Deepawali

Tihar is one of the greatest festivals of Nepal. The Nepali festival Tihar is also known by many names such as Dipawalli or Bhai tika or as a festivals of light. It is celebrated as the symbol of prosperity and love between brothers and sisters. It generally falls in the month of October after 20 days from the Dashain festivals ;the greatest festivals of Nepal, and Tihar is all about worshiping of different animals (cow, Dog, Crow) and worshiping of the Hindu goddess of fortune or wealth goddess Laxmi. During the festivals all the houses in the city and villages are decorated with lit oil Lamps. Thus during the night the entire village or city looks like a sparkling diamond. It's celebrated for five days starting from the thirteenth days of the waning moon in October. We also refer to Tihar as 'Yama panchak' which literally means 'the five days of the underworld lord'. We also worship 'Yamaraj' in different forms in these five days.

There is a story, which tells why this revelry is celebrated so widely: once there was a king who was living his last days of life. His astrologer has told him that a serpent would come and take his life away the king didn't want to die so he has asked the astrologer if there was any way to escape death. The king was advised to sleep with lit oil Lamps all around his  bed and decorate the palace with oil lamps on Laxmi puja day. So goddess Laxmi would talk to the serpent not to take his life. It did happen, the serpent was convinced by goddess Laxmi. The serpent took the king Yamaraj and told him that it was not yet the king's time to come to the underworld. So Yamaraj opened his ledger and in it the kings remaining age was written Zero, but the serpent cleverly put seven before zero. Thus the king lived for seventy more years. So onwards Tihar is widely celebrated worshiping the underworld and goddess Laxmi.

The first day is called kag tihar (The crow-festival). The crow is supposed to be the messenger of Yamaraj (The god of the death). People worshiped and feed the crow on this day.

The secound day is Kukur tihar (The dog-festival). People call dogs and worship them by offering them garlands and feeding them delicious food. 

The third day is called Gai tihar (The cow-festival). The cow is supposed to be the incarnation of Laxmi (The goddess of wealth) People worship cows by giving them gar lance, good foods, e.t.c. In the evening; every house is full of light. Children and young people play with fire-crack. They perform Bhailo by visiting every door; Singing song and collecting money, fruits and sweets. In every house, people make sweets and delicious foods. The streets and all the corners of the houses are decorated with colourful lights and lamps to welcome the goddess laxmi.In this third day of the tihar festival, the entire nation becomes an illumination of lights. Picture and icons of laxmi devi(goddess) are placed and worshiped in a puja room(or place in a living room or a dedicated room for worshiping gods)Puja is performed using flowers, incense , oil lamps, colour-powders, bell and money(both notes and coins). The fourth day is the Ox-festival. Oxen are worshiped and fed good foods.
The fifth day is the most important day; Bhai tika . On this day, sisters give a tika (a colourful mark on the forehead to their brothers and wish them a long life. The royal astrologer gives the appropriate time to put the tika through the national radio, T.v, a day before and the entire nation abides by it.
Deueuray song;-
Bhana nera bhai ho Deusuray
(Say it my brother, say it deusuray)


Sormilai kana Deusuray
(say it louder and say it in tune Deusuray)


Rato mato chiplo bhato Deusuray
(Red mud trail, slippery trail deusuray)


laddai paddai deusuray
(Slipping and sliding deusuray)




Aayeko hami deusuray
( Finally we made it to your home deusuray)
E.T.C.
The most exotic and dazzling festival comes to an end after these five magnificent days of worship and honor to the goddess Laxmi and the underworld kingdom.