'Yama Panchak' begins today, to be observed for six days this year

Mahottari, Oct 18:The joyful festival of light and flowers, 'Yama Panchak', also called Tihar in the Nepali language, has begun today.

Known as 'Deepawali' in the local dialect of the ancient Mithila region, the festival is traditionally celebrated for five days. 

This year, the festival has been extended by one day to six days due to lunar dates overlapping. 

In Mithila tradition, the festival starts today with Dhanteras and ends on Bhaiyadooj that falls on coming Thursday. 

The Yama Panchak, as per the lunar calendar, takes place from Kartik Krishna Trayodashi (13th day of the waning moon in the month of Kartik) to Kartik Shukla Dwitiya (second day of the waxing moon in the month of Kartik) as per the lunar calendar. 

But due to s shift in the lunar calendar this year, it will be celebrated for six days, explained Pandit Mahesh Kumar Jha.

In Mithila tradition, festivals' dates are determined by the traditional calendars called Mithila Panchanga and the Bidhyapati Panchanga. 

Traditionally, Dhateras, the first day of Yama Panchak, is celebrated during the night after the sunset of Kartik Krishna Trayodashi in Nepali month of Kartik as per the lunar calendar, described Jha. 

Such calendars state that the Trayodashi tithi (lunar day) will start at 1:12 PM today and will last through 1:56 PM tomorrow, he added.

According to the Mithila tradition, the first day of Yama Panchak- Dhanteras- is observed today evening after dusk. 

"Since the evening and night of Trayodashi fall on the same day, Dhanteras is being celebrated today," clarified Pandit Jha.

He added, "However, Kaag Puja (crow worship) as a part of Deepawali festival that also falls on Trayodashi tithi should be performed by Sunday midday."

He described that this is because Dhanteras is celebrated in the evening as well as night while Kaag Puja is performed during the daytime. That is why the two festivities are split across two days, he said.

Similarly, the main day of Deepawali or Yama Panchak -Laxmi Puja- will be celebrated on Monday evening this year.

Although sunrise on Monday is in Chaturdashi tithi, the Aausi (no moon day) will begin before 3 PM that day. Therefore, Laxmi Puja will be performed in the evening of the same day, he further said. 

As a part of the Mithila tradition, Dhanteras and Laxmi Puja are typically celebrated in the evening, other celebrations such as Gau Puja (cow worship), Govardan Puja (worship of Govardhan mountain made out of cow dung), and Bhaiyadooj (worship of brother) are celebrated during the day, according to Jha.

This year, during the last Navarattri, a nine-day festival in the Mithila tradition- the Chathurthi tithi spanned two days, effectively extending the celebration to ten days.

Similarly, due to changes in dates in the lunar calendar, Yama Panchak has been extended into a six-day festival this year. 

Yama Panchak, also known as Deepawali in Mithila tradition and Tihar among Nepalis, is celebrated with great enthusiasm across Nepal. (RSS)