People across the country are celebrating the third day of Tihar festival –also known as the festival of lights – by worshipping cows on Thursday.

Cows, considered highly sacred by Hindus, are generally worshipped on the morning by putting Tika and offering delicious food. The milk, dung and urine of cow are used for purification purpose by Hindus on various occasions.

Likewise, in the evening, the Goddess of wealth, Laxmi, will be worshipped with jubilation and various religious rituals to mark the third day of the Yamapanchak.

Laxmi Puja or worship to the Goddess of wealth is celebrated in every household in the evening in accordance with time honoured tradition to mark the third day of the five-day festival by lighting butter lamps and candles inside and outside of the households to light up the path of Goddess Laxmi in order to welcome her.

Nepali Hindus worship Goddess Laxmi and their wealth in the evening today wishing for prosperity.

All the nooks and corners of the house including the courtyard and rooms are illuminated with colourful and decorative lights this evening with the belief that Goddess Laxmi does not visit places that are not properly illuminated, and to please Goddess Laxmi, people light lamps and spend the whole night in vigil.

After the worship rituals take place, women of every household beat the Nanglo (a large bamboo straw woven plate) and enter the house from the courtyard to appease the Goddess and by wishing prosperity to enter their homes.

As per the scriptures Sri Sukta hymn is recited after worshipping Laxmi and a coconut which is a favorite of the Goddess is offered to her and it is believed this ritual ushers in prosperity.

The night of Laxmi Puja is also known as 'the Night of Bliss'. The Laxmi Puja is a day during which cultural programmes as 'Deusi' and 'Bhailo' are held.

Girls in groups visit door-to-door in settlements singing the Bhailo songs. The house-owners offer gifts of Selroti, rice grains and money to these girls. RSS