Tihar (Laxmi Puja- Bhai Tika)

Our forefathers have adopted different fasts, festivals and tihars with the intention of bringing about all round developments of human beings. These traditions and practices are not only spiritual but very scientific and social too. Man expresses himself through his character, body language dialect and his mental attitude. Therefore, the main objectives of these fasts, festivals and tihars are to purify the body, dialect and the mind so that a man can easily obtain salvation of his soul from this transitory world. Fast is a norm bound religious practice undertaken by few, purba is a festival celebrated by many but tihar is celebrated by the whole community of the region both within and without the house. These celebrations and practices not only enhance physical strength or the purity of mind of an individual but also cultivate his thinking ability, increase his aptitude and stimulate and activate the vein of his knowledge whereby making his inclination towards Gods more pronounced. Besides, he ensures a healthy and long life by keeping his body, mind and words pure and clean Bhai Tika, which is also known as Vatriduteya and Yam panchak is an integral part of the festival. It normally falls in the month of November and contains social, spiritual and family values. The origin of which can be traced even in Hindu mythology as thus.

Yamraj, the son of Surya was invited by his sister Yamuna to her house where she worshipped her brother with a garland and fed him with delicacies she had prepared for him, and finally she blessed him with a long and healthy life. Since then the custom of Bhai Tika is in vogue.

As stated earlier, this festival is also called yam panchak because of the fact that it lasts for five days and mostly concerns Yamraj. The rituals for all the five days are different both in contents and in connotations.

Crow is considered to be the cunning ambassador of Yamraj worshipped on the first day of the festival by offering it food early in the morning. Because crow is considered to be an ambassador or the messenger of Yamraj, whenever a Crow caws early in the morning, it is customary to say shoo bool, shoo bool, which 111eans bring good news. This day of the festival is called Kag Puja

        Similarly, the next day is the day of the dogs, They are also garlanded and properly fed on this day. Not even the stray dogs go unattended to on the second day of the festival, which is called Kukur Tihar or Narkay Chaturdashi. Dog is also considered to be an ambassador and the caretaker of Yamalok besides being a very faithful animal.

The third day is a new moon day and is called Laxmi Puja or Gai Tihar. Gai means a Cow, so on this day of Laxmi Puja Cows and calves are duely worshipped by properly feeding and garlanding them. Cow, as we all know, is ,a beautiful and virtuous animal. The usefulness of its excreta, milk and different milk products are universally acclaimed. The value of a Cow is even more in an agricultural country like India because the excreta of a Cow not only enhances the fertility of the soil but also acts as insecticide and germicide which are indispensable for a good harvest. No one can deny the nutritional value of milk and milk products which is very ideal to children, aged and sick. Considering the usefulness of a Cow, Hindus worship it as Gau Mata. On the night of the new moon day, Laxmi Mata, the goddess of wealth, is worshipped enthusiastically and with true religious fervour and reverence. This puja is also known as Deepawali and Sukharatri. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Ram¬dll1ndra, who was exiled for fourteen years by his step 1J1()lher, was rein ducted as the king of Ayodhya on this  day. On his return everybody became very happy. There was no scarcity of anything during the reign of Ramachandra. The goddess of wealth had profusely blessed the entire Kingdom where wealth and wisdom had reached the height of prosperity.

Therefore, even today, Laxmi Puja is celebrated with fun, frolic and laughter and the cheerful boys and girls, go in groups to every house that have been decorated and garlanded, singing Deushi and Vailoo in chorus. This is also the day when Sail Roti are prepared and distributed. with sweets in the neighbourhood wishing each other well and happiness.

The fourth day is the day of Bahar Puja. It is also called Govardhan Puja. Oxen are considered to be the incarnation of God, that is why, Lord Shankar always travels on bull's back with Parvati and Ganesh. Oxen, as we all know are important animals used for ploughing fields and nobody can deny the importance of these animals in increasing the fertility of the soil.

Even Lord Krishna had worshipped Govardhan Parvat on this very same day. That is why, even today ,a mound of dung is formed, as a replica of Govardhan Parvat, and worshipped with milk, curd, fruits and sweets to commemorate the original Govardhan Puja that was performed by Lord. Krishna. The custom of preparing a special kind of fodder of rice flour called babar feeding the cattle with salt is still prevalent today.

The Hindus by revering different animals like croe, dog,calf, cow etc. express their feeling of oneness with all living animals thereby propagating universal brotherhood

The fifth day is the day of Bhai Tika which is also called Bhatridutiya in sanskrit, and as already stated, the custom of Bhai Tika first started from the affection and intimate relationship in between Yam and Yamuna.

Bhai Tika has a great value considering it from different angles. From spiritual point of view, the married daughter who visits her parental home during Dashara, to be blessed with tika from her parents or elder members, in return invites her brother to her house for Bhai Tika. This she does with a pair of merry gold flower ' in her folded hand as was done by mythological Yamuna to her brother yam when she invited him. And obviously the brothers can not refuse such an invitation.

The sisters on this auspicious day observe fast and do not take anything till they feed their brothers at the end of the day's ritualistic performance. After the' brothers have been seated on the seat arranged for them, the sisters first offer homage to diyo and kalash and invoke Lord Ganesh and the eight immortals viz Ashwatoma, Bali, Biash, Hanuman, Bhivishan, Kripacharaya, Parshuram and Markanday. Nuts kept at the threshold of the house are also paid due respect, because, Yamaraj is compared to a nut because of their similar nature. As a nut looks hard hearted from outside yet its kernel inside .is soft and delicious so is the character of Yamaraj. Although Yamaraj was greatly feared because of his being the, final authority to accord death penalty to a person, he was basically a naive and kind hearted man.

After having completed the ritualistic formalities, the sisters first sprinkle water around their brothers. Apply little oil and comb their hair before they mark tika on their forehead. Unlike other tikas the one used on Bhai Tika is specially prepared with the flour of ground, rice and applied on the forehead vertically in the shape of a straight line with shorter breadth and longer length providing enough space to draw horizontal lines in between with red and yellow coloured vermilion in order to make it look distinct and attractive, and garland them with garlands made of freshly plucked merry gold flowers. Some sisters also offer their brothers items like cap, handkerchief, scarf etc. The brothers, in return, also follows the same step and apply tika on the forehead of their sisters and give them either money or a pair of dress depending upon their capacity. The ritual end after the brothers are being properly fed with sail roti, curry and other delicacies lovingly cooked by their sisters. Finally the dhog is exchanged.

There develops a wide gap between the relationship of a brother and his sister after she gets married and settles at her husband's house. The gap further widens with the passage of time because with the passage of time not only the parents pass away the brothers too bring home sister-in-laws with whom, changes, both in atmosphere and attitude are bound to come along, making their sweet home, where they had spent their childhood with their loving parents, completely alien to them. Therefore, the, festival of Bhai Tika is the only means through which sisters can continue prolonging their cordial relationship with the members of their parental family.

Another important social implication of this festival is that, the group of boys and girls who go out singing deushi and bhailo inspire the people to be generous and kind like king Bali and to develop a sense of fellow feeling by their songs telling them the tale of mythological king, who was extraordinarily generous in making donations for the poor and needy. They also encourage the people to extract maximum pleasure from their hard earned fortune instead of hoarding it unused and dying the death of a sad man.