Submit your Article

Two persons were electrocuted in Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City in Dhanusha district on Monday. The deceased have been identified as Amit Mishra and (19) of Basbitti in Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City-22 and Shiva Raj Yadav (14) of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City-9, according to the District Police Office, Dhanusha. The incident occurred while fixing the power supply for the Tihar celebration. Mishra and Yadav breathed their last during the course of treatment at the Provincial Hospital in Janakpurdham, Deputy Superintendent of Police Pradip Bahadur Chhetri said.

Mha Puja — worship of oneself — is also celebrated today by the Newar community across the country. The Newar community marks the Nepal Sambat, New Year, in the morning and Mha Puja in the evening. Mha Puja falls on the Newari New Year based on the Newari calendar, Nepal Sambat. Main priest of Taleju temple Siddhibir Karmacharya said that Mha Puja should be observed today itself as per the tradition there are some confusions for the celebration in Bhaktapur. Mha Pula literally means self-worship. People of Newar community mark this on the fourth night of Tihar, Kartik Shukla Pratipada, by worshiping self with a hope that light of knowledge shall spread after the destruction of ignorance. On this day, Newars prepare sweet dishes at homes and mandalas (sacred diagram as symbol of their soul) are drawn on the floor and worshiped. Family members sit in front of the mandalas and the lady of the house presents each of them with a burning wick, sacred thread Jajanka and fruits symbolizing long life and good fortune. Historian Prof Dr Purushottam Lochan Shrestha said Mha Puja is the symbol of knowledge to know self and spread knowledge in the world. According to him, Mha Puja is an ancient festival of the Newar community, which is also a symbol of prosperity. However, culture expert Om Dhaubhadel said that there is no evidence to confirm when exactly this festival was started but added that the Newar community is observing this festival since the Lichchhivi era.  

People from Newar community took out a Bhintuna rally in Bhaktapur to mark the New Year’s of Nepal Sambat on Tuesday. The rally that started from Chyamasingh passed through Suryamadi, Dattatraya, Golmadi, Sukuldhoka and ended by garlanding the statue of Jagat Sundar Malla.      

Gai Puja and Goru Puja are being observed throughout the country today on the third day of the five-day-long Tihar festival celebrated mainly by the Hindus across the country. This year, Gai Puja and Goru Puja have fallen on the same day, today. The cows are fed with sweets and delicacies as part of the Gai Puja rituals. As per the tradition, the sacred thread tied around one's wrist on Janai Poornima festival would be tied on the tail of the cow while performing Gai Puja today. The myth has it that by doing so, the person's soul crosses the Baitarani River, a mythical river, to heaven, after his/her death. Likewise, the ox is also worshipped today as it is a very useful animal in different agricultural works in Nepal which is a predominantly an agricultural society.