Today, the followers of Vedic Sanatan Dharma are celebrating the Kushe Aunsi festival, which is celebrated every year on the day of Bhadra Krishna Aunsi.
There is a religious belief that the welfare of the family will be ensured if the Kush, which is worshiped by the Brahmins according to the scriptural method, is uprooted and taken to the judge’s house. Prof. Dr. Ram Chandra Gautam, a theologian and former chairman of the Nepal Panchang Adjudicating Committee, said that there is a classical belief that the Kush extracted today can be used throughout the year and the Kush extracted on other days can be used only on the same day.
Adherents of Sanatan Dharma consider Kush, Tulsi, Peepal, and Shaligram as symbols of Lord Vishnu. There is a religious belief that the creator Brahmaji created the holy Kush along with the discriminating beings. Today, Kush is used in house-to-house devotional and patriarchal activities throughout the year.
Father’s day
On this occasion, the children traditionally show respect to their father by feeding him sweets and food and look at his father’s face. Those who do not have a father go to various holy places and pay obeisances in the name of their father.
Today, a special fair is held at the Gokarneshwar Mahadev Temple premises in the northeastern part of Kathmandu, especially known as Uttargaya. Therefore, today’s aunsi is also known as Gokarna aunsi. On this occasion, the Gokarneshwar Mahadev temple premises in the name of the late father, tarpan, pinda dan, and sida dan are done which isn’t being possible this year, the new variant coronavirus infection is still at risk, the temple area has been completely sealed.
Ward Chairman of Gokarneshwor Municipality-4, Shri Kumar Shrestha, informed that police have been deployed at all four entrances to the temple. Similarly, the fair to be held at Rasuwa and Nuwakot confluence Vetravati has also been affected due to corona this year. Gokarneshwar Municipality has called for a safe celebration of Father’s Day from house to house.
Father’s Day is being celebrated at home
According to the religious belief of ‘Pitrudevo Bhav’, on this day, children get happiness by reverently feeding and blessing their living father according to their taste. It is mentioned in the scripture called Buddhokta Parajikaya that those who have passed away will go to Gokarna or other places of pilgrimage and perform tarpan and sida dan.
Today, even if you donate a little, you will get thousands of times more fruits, so it is also called a virtuous festival. According to the theologian Gautam, there is a scriptural saying that both giving and receiving alms go to hell. There is a classical belief that even if other donations are given to the poor and needy, the donations given with determination should be given in the pot.
Aunsi Shraddha was performed at places of pilgrimage including Gokarna
Jagdish Chandra Bhatta, a priest at the Gokarneshwar Mahadev Temple, said that many devotees wanted to come to the Gokarna area this year as Aunsi Shraddha falls on Monday. Every year on Bhadra Krishna Aunsi, thousands of devotees from different parts of the country and even from India used to come to the Gokarneshwar Mahadev Temple area to pay their respects.
Even on Monday, many did not pay their respects. Devotees have not gone to the pilgrimage site including Gokarna due to the scriptural promise that the eldest son will be destroyed if shraddha is performed on the day of the Magha constellation. Devotees had come to pay obeisance to Magha for having no children and nobody.
Devotees who reached Gokarna in the morning were affected by the heavy rains since Sunday night. As the floodwaters receded in the afternoon, the devotees came out in mourning.
