Kathamandu: The
most
important
day
of
Tihar,
the
festival
of
lights,
is
being
marked
today
by
offering
Tika
from
sisters
to
their
brothers.
Sisters
throughout
the
country
offer
‘Tika’
to
their
brothers
wishing
them
happiness,
long
life
and
prosperity
on
the
occasion
of
Bhaitika.
The
auspicious
hour
today
for
offering
the
Tika
begins
at
11:55
am
and
can
be
held
until
sunset
today,
according
to
Chairman
of
National
Calendar
Determination
Committee
Prof
Dr
Ramchandra
Gautam.
On
this
day
of
the
Tihar
festival,
brothers
who
have
sisters
are
seated
at
a
specially
anointed
place
around
which
a
trail
of
mustard
oil
is
drawn.
The
sisters
then
offer
the
brothers
Tika
and
garlands
of
‘Dubo’
and
‘Makhamali’.
The
occasion
commemorates
a
legendary
event
in
which
a
sister
won
a
boon
from
“Yama”,
the
deity
of
death
that
her
brother
would
not
die
until
the
mustard
oil
dried
up
and
the
garland
of
‘Dubo’
and
‘Makhamali’
faded.
After
placing
colourful
Tika
on
the
foreheads
of
their
brothers,
sisters
offer
them
a
treat
consisting
varieties
of
sweets,
walnut,
spices
and
‘Sel’,
a
special
kind
of
bread
cooked
in
oil.
Brothers
also
offer
their
sisters
Tika
in
return,
wish
them
happiness
and
good
luck,
and
give
them
presents.
The
Bhaitika
tradition
is
so
strong
in
Nepali
society
that
even
those
who
have
no
brothers
or
sisters
of
their
own
receive
Tika
from
others
whom
they
regard
as
brothers
and
sisters.
Those
who
have
no
brothers
and
sisters
as
well
as
people
in
general
also
visit
the
temple
of
Yamleswar
Mahadev
in
the
centre
of
local
Rani
Pokhari
in
the
capital
and
offer
worship,
and
receive
Tika.
The
temple
opens
to
the
public
only
on
this
day
of
the
year.
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