In Nepal, Gai Tihar (Cow worshiping festival) is celebrated on the third day of Tihar festival. Cow is a national animal and sacred to hindus. Cows are considered as the symbol of health, prosperity and motherhood.
On this day, people worship cows by putting Tika on the head, flower garlands on the neck, oil on the horns, and offering delicious foods like favorite grass, breads, cooked meals, etc. Some people go as far as stamping cow bodies with various colors for decoration.
Gai Tihar Myths
The cow is worshiped as per the religious belief that we get the same love from cows as our mothers.
There is also a religious belief that if the Doro (thread) tied on the right hand during Janai Purnima is tied to the Cow’s tail after worshiping the cow on this day, the cow will help to cross the river Vaitarani to go to heaven after death.
Apart from religious beliefs, the festival has a deep-rooted connection to agriculture and rural life in Nepal. Cows and Oxens have been invaluable to human civilizations for centuries. Still they are used in villages for Milk and manure (fertilizer) in the crops of rural villages in Nepal.
When is Gai Tihar in 2024 (2081)?
Gai Tihar falls on 1, November 2024 (16 Kartik, 2081 B.S.).
Photos from Gai Tihar (Cow Worshipping Festival) in Nepal
