KATHMANDU: Laxmi Puja, one of the most significant days of the five-day Tihar festival, is being observed across the country today with religious devotion, traditional rituals and festive celebrations.
Dedicated to Goddess Laxmi, the Hindu deity of wealth, fortune and prosperity, the festival is marked by illuminating homes, worshipping the goddess and performing rituals believed to bring happiness, good fortune and abundance to households.
Traditionally observed on the third day of Tihar, Laxmi Puja falls on the second day of the festival this year, coinciding with Narak Chaturdashi and Kukur Tihar, the day dedicated to honouring dogs.
The five-day festival, also known as Yamapanchak, began on Saturday.
On the occasion of Laxmi Puja, people clean and decorate their homes and surroundings, believing that Goddess Laxmi favours clean and well-maintained households. As evening falls, homes, courtyards and temples are illuminated with electric lights, oil lamps and butter lamps to welcome the goddess.
The night of Laxmi Puja is also known as ‘Sukha Ratri’, meaning the night of happiness. According to religious belief, Goddess Laxmi visits homes on this auspicious night and blesses families with wealth, prosperity and well-being.
As part of the tradition, devotees draw symbolic footprints from the entrance of their homes towards the prayer room or altar, representing the goddess’s arrival. Special prayers and offerings are made to seek her blessings.
Another distinctive feature of Laxmi Puja is the tradition of singing ‘Bhailo’. Groups of teenage girls and women visit neighbourhood homes, singing traditional festive songs and performing dances to celebrate the occasion.
Householders, particularly women, welcome the performers by offering gifts such as paddy, rice, flower garlands, money and sel roti, a traditional delicacy prepared with rice flour and deep-fried in ghee. The exchange is rooted in the belief that welcoming and offering gifts to Bhailo performers brings blessings, happiness and good fortune to the household.
Many families also worship cows on the occasion, following their respective family traditions, as cows hold religious significance in Hindu culture and are associated with Goddess Laxmi.
Kukur Tihar also observed
Kukur Tihar, the festival dedicated to dogs, is also being celebrated across the country today, with people honouring the animals for their loyalty, companionship and service to human beings.
Dogs are regarded in Hindu tradition as guardians and faithful companions. On this day, people offer prayers to dogs, place flower garlands around their necks, apply tika on their foreheads and serve them special food as a mark of respect and gratitude.
The tradition also reflects the recognition of dogs’ roles in protecting homes and assisting human beings throughout history.
Kukur Tihar coincides with Narak (Narke) Chaturdashi, which is associated with the religious belief in overcoming evil and escaping the suffering of Narak, or hell.
According to tradition, devotees rise early, take ritual baths in rivers and ponds and light a special lamp known as Yamadeep, placing it facing south in honour of Yamaraj, the god of death and justice.
The lamp is traditionally set afloat in a river as part of the ritual. According to religious belief, performing this observance helps protect people from the suffering of hell after death.
Dogs also hold a special place in Hindu mythology. In the Mahabharata, a dog accompanies Dharmaraj Yudhisthira on his final journey towards heaven, symbolising loyalty, devotion and companionship.
The observance of Kukur Tihar therefore carries a message of compassion and gratitude towards animals, recognising their close relationship with human beings.
Together, Laxmi Puja and Kukur Tihar highlight the religious, cultural and social dimensions of Tihar, a festival that celebrates prosperity, family bonds, compassion and harmony between humans and other living beings.
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