KATHMANDU: The Kaag Tihar Festival is being celebrated today by worshipping and feeding delicacies to the crow.

Kaag Tihar is a part of the five-day Tihar festivities which is observed on the 13th day of the waning moon in the month of Kartik each year as per the lunar calendar.

This day is dedicated to the Kaag or the crow which is believed to be the messenger of the deity Yamaraj, the god of death, as per the Hindu mythology. According to scriptures, crows are considered as messengers of Yama because Yama learns about people’s deeds through them.

On the day of Kaag Tihar today, crows are worshipped and offered delicious food with rituals to please them, hoping they convey ‘good news’ of people to the ‘god of death’.

It is also a tradition in Nepali society to pronounce ‘Shuva bol, shuva bol’, meaning bring good news and auspiciousness, whenever crows craw at home, one’s roof or around the house. If a crow caws around the house, it is even believed to bring some news.

Crows are offered rice mixed with curd and curry in the morning in reverence, in the belief that it is the crows’ especial delicacy. The curd and rice is given to crows today in the belief that they will deliver good wishes of people to Yama.

On this occasion, a special worship ceremony will be held today at Kageshwari Mahadev Temple located in Kageshwari Manohara Municipality–1 in Kathmandu. Likewise, special worship of the crow will also be performed at Kageshwari Temple in Hanumandhoka.

Tihar festival is also associated with the belief that those who commit evil deeds are punished by Yamaraj and those who perform virtuous deeds are protected by Dharmaraj. Yamaraj is also known as Dharmaraj or the ‘king of justice’.

The ritual of ‘Yama Deepadaan’ or paying homage to Yama by lighting butter lamps in the names of all family members for liberation from the torments of Yama has begun from Saturday evening.

There is a belief that making offerings of the ‘Yama Deepadaan’ leads to liberation from suffering in the afterlife.