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Gai Puja or cow worship, Goru Puja or ox worship and Govardan Puja are being observed throughout the country today on the fourth day of the five-day-long Tihar festival celebrated by the majority Hindus in the country.

The Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja rituals are observed today with the replicas of the Gai and Govardhan Mountain made 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 homes and on the floors.

The cow is revered as mata or mother by Hindus and is sacred for them. Modern science has also proved that indigenous breeds of cows absorb the energy from the sun and the moon in their hump which is transmitted through milk to humans.

The cows are fed with sweets and delicacies as part of the Gai Puja rituals.

There is the tradition of tying the sacred thread that is tied around one's wrist on the occasion of the Janai Poornima festival on the tail of the cow while performing Gai Puja.

It is believed that doing so the cow would help the person's soul cross the Baitarani River, a mythical river, to heaven, after the person's death.

The rituals are linked to the Hindu God Sri Krishna who, according to the legend, lifted the Govardhan Mountain by his hand and protected the people of a place called Gokul from torrential rains caused by Indra, the God of rain.

It is believed that the rain God was angered and thereby caused the heavy downpour.

Similarly, the ox is also worshipped today as it is a very useful animal in different agricultural works in Nepal which is a predominantly agricultural country. 

High demand of electricity (peak demand), 1,602 megawatt, has been recorded in Laxmi Puja of this year's Tihar festival.

According to the Nepal Electricity Authority, the peak demand was recorded at 6:25 pm on Thursday, the day of Laxmi Puja.

The peak demand of power was recorded 1,438 megawatt on Laxmi Puja last year.

The high demand of electricity was more by 164 megawatt this year as compared to previous year.

The NEA added the recorded peak demand of electricity was except of industrial customers as industries, factories remain closed during Tihar.

The electricity was supplied by generating power from power houses of the country in order to meet the demand of power on the day of Laxmi Puja.

The surplus 253 megawatt of electricity was exported to India by fulfilling the demand of power of the country during peak hour.

Overall demand of 1,855 megawatt electricity was recorded in import was recorded on Lamxi Puja this year which was 1955 megawatt last year.

The flower fields of Nepal's Gundu village glimmer yellow, orange and purple as women harvest blooms, a flourishing industry changing tough village lives by providing garlands for Hindu festivals.

Nestled on the rim of Kathmandu Valley, Gundu is renowned for supplying the brightly-coloured globe amaranth and marigold flowers, with demand surging for this week's Tihar celebrations, also known as Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

At dawn, the village women gather in the fields to harvest the blooms that will, by the day's end, be woven into garlands to adorn homes and temples.

The women of Gundu have turned this seasonal bloom into a thriving industry, despite a labor-intensive process of picking and weaving them into garlands.

"This has provided more jobs for women of our village," said flower farmer Saraswoti Bista, 56.

"We don't have to leave home, and by weaving garlands, we earn a good income," she added.

Nepal, a majority-Hindu Himalayan nation, has a GDP per capita of $1,324, according to the World Bank.

The flourishing trade has transformed Gundu into a model for flower production, with nearly 500 households supplying over one million garlands every year, generating over $133,000, according to the local village authority.

As the festival peaks, garlands spill from rooftops and porches, filling the village with vibrant purple, red, and orange, a floral hub in Nepal.

The dramatic deep purple-coloured globe amaranth, known in Nepal as makhmali, is in special demand during the five-day festival of Tihar.

The dried blooms can last for months -- or even years -- with proper care.

The garlands are given by sisters to their brothers on the fifth day of Tihar, as a symbolic offering wishing for their long life.

Nepal produced an estimated 2.5 million garlands of globe amaranth flowers in 2024, a 10 percent increase since last year, according to the Floriculture Association Nepal.

"It also supplies to different countries," said flower association representative Dilip Bade.

The country is set to export 200,000 garlands, valued at $1.4 million, to the United States, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and Europe, according to the floriculture association.

But while the flower industry is blossoming, heavy flooding worsened by climate change hit the floriculture sector hard, resulting in estimated losses of over $1.1 million. AFP

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has extended warm wishes to all Nepali sisters and brothers, both at home and abroad, on the occasion of Laxmi Puja, a significant day dedicated to the worship of the Hindu goddess Laxmi during the Tihar festival

In a social media post, the PM stated, "May this day illuminate every home and bring happiness to each family." The Prime Minister said the festival symbolizes the brightness of lights, the fragrance of flowers, and the deep bond between humans and animals, highlighting the importance of sibling love.