Cow Tihar: mass worship of over 600 cows in Dang, support for cowshed

On the occasion of Gai Tihar (Cow Tihar), mass worship of more than 600 cows was performed on Monday at a cowshed in Belijhundi, Dang.

The puja was performed with local participation at the cowshed run by the Yogi Adityanath Foundation, and a Laxmi havan was also held the same day.

According to foundation chairperson Bholanath Yogi, puja is performed at the cowshed every year during Gai Tihar. He said the cowshed, which operates on land leased from a university, finds it difficult to arrange feed and water for the cows and runs only with the support of donors. Donors also gave food to the cows on this occasion.

At Pokhara Cowshed in Majhuwa, Pokhara Metropolitan City-15, Kaski, a five-day cow worship festival has been running since Kartik 21. Chandrakant Baral, chairperson of the Pumdikot Religious and Tourism Area Development Committee, contributed Rs 111,111.

According to coordinator Laxman Paudel, around Rs 300,000 in cash and in-kind support such as straw, feed and bran has been collected so far.

Special puja was also performed during Gai Tihar at Shree Krishna Cowshed in Narpani, Sandhikharka Municipality-6, Arghakhanchi. The cowshed, which keeps about 200 local-breed cows that had been abandoned on the streets, was established in 2072 BS with Khanal's personal funds. The municipality has pledged further support for the cowshed.

Mass cow worship was also performed at cow conservation centers run by Shuklagandaki and Byas municipalities in Tanahun.