INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 2Gai Puja (cow worship) has been observed ritually throughout the country today on the fourth day of the five-day long
Tihar festival celebrated by the majority Hindus in the country.Fair weather expected across the country todayWeather likely to remain fair
across the countryIn this revered tradition dating back to Vedic period, cows are worshipped as the symbol of Goddess Laxmi on the day of
Kartik Krishna Aunshi (no moon day of Nepali month of Kartik as per the lunar calendar).Cows are worshipped as Mata or Mother in Hindu
faith.The Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja rituals include making replicas of the Gai and Govardhan Mountain out of the cow dung
People prepare a mixture of the cow dung and ochre formed into a paste and apply on the courtyard of their houses and on the
floors.Furthermore, the cultural significance of cows is underscored by their status as the national animal, recognized not only for their
highly nutritious milk but also for their important role in agriculture and the ecosystem.Modern science also highlights the importance of
local cow breeds as their milk is highly nutritious and is believed to enhance human vitality.As a part of the Gai Puja rituals, cows are
fed with sweets and delicacies on this day.While cow worship is observed in some regions and communities on Kartik Shukla Aushi, there is a
Vedic belief that the worship should be performed at the end of Aushi or the beginning of Pratipada (new moon day) as per the lunar
calendar, said theological expert Prof Dr Ram Chandra Gautam.While performing Gai Puja, there is the tradition of tying the sacred thread on
the tail of the cow that which was tied around one's wrist on Janai Poornima festival.By doing so, it is believed, that the cow would help
the person's soul cross the Baitarani River, a mythical river, to heaven, after the person's death.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com