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Gokarna Aunsi (Father's Day)
he Nepali religion , tradition and culture holds a lot of reverence
for a father . He is considered the pillar of strength , respect and
support of a family. The most auspicious day to honour one's father is
Gokarna Aunsi . It falls on the dark fortnight in August or in early
September.
A day when children show their gratitude and
appreciation for his guidance and teachings in life. Sons and
daughters, near or far, come with presents and confictions to spend the
day with their fathers. Children spend their hoarded coins on presents,
which expresses honour and love in their own special ways. The streets
are a gay scene of married daughters on their way to their parents'
home with delicacies . After the offering of gifts, they touch their
father's feet with their foreheads , this act of veniration is done by
the sons only , the daughters touch the hand. The ceremony is also
known as "looking upon father's face".
People with or
without fathers worship the Gokarneswor Mahadev on this day. It is a
sacred shrine of lord Shiva , renowned for his singularly close
communion with the souls of dead . The shrine lies in Gokarna village,
five miles east of Kathmandu. The fatherless people honour the memory
of their fathers and promote welfare of his soul here.
Mythology
has placed the Gokarna shrine in prehistoric times when Lord Shiva hid
himself in the Pashupatinath forest, disguised as a one-horned golden
deer, from the gods and mankind. While he spent his days frolicking,
the world suffered so Lord Vishnu, the preserver, Lord Brahma, the
creator and Lord Indra, the king of Gods, took matters into their hands
and searched for him. Finally a goddess revealed Shiva's disguise. So
when they finally caught the deer by the horn , it burst into fragments
and Shiva revealed himself. He asked the other three gods to establish
his horn in their three worlds. So, Vishnu installed his section in his
abode in Vaikuntha, Indra in his realm in heaven and Brahma enshrined
it at the sacred site of Gokarneshwor. The following day the gods and
goddesses descended and bathed in Bagmati river, paid homage to Shiva
and established the present day tradition of ancestor worship at
gokarna.
Gokarna Aunsi is yet another festival in the
continuous procession of holy days, wherein homage is paid deities and
the bonds of family and kinship is renewed and strengthened.
Article by Padmakshi Rana
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