Mah Puja, 4th Day of Yama Panchak
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Mah Puja, 4th Day of Yama Panchak

Mah Puja, 4th Day of Yama Panchak

 Mah Puja is celebrated on the fourth day of Yama Panchak. In the morning worshippers celebrate Govardhan Puja. Mah puja is celebrated in the evening in Newar Community of Nepal. This day is also known as worshpping of the self, i.e. the soul and the whole ritual is done to purify our body. 

Mah Puja is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. From the senior most family member to the youngest in the family sit in an ascending order. For each family member, a Mandala, (symbolizes as the world) is decorated with yellow, red and white color powder and with marigold flowers. Special sweets are prepared, a garland made with marigold flowers is prepared for each family member. Usually, a female member of the family leads and gives sagun (the offering made by the earth, eggs, yougert, fish), with her crossed hands.

Moreover, the celebration and feasting by the family members with the lights around the mandala help to strengthen the family relationships. 

When is Mah puja celebrated?

Mah puja is the fourth day of the five days celebration of Tihar. Mah puja is usually in the evening on the fourth day of this festival. Tihar is a five days celebration of honoring and worshipping five specific things. It usually falls in late October or early November. According to the Gregorian calendar this festival falls in the month of Kartik.

Why is Mah puja celebrated?

Mah puja is celebrated in the Newar community as an annual ritual. This day is celebrated to one’s essence, cleanness, and empower the soul. It is believed that the celebration invokes prosperity and longevity for the participant. 

Mah Puja is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. From the senior most family member to the youngest in the family sit in an ascending order. For each family member, a Mandala, (symbolizes as the world) is decorated with yellow, red and white color powder and with marigold flowers. Special sweets are prepared, a garland made with marigold flowers is prepared for each family member. Usually, a female member of the family leads and gives sagun (the offering made by the earth, eggs, yougert, fish), with her crossed hands.

Moreover, the celebration and feasting by the family members with the lights around the mandala help to strengthen the family relationships. 

How is Mah puja celebrated?

Mah Puja is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. From the senior most family member to the youngest in the family sit in an ascending order. For each family member, a mandap is deceroted with yellow, red and white color powder and with marigold flowers. Special sweets are prepared, a garland made with marigold flowers is preparted for each family member. Usually, a female member of the family leads and gives sagun (eggs, yougert, fish), with her crossed hands. 

Not only worshipping the self, this day is celebrated to worship all the living creatures in the world. There is a specific ritual and way of  celebrating Mah puja day. The ritual starts from the main gate of the house, and each beam, pillar, or anything that visits the house is worshipped. 

The Story Behind Tihar

Tihar is celebrated in Nepal after a couple of weeks of Dashain. It is also famous and celebrated throughout Nepal with excitement and enthusiasm. It is a five days celebration and each day has its special significance. A famous story about a brother, Yama and sister, Yamuna is one of the reasons behind the celebration. This celebration is the fifth day of Tihar, because Yamuna wanted to spend time with her brother. 

She sent a crow, a dog and then a cow to invite him to visit her. Then she again went herself, to invite him over. Yamuna made a circle with mustard oil, Cynodon Dactylon plant and mentioned that until the oil and the plant dried up, Yama was not to leave his sister. Then, she worshipped her brother with flowers, 5 different colored tika, garland made with marigold and also fasted all day for his long life. 

What are the five days of Tihar?

  1. Kaag Tihar (Worshipping of Crow)
  2. Kukur Tihar (Worshpping of a dog)
  3. Gai Tihar (Worshipping of a Cow), Laxmi Tihar or Deepwali (Worshipping of Goddess Laxmi)
  4. Govardhan Puja (Worshipping of miniature hill using cow dung and mud), Mah Puja (purify and empower the soul as part of New Year celebrations)
  5. Bhai Tika (Worshipping of a brother)

Follow us on our socials, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

If you want to learn more about other festivities here are some popular ones:

Learn More About Hidden Adventure Nepal

To learn more about the festivities, culture of Nepal visit our websites. We offer customized packages for your travels to Nepal. Contact Us and for the packages find out more about the offers and deals for your next trip. 

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *