KATHMANDU: Gai-Goru Puja (Cow or ox worship) and Hali Tihar are being observed throughout the country today. Tihar festival is celebrated by the Hindus in the country.

On this day, the cow is worshipped as per the religious belief that we get love from her like a mother. The cow milk, urine and dung are all sacred, hence the cow is worshipped, according to Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti.

Gai-Goru Puja is also locally known as Gai Tihar. The cow is garlanded and fed various delicacies.

In rural areas where farming is the main occupation, people observe Hali Tihar on this day. Devotees worship plough, locally called Halo or Hali, that is used for digging and turning over soil, especially before seeds are planted.

Likewise, people of the Newar community are to observe the Mha Puja ritual in the evening today. Mha Puja refers to the worship of the self or one’s body.

Mha Puja is based on the religious belief that the soul or self is the most important in the world and that if the soul is satisfied, the gods are also satisfied and one’s life becomes meaningful and prosperous.