Tihar: Second Greatest Festival of Hindus

Photo: Brothers being worshipped by sisters (from www.welcomenepal.com)

Tihar

We Nepalese celebrated second largest festival of Hindus which is known as "Tihar". It is celebrated for five holy days and each day is devoted to different parties. Before giving the list here let me tell that "Tihar" is having the celebration of the love and compassion between sisters and brothers.

Here is the list of the occupation of those holy five days:

First Day: Kag Tihar (The Crow Day)

Second Day: Kukur Tihar (The Dog Day)

Third Day: Gai Tihar (Laxmi Puja) (The Cow Day) : Laxmi is the goddes of wealth: Cow is her representative recarnation!

Fourth Day: Goru Tihar (The Ox Day)

Fifth Day: Bhai Tika (The Brothers Day)

All are worshipped and feed with delicious food in their respective days.

Why worship animals?

Crows carry a myth in Hindu religion. They transfer message from one place to other. People pray them to bring them good news of their relatives who are far from them, even away from their nations.

We know dogs protect us from thieves and often they are useful in securing life also. Dogs are the most loyal domestic animals. Then why not to worship them at least once in a year?

Oxen plough our field. They were the major part of production in the past agriculture era. Still they support production in farming. Oxen are also user to draw carts.

Cows give us milk. Cows are worshipped in the name of goddes of wealth: goddes Laxmi( she is the wife of God Bishnu who once came to the earth in the name of Krishna and Krishna is the one who played a major role in the great Hindu epics "Mahabharata").

In the last day, sisters worship their brothers and give delicious food with a great variety .

Special Song: "Deusi and Bhaili"

The night of the Cows day is celebrated by youths by playing a program called "Bhaili" in which they form their own group and go to households and sing the song which mainly address the household to provide them with money, grains and other things. The same repeats the next night in the name of "Deusi". Both are very popular programs.
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Conclusion

Tihar is the festival of love and peace. Besides its cultural value it is eco-friendly too. Tihar sprays the message of love of brothers and sisters as well as makes people conscious of their animal friends: birds, dogs, oxen, crows.

My Village Trip in Dashain

Past 10 days were really interesting and relaxing for us( me and my friend Ujjal). We were in our village. It is minimum 6 hours travel by bus from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. We were very curious to reach our village. The day came after I completed my B.E. (Computer) last semester university exam just one day ago. It was not that hard journey. In fact we en joyed it a lot. People are curious and interesting in Nepal. My village can not be an exception- they are very helpful and supportive.

We used those ten days well. We helped family in harvesting rice, separate it from the plant and carry it to home by walking 30 minutes north from the spot. Think of the newness and sweet experiences one gets by involving in such works in pure and healthy village environment.

We worshipped goddess of "Dashain" the greatest festival of Hindus. We met with old friends- some of them were school friends too most of whom are in Kathmandu but are out of frequent contact. Let me tell the world that it was my mother who was most curiously waiting me in my village! In fact all the mothers are same!

I have a lot to tell about what, who and where about my experiences in my village. More interestingly we have got some fresh photographs of various events and people. I am curious to put them in my blog for the world!

Dashain, The Nepali Festival

Dashain is Nepali Hindu's greatest festival. It is celebrated for fifteen days. The goddess worshipped is Durga- think of a woman God having lots of power to defeat evil powers. Hey, it is such a great epic that is followed by the story of love, compassion, power, fight and control.

Then guess what a busy life Nepalese do have during the festival. Government gives 10 days leave to its employees. It is a different story that in each and every corner of the world the festivals of their own brings about. I want to tell a lot about it. I guess the world is so curious about it. I am going to my village (think of the hurry all people are in when they are waiting to reach their ancestral home in such a great festival). I promise to write more and to publish relevant photos after I return after two weeks.

Che Guevara! Che Guevara!!

I have listened Che Guevara to lead the revolution in south America. Many writers have written books on his life. Many poems have been written all over the world. Che Guevara's life has inspired a significant number of movies. In fact this man has been a great source of art and literature in the twentith century and this effect can not be forgotten in this twenty first century too. No such man in the current centuries have been seen to influence the world in communism, socialism and politics. Remember him for any reason but his life, vision and deeds will continue influencing the world for hundres of coming years.

He was a Marxist revolutionist born in Argentina. He leaded Cuba Revolution which gave them a rule to Cuba. He believed that every corner of the world is influenced by the next other corners. So he tried to export revolution all over the world. His rise, struggle, existence and disappearance from Cuba in 1965 and murder by US CIA agents all constitute a great dramatic history. A man whose life was perished in 39 years of age is a real story of a great life. Youths from all over the world should read this man to know the meaning and importance of LIFE.

Important marks in the life of Che Guevara:

Date of birth: June 14, 1928

Place of birth: Rosario, Argentina

Disappeance from Cuba: 1965
Date of death: October 9, 1967 (aged 39)
Place of death: In the jungle of Bolivia
Major organizations: Cuba Revolution

Fighting Strategy: Guerrilla fighting

Poem, Kathmandu, and Nepal

Kathmandu is not only the capital city of Nepal. It is also the center for literary activities. Many representative poems have been written in Kathmandu valley. (Kathmandu valley covers three major cities: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur). These have been the representative poems of Nepal. Is this Katmandu-centric trend fruitful? No.

Today is the age of decentralization. Knowledge, power, education everything needs to be decentralized. What is the solution?

1. Those in rural areas should be conscious of writing and publishing in Internet too.
2. They should be aware of evolving communication technology which they can use to promote their writings.
3.Sharing themselves with the whole world is much better than getting limited within a territory.

The list can grow. I think I should keep on writing upon this.

Poem-Haiku In NEPAL

I already have ten haiku posted in my blog. I love haiku and I am highly impressed with the impulsive ends they give. Originally experienced in Japan, haiku represent the poetic or expressional form of yoga and meditation. One can breed the feelings of peace, harmony and tranquility by practicing haiku.

In Nepal haiku writing is directly influenced from the Japanese structural boundary of 5-5-7 letters in first, second and third lines respectively. But what is globally experienced is that this limitation often leads into limitation in feelings and incompleteness in haiku writing.

Studying translated Japanese haiku into English I have found the test haiku can give. There are very few good haiku writers in Nepali although the practice and the trend is not new. There are so many things I want to share with the world. In the postings coming I will talk about them a lot. I thank to all who have been through my haiku, felt them and commented them. Since they have pointed out the complexity and hardness to understand them I think it will be better to illustrate them in my own way. I am not a poem-critic, however. Thank you world!

Kathmandu: For the First Time in the Court

I am Kathmandu, Your Honour!
For the first time in the court
Who are you, Your Honour?

I don't know why
But I love singing
I don't like anyone else to sing!

I have built the history
And only I have the right
To rule over you, Your Honour!

I can not listen well
And can not see well too
What? That sounds 'Order! Order!!', Your Honour?

Rich Kathmandu! Rapist Kathmandu!!

I have proofs, Your Honour!
It has spoiled the virgin dreams of its people
Rapist Kathmandu!

Open the history
And close your eyes
It has looted all you own, lootera Kathmandu!

It has sold everything
People, heritage, health of children
Humanity, ethics and boarder of the country, rich Kathmandu!

It can not buy the law
But I suspect, one day
It will sell the court, Your honour!

Silence Goes In Silence, Patience Demands No Words!!

Words are never sufficient
I don't know why
And people still stress on words!

Words have given pains
Agony and sorrow
And still words are dearer to man!

You ask me restlessly
Then what is the meaning of having mouth,
Vocal cord and tongue?

My dear, life should mean a lot
It is always better in silence, patience
Love, compassion and much more!

Silence goes in silence
Patience demands no words
Love and compassion better in great space!

You Are Careless,Kathmandu!

The sun is so sad
It always has to awaken the Kathmandu
At the mid-afternoon!

It awakes yawning
And orders the file of the country
And throws bad words for less commission

It has forgotton how to work
It has neglected the way to live
You are the laziest city in the world, Kathmandu!

Gets up like a lazy and mannerless house wife
And finds the gown spoiled
Careless Kathmandu!

If I Were A Sheep And You Were The Moon!

If I were all the bushes
And you were all the leaves
I would be the happiest creature!

If I were all the streams
And You were all the seas
I would never complain the God!

If I were the rain drops
You were the leaves of rhododendron
And there were hilly regions all over the earth!

If you were the far far island
Life were the cracked ship
And I were Robinson Crusoe!

If I were a sheep
You were the moon
And it were always moony night!

Cleopatra! Oh Cleopatra!

Tears roll down my cheeks

When I try to write about you

Oh Cleopatra!

What a happy life I would have

Had I not heared about you

Or had I had no ears!

Have you ever listened me

Screaming in the peace of falls

In the season of heavy rainfalls?

No words can ever tell

What I actually mean

I would be happy rather a sheep had I been!

Kathmandu is the worst drunkard

Drinks heavily at night
And gets hanged all the day
Drunkard Kathmandu!

You can not move it a inch
It falls asleep all the day
Like the bad Cobra!

It does not speak
Lets the leaders speak
Then who trust you Kathmandu?!

Who says it sleeps early?
It enjoys disturbing the heritages
It is cursed by all those innocent statues it owns!

Kathmandu is lost for 2000 years

Your face is that cute-painted, oh Kathmandu!

I stare surprised and all the citizens too

Your beauty in "dust and ugly"!

I looked at you and you smiled

I too smiled, you turned your face and went away

Not a single second you live is full of life, oh Kathmandu!

I broadcasted in all media

Searched in all the ways and could not find you

I have lost you for thousands of years, oh Kathmandu!

Don't kill her tonight, Oh Kathmandu!

Kathmandu -1

The dogs bark
Continuous in the dark
At the night of death

All the hopes are dead- yellow brown
She lets herself down
What a life! What a town!!

She takes a nap in your lap
To just dream and fill the gap
Don't kill her tonight, Oh Kathmandu!


Kathmandu-2

You always lie me- you have right?
I have believed you all my life
Tell me Kathmandu- must always I?

I don't want to see your face, I don't want
And still I should beg my life with you
How long my Kathmandu, how long?

You can not hide
Jamacho sees everything
Mankind has always fought for truth, Oh Kathmandu!

The World of Silence

I heared nothing when they spoke
When the world screamed or the floods roared
But when you tried to tell me!


I moved nowhere when they called me
When it rained or the earth quaked
But when you tried to meet me!


I believed no one- people, trees, mountains
Books, lovers, insects ,birds or the God
But you, oh silence!


I heared you everywhere, oh silence!
Every corner of the world breathes in you, oh silence!
You fill the world with silence, oh silence of silence!!


My silence reaches everywhere- what the words are for?
My silence gives me everything- what the science is for?
The way I live- I cultivate silence in all fields of my senses!