmosphere of festivity. 

In Hindu religion, light is an essential part of worship. It signals the victory of good over evil, thus, before every religious pujas Hindus light diyos. It is said that it invites the deities such as Goddess Laxmi into the homes of devotees blessing them with good fortune. In conclusion, one can say that Tihar is a symbol of light over darkness. Happy Tihar!