Bhai Tika Celebration In The UK 2022/ UK मा भाई टिका मनाएको २०७९

How is Tihar Celebrated?
Diwali in Nepal, also called ‘Deepawali’ is more commonly known as ‘Tihar’ among the locals. There are various other names like ‘Yamapanchak’ or ‘Swanti’. ‘Yamapanchak’ translates to the five days of Lord Yama, the God of Death. During this period, people pray to Lord Yama to appease him so that he may judge their virtues and vices fairly after their demise and leads their souls to heaven.
The Nepalese people not only praise Gods and Deities like Shri Laxmi, Lord Yama, Govardhan Mountain, etc. but also honour and worship animals like crows, dogs, cows and oxen with the belief that it will bring happiness, success and good fortune in their lives. These animals are considered as divine gifts from mother nature by the people, and the relationship that they share with them is considered sacred.
The celebration starts almost a month ago when people start cleaning their homes, discarding all the unwanted and broken things and purchasing new clothes. Every family purchases items like clay lamps, rangoli colours and electric lights to decorate their houses with. Also, a variety of delicious snacks and sweets for the occasion.
Diwali in Nepal is celebrated in the whole of Nepal by the Hindus and Buddhists. However, few of the ceremonies that are of the Hindu mythological origin are omitted by the Buddhist people.
Legends of Tihar - Nepal Diwali
There are many tales about the origins of Tihar. The most popular of them all is the story of Lord Yama, the God of Death and his sister the Yamuna.
Lord Yama, the Hindu god of death, is believed to be the one who judges the souls of people after their death. He is the one who decides whether to send their souls to hell or heaven. Once, he was supposed to meet his sister, Yamuna. But he was unable to as he was busy with his work. On the other hand, Yamuna was eagerly waiting to meet her brother. So she sent messages to him, inviting him to come and meet her. As the legend goes, she sent a crow, a dog and then a cow as the messenger. But even then, Lord Yama did not come to see her. Finally, she had decided to go to herself and meet him. This day is observed as the day of Bhai ‘Tika’, the 5th day of Tihar. On this day, it is said that the Yamuna worshipped her brother and blessed him with good fortune. Hence, following the footsteps of Yamuna, the tradition of sisters paying respect to their brothers and praying for their well being was set.
Another story, telling the origins of the Govardhan Puja observed on the 4th Day of Tihar is about Lord Krishna. It is the story of when Gokul village was under the threat of flood and heavy rainfall after being cursed upon by Lord Indra, the God of Rain. To protect the people of his town, Krishna lifted the massive Govardhan Mountain on his tiny little finger and gave shelter to his town’s people and animals. As Govardhan Mountain saved the lives of people of Gokul, they offered a variety of food items to Govardhan Mountain and worshipped him for becoming their saviour.
The Five Day Celebration of Diwali in Nepal
The 5 days of the celebration involves the worshipping of 5 different deities for peace and prosperity. These days are observed as follows:
Day 1: Kag Tihar - Worshipping the Crow
Day 2: Kukur Tihar - Worshipping the Dog
Day 3: Gai Tihar - Worshipping the Cow
Day 4: Goru Tihar - Worshipping the Trio - The Ox, Govardhan Mountain and Oneself
Day 5: Bhai Tika - Celebrating the Love of Brothers and Sisters in Nepal
For the protection of brothers from all evil and to pray for their long lives, Bhai Tika is celebrated. ‘Bhai’ in Nepal means brother. The sisters recite auspicious ‘mantras’ (chants), put a ‘tika’ (red colour mark) on their brother’s forehead and also exchange gifts with them. This day is celebrated in the glory of ‘Yamuna’, the sister of Lord Yama.
During this entire festival, every member of each household are involved in the preparations. Females and young girls of the house prepare various desserts and snacks and decorate the house with rangoli designs and lamps. The older men close their old accounts and start new ones for the new financial year. Gold or silver jewellery is gifted on the eve of Tihar to the beautiful wives by their husbands. Children take joy in bursting crackers. People wear new clothes, eat sweet delicacies like Rasbari, Anarasa, Gulab jamun and Kalakand and exchange gifts and greet each other with lots of good wishes.
Major Attractions During Celebrations of Diwali in Nepal
Celebrating Tihar in Nepal is not only limited to the religious traditional worships. Nepal has to offer many more joyful experiences that can be enjoyed only in the days of Tihar. #india #nepal #uk