Kathmandu, Nov 9: The fourth day of Tihar is being celebrated today by worshipping cows and offering them a variety of delicacies.
Cows are traditionally revered as sacred animals in Hinduism. They are honoured as Gau Mata, or mother cow, because their milk is believed to be as nutritious as a mother’s milk. Cows also hold religious and cultural significance as they provide milk, dung and urine, all of which have traditional uses.
According to religious tradition, worshipping cows in accordance with prescribed rituals and offering them sweet dishes is believed to bring religious merit. While some places and communities in Nepal observe cow worship on the new moon day of Kartik (Kartik Krishna Aunsi), scriptural tradition prescribes the ritual at the transition between the end of the new moon day and the beginning of the first lunar day (Pratipada).
Followers of the Vedic Sanatan Hindu tradition also have a practice of donating cows during various religious ceremonies. However, the practice of making a symbolic pledge and offering money in place of a cow has become more common in recent years due to the shortage of cows, said religious scholar Prof. Dr Ramchandra Gautam.
The cow is also honoured as Nepal’s national animal. According to religious belief, if the Raksha Bandhan thread tied around the right wrist on the full moon day of Shrawan is transferred to a cow’s tail during today’s worship, the cow will help the deceased cross the mythical Vaitarani River on their journey to heaven.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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