Kathmandu: The joyful festival of light and flowers, ‘Yama Panchak’, also known as Tihar in the Nepali language, has commenced today. Traditionally celebrated for five days, the festival has been extended to six days this year due to the overlapping of lunar dates.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the festival, known as ‘Deepawali’ in the local dialect of the ancient Mithila region, starts with Dhanteras and concludes on Bhaiyadooj, which falls on the coming Thursday. The Yama Panchak, as per the lunar calendar, is observed from Kartik Krishna Trayodashi to Kartik Shukla Dwitiya. However, this year, the festival will last for six days because of a shift in the lunar calendar, as explained by Pandit Mahesh Kumar Jha.
In Mithila tradition, festival dates are determined by traditional calendars such as the Mithila Panchanga and the Bidhyapati Panchanga. Dhanteras, the first day of Yama Panchak, is celebrated during the night after sunset on Kartik Krishna Trayodashi in the Nepali month of Kartik. These calendars indicate that the Trayodashi tithi begins at 1:12 PM today and will last through 1:56 PM tomorrow.
The Mithila tradition observes the first day of Yama Panchak, Dhanteras, this evening after dusk. “Since the evening and night of Trayodashi fall on the same day, Dhanteras is being celebrated today,” clarified Pandit Jha. He further explained that Kaag Puja, a part of the Deepawali festival falling on Trayodashi tithi, should be performed by midday on Sunday.
Pandit Jha elaborated that Dhanteras is celebrated in the evening and night while Kaag Puja is performed during the daytime, resulting in the two activities being split across two days. The main day of Deepawali or Yama Panchak, Laxmi Puja, will be celebrated on Monday evening this year. Although sunrise on Monday is in Chaturdashi tithi, the Aausi will begin before 3 PM that day, allowing Laxmi Puja to take place in the evening.
Within the Mithila tradition, Dhanteras and Laxmi Puja are typically celebrated in the evening, while festivities such as Gau Puja, Govardan Puja, and Bhaiyadooj are observed during the day. This year, the last Navarattri, a nine-day festival in the Mithila tradition, saw Chathurthi tithi spanning two days, effectively extending it to ten days. Similarly, due to changes in the lunar calendar, Yama Panchak has been extended to a six-day celebration.
Yama Panchak, also recognized as Deepawali in the Mithila tradition and Tihar among Nepalis, is celebrated with enthusiasm across Nepal.