KATHMANDU, Nepal-Govardhan Puja or ox worship and Mha Puja or worship of the self is being celebrated across the nation Monday on the occasion of the fourth day of the five-day-long Tihar festival.
The Govardhan Puja ritual is observed with a replica of the Govardhan Mountain made out of the cow dung.
The ritual is connected with the Hindu God Sri Krishna, who, according to the legend, moved the Govardhan Mountain up his hand and saved the people of a place called Gokul from torrential rains made by Indra, the God of rainfall.
Likewise, the ox is also worshipped on Monday as it is a very useful creature in agricultural works in Nepal which is mainly an agricultural country.
Likewise, the people of the Newar community are celebrating the Mha Puja ritual in the evening today. Mha Puja is the worship of the self.
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.
In the meantime, a new year of the Nepal Sambat, an indigenous calendar of Nepal begins.
The Nepal Sambat was initiated by Shankhadhar Sakhwa by relieving the people of Nepal off debt during the rule of Lichchhavi King Raghavdev.
