Kathmandu, 27 April: The festival of Mother’s Day, celebrated each year across the country by honoring one’s birth mother on the day of Baisakh Krishna Aunsi (the new moon day of the dark fortnight of Baisakh), is being observed today with devotion and reverence by offering mothers delicious foods.
There is a classical tradition of observing this festival as a day to show devotion, reverence, respect, and honor to mothers and to receive their blessings. On this day, sons and daughters wake up early, take a bath, dress their mothers in fine clothes, offer them delicious and nutritious foods, and receive their blessings. Those whose mothers have passed away perform tarpan (ritual offering) and pinda daan (offering of food balls) for their mothers, feed priests with sidadaan (donations of food and essentials), and fondly remember the great and arduous deeds their mothers performed.
Because a mother carries her child in her womb for nine months and gives life, her importance is considered greater than anyone else’s. It is mentioned in classical scriptures that a mother’s significance is a thousand times greater than that of a father. Due to such importance, living mothers are honored and made happy by offering them delicious food and fine clothing.
With devotion and reverence, tarpan, pinda daan, and sidadaan are offered in the name of departed mothers. According to religious scholar Bhattarai, scriptures hold that on the day of Baisakh Krishna Aunsi, departed mothers long for offerings, and performing shraddha along with tarpan, pinda daan, and sidadaan makes them happy and they bestow blessings.
