KATHMANDU: Mother's Day is being observed all over the country today to honour mothers and celebrate them.

Mothers are the strongest influence in any household and today celebrates their strength, sacrifice, love, and role in nurturing their children.

In Nepal, Mother's Day is marked on Baishakh Krishna Aunsi of the Nepali calendar, also known as Matatirtha Aunsi.

People celebrate the day by presenting their mothers with clothes, gifts, sweets, fruits and other delicacies as an expression of love and gratitude, and receive blessings from them.

Those who have lost their mothers visit Matatirtha to mark the day in memory of their deceased mothers. Matatirtha is a small village which is located in Chandragiri Municipality of Kathmandu district.

The word Matatirtha is derived from Sanskrit -- 'Mata' meaning mother and 'Tirtha' a holy place. The village has a sacred pond dedicated to mothers, where people who do not have mothers take a holy dip and worship at the temple.

Mother's day or Matatirtha Aunsi -- when people are either celebrating or solemnly remembering their mothers -- is one of the most important festivals of the Nepali people.