Tihar 2022 Date in Nepali Calendar: From Rituals to Significance, Know About The Five Days of Yama Panchak Festival Celebrated As Diwali in Nepal & North East India
Tihar Festival in Nepal, also known as Deepawali and Yamapanchak, is a five-day-long festival celebrated mainly by Hindus, especially in East Indian states. The Tihar Festival is held to celebrate and thank the contributions of the Gods, animals and plants. Scroll down to keep reading.
Do you know about any festival synonymous with Deepawali? When some Hindus commence the Festival of Lights with Dhateras, people in Nepal and other Indian states like Darjeeling, parts of Sikkim, Kalimpong and a few regions of West Bengal commence the occasion as Tihar. The holy observance is also commemorated for five days in these regions, marked from the twelfth day of Kartik Krishna Paksha to the second day of Kartik Shukla Paksha as per the traditional Hindu calendar based on the Purnima system. It is also known as Yama Panchak or Deepavali. During Tihar, people not only pay reverence to Hindu Gods but also to animals and plants. Tihar 2022 will commence on Saturday, 22 October and end on Thursday, 27 October. Advance Diwali 2022 Wishes and HD Images: Share WhatsApp Messages, Greetings, Wallpapers, Quotes and SMS To Celebrate the Five-Day Festival of Lights.
Tihar: Significance Of All Five Days Of The Festival
Day 1: Kag Parva Or Kaag Tihar
The first day of Tihar is dedicated to crows and ravens who are believed to be the messengers of the death God, Yama. These birds are offered grains, seeds, and sweets to appease them and ward off death for the coming year.
Day 2: Kukur Tihar
The second day of Tihar festivities is devoted to performing pooja of dogs who share a special relationship with humans. Whether pets or street, all the canines are offered treats and worshipped by placing a vermillion tika on their forehead and garlands of marigolds around their necks.
Day 3: Gai Tihar And Lakshmi Puja
On the third day of Tihar, Nepali Hindu people worship cows, the Vahana of the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, Devi Lakshmi. This date is marked as Diwali Day, when folks welcome Maa Laxmi by decorating homes with garlands and Diyos.
Day 4: Bahar Puja And Mha Puja
The fourth day of the Tihar also generally coincides with the first day of the Nepal Sambat calendar. Thus, it is observed as Mha Puja by the Newar community, which commemorates their New Year. The date is also called Goru puja when folks worship and offer prayers to the ox.
Day 5: Bhai Tika
The fifth and last day of the festival is dedicated to the strong and unconditional relationship between brothers and sisters. This festival is known as Bhai Tika.
The festival has distinct essential differences compared to the Indian festival of Diwali. But the ultimate motive to celebrate the pious event remains the same, i.e. to celebrate the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2022 10:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).