Nepali observed Gai Tihar, also known as Gai Puja, today on Monday (Kartik 23, 2083 BS), worshipping cows with tika, flower garlands and food offerings.
President Ramchandra Paudel performed Gai Puja at Shital Niwas, the President’s Office in Kathmandu. He worshipped and fed a cow as a symbol of Goddess Lakshmi and prosperity.
Gai Tihar is the third day of Tihar, also called Yamapanchak.
It follows Kag Tihar on Nov 7 and Kukur Tihar and Laxmi Puja on Nov 8. Goru Tihar, Govardhan Puja and Mha Puja fall on Nov 10, and Bhai Tika on Nov 11.
The main ritual is performed in the morning. Families apply tika to the cow’s forehead, drape it with marigold garlands and offer grass, grain and fruit. They light incense and pray for prosperity and family well-being. Some devotees bow before the cow and touch its feet.
Some also tie the sacred thread worn since Janai Purnima to a cow’s tail. Under Hindu belief, the cow helps the soul of a deceased person cross the mythical Baitarani River on its journey after death. In some households, a mixture of cow dung and ochre is applied to courtyards or floors.
People without cows may visit neighbours’ cows, temples or cow shelters to take part.
Religious meaning
In Hindu tradition, the cow is called Gau Mata, or Mother Cow, and is linked to nourishment and to Goddess Lakshmi, who is worshipped on Laxmi Puja.
The day also draws on the mythological wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu, the association of Lord Krishna with cattle herding, and the concept of ahimsa, or non-violence.
Role in farming
Cows have long been central to rural livelihoods in Nepal. They provide milk for curd, ghee, butter and chhurpi, and dung is used as manure and for biogas. Dried dung is also used as household fuel in some villages. Their importance varies by region, household income and market access.
Legal status
The cow is Nepal’s national animal under Schedule 1 of the Constitution. Section 289 of the National Penal Code, 2074, prohibits killing or intentionally injuring cows and oxen. Causing the death of a cow or ox carries up to three years in prison. Causing grievous injury carries up to six months, and other injuries a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
Welfare questions remain
Legal protection against killing does not set standards for feeding, shelter or veterinary care. Old, sick or unproductive cattle can become a burden for owners, and some are left to roam. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Department of Livestock Services have not published national figures on abandoned or stray cattle in the material available.
Animal-welfare practice during the festival is a matter for families and organizers. Cows should be given clean water and suitable food, and garlands and tika should not irritate their eyes or skin.
What is next
Tihar continues with Goru Tihar, Govardhan Puja and Mha Puja on Nov 10, and ends with Bhai Tika on Nov 11.
