Father’s Day: A day to honour father
Hindus celebrate the new moon day of Bhadra as Father’s Day in the honour of living as well as deceased fathers. Vedic philosophy has long idolised father, mother and teacher as living deity.
Mother — Prakriti is the universal icon for feminine energy and father —Purusha is the eternal male principle.
The day is also celebrated for the holy grass Kush — important for every Hindu ritual. On this day Brahmin priests distribute Kush . So the day is also observed as Kushe Aunsi.
Hindu rituals are considered incomplete without Kush grass, state the scriptures. Only on this day Brahmins distribute Kush as on the other days it is prohibited to do so. The family priests in return get Dakshin — fees and Sida — some grains
The origin of Kush is related to a demon King, Jalandar who defeated the Gods to rule over the whole universe. Brinda, his faithful wife was the source of his strength and it was because of her he was undefeatable. Lord Vishnu laid a trick for Brinda to defeat Jalandhar. She, when found that Vishnu cheated her cursed him to become a stone, a tree, a grass and shrub. Thus Saligram - a holy stone, Pipal - a holy tree, Kush - a holy grass and Tulsi - a holy shrub is considered as Lord Vishnu and worshipped. On Father’s day, Babuko Mukh Herne Din, as it is literally known in Nepali, children offer their father sweets and present to show their gratitude.
Those who have lost their father pay tribute to the deceased on this Aunshi -the new moon by taking holy bath in the Bagmati River and performing purification rites at Gokarneshwor Mahadav, a shrine near Kathmandu, on the banks of river Bagmati.
Nepal Mahatmya describes Gokarneshwor Mahadav as one of the shrine of Lord Mahadev. Nepal Mahatmya also states that once when Lord Shiva was bored in Kailash – his holy abode in the Himalayas , he wanted to roam around freely. He came to Mrigasthali in Shleshmantak Ban – a forest near Pashupatinath Temple. There he started to enjoy his life freely as a deer.
For a long time, when Gods could not find the Lord, they were worried and started his search. Brahma, Vishnu and Indra were sent to search for the Lord by the gods.
The Gods after searching the whole universe came to the Shlesmantak Ban where to there surprise they saw the Lord enjoying his freedom as a deer.
They prayed to the Lord and asked to return to Kailash. But the Lord, who was in no mood to return, did not pay any attention to them. So, they decided to catch the Lord – the deer and caught his horn. All of a sudden the Lord disappeared and only the three broken pieces of his deer horn remained in their hand.
Lord Shiva then told them to establish those three pieces of horn in his remembrance: in three places. Indra installed his piece in Swarge — the heaven, Lord Vishnu in Patal — the lower planets and Lord Brahma in Martya — the earth at Gokarna as Gokarneshwor Mahadav.
The people till today visit this temple, where according to the scriptures, once Ravana also prayed the almighty and pleased him.
Gokarneshwor Mahadav is one of the oldest and historical temple of Nepal.