Celebrating Tihar

Every single festival in Nepal has got its own religious importance. Like Dashain is regarded as the day when Goddess Durga achieved victory over the demon and similarly Krishna Janmastami as the day when God Krishna took birth on the earth. The approaching festival, Tihar has got its own significance, as it was regarded as the festival when Yama came to earth and his sister kept him for entire five days. Generally, the brother sister relation is understood by this festival, however, we do have other four days for various meanings and having different set of indications.

But have we ever tried to figure out that there exists various scientific reasons for them equally. These festivals are all designed by our ancestor and we all accept this fact. What can probably be the way they designed our festival? What can be the probable logical reason behind this?  I seriously have no idea who was the founder and who should be granted to all these credits, but all I know that each festival teaches us to be positive in life. Tihar, the day Bhai Tika is not just celebrated because Yama came to earth to his sister, but because it manages to bring the relation of brother and sister fresh and living one. The distance gets strong after marriage for any sister, but the day comes as the greatest excuse to bring brother and sister together and share time. Would there be any day as such for brother and sister if this day was not propounded by our ancestors? When would brother and sister get to sit and talk? It is the time, when neither brother in law, nor sister in law would be there. All the world will be with their respective brothers and sisters!

Again, we have four other days that comes before the exact day of Bhai Tika. On the very first day, crow is worshipped. Does anyone regard Crow as God? But this day we give huge respect to this creature, which indirectly shapes our mind that there are lots of things to be learnt from crow. Union in privacy, boldness, storing away useful items, watchfulness and not easily trusting others is the specialties of
crow. And they give moral to any human life. It is the day, when we respect the creature, that we give damn at other times of the year. Again the day when Dog is worshipped, although at various other days we use the word 'kukkur' as the means of scolding word, on this day we give priority to dog. There are things to be learnt from this creature as well, waking up at any time when needed, devotion towards the master, bravery are the basic things to be learnt from dog. Dog has always been friend of human beigs from very past, they are friends and trustworthy creature because of their honesty and dedication towards human beings. Goverdhan Puja, when we worship dung signifies that useless things like dung equally have got priority in our daily life style. It teaches us, that there is normal process in everything. We even wipe our houses with dung, as the sign of purity?

Worshipping cow is next important feature out of these five days. Cow teaches us sharing behavior. So despite these important features, it over all explains we need not to be cruel to animals. It is the only day, we show our gratitude to our national animal. Laxmi Pooja on the other hand is the day when we worship our wealth. This is the day, when we bring out our property and worship them. Everything we do, we do it for wealth and health. We need not to do so huge for health, but due to the greed, our dedication towards wealth is unlimited. On this very day, we pray to the Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi, and worship wealth. We have to feel guilty, if the wealth is collected through illegal and unfair ways.

Despite the fact, we curse dogs, we throw stones at crows, take away milks from cow, and they are still good to us. So the festival teaches us to have the power of tolerance. This festival has been teaching us that human beings are not the only creature living in this world, there are other creatures who have been living their lives like humans as well. They all play important role, and have their own world. Human beings are supposed to be the most creative and smart creature out of every other creatures. But, are we good to others? What harm has the crow done to us? Why do we throw stones at them? Dog has never been selfish, and has been obeying what we human beings say them to. What have we human species ever done to dogs?

It is high time we now need to analyze why we are celebrating the festival apart from religious thought. May the festival bring entire happiness to you and your family. Happy Tihar!

Published in The Rising Nepal, Friday Supplement of 2013 Oct 25