Right now we are in Kamdhenu Gaushala (Cowshed) located in Devdaha Municipality Ward No.-10 Rohininagar Bhaluhi, Rupandehi district, Lumbini Province, Nepal. On the fourth day of Tihar, today is Govardhan Puja and we Mandavya (Gotra) tribes have a tradition of doing cow puja on this day, so we have come here for that.
We are now offering puja at the Siddheshwar Mahadev temple in the Gaushala complex. Inside this temple are idols of Shivlinga as well as Panchayan deities.
This Siddheshwar Mahadev temple is surrounded by one hundred and eight Shiv Lingas. Now we are offering water, milk, sandalwood, flowers, Bel leaves, etc.
There is also an Ayurveda dispensary on the Gaushala premises. Ayurvedic medicines made from cow urine and various herbs for treating chronic diseases like sugar, pressure, and gastritis are kept here for sale.
According to the information provided by the Gaushala management source, there are 450 cows, bulls, and calves of local breeds in this cowshed.
Govardhan Parbat (mountain) is built here for Govardhan Puja today on the fourth day of Tihar. Now we will worship the Govardhan Parbat in a formal way.
Watch the short documentary Kamadhenu Gaudham:
What is Kamadhenu Cow?
Kamdhenu cow has an important place in Hinduism. The Kamdhenu cow originated during the churning of the ocean. As written in mythology, during the churning of the ocean, the gods and demons found many precious objects, gems, conch shells, sacred trees, the moon, holy nectar, and even the most deadly poison called Kalkut. Kamdhenu cow was born from Chir Sagar during this ocean churning.
Kamdhenu cow was considered a miraculous cow and there is a religious belief that just seeing this cow would cure all the sufferings. Kamdhenu cow's milk was considered nectar. Rishi Vashishtha, a contemporary of Parashurama, had a Kamdhenu cow. Sage Vashishta fought many kings to protect this cow.
King Vishwamitra (who later became a Maharishi) was enamored by the supernatural power of this cow. Vishwamitra requested the sage Vashishta to give him the Kamdhenu cow. But after sage Vashishtha refused to give Kamdhenu cow to Vishwamitra, there was a big fight between them and Vishwamitra lost the fight.
In the Puranas, the Kamdhenu cow is also called Nanda, Sunanda, Suravi, Sushila, and Suman. In addition to writing in the Puranas that the Kamdhenu cow was the abode of all Gods, there was a religious belief that seeing the Kamdhenu cow would bring merit like seeing all deities. Kamdhenu cow had supernatural power, so Kamdhenu cow is also known as a mysterious cow.
Why cow is worshiped in Tihar?
For Hindus or Buddhists, cows are sacred and revered animals. Hindu and Buddhist scriptures consider cows as mothers. The cow is also considered the mother of the animals of the world. The cow has been declared the national animal in Nepal due to the best qualities of the mother cow among animals. The cow is worshiped in every Hindu house. Cow dung and urine are considered essential when doing any auspicious work. It is customary to clean the house with cow dung.
Cow dung is considered beneficial for health as it has the ability to kill germs. Cow's milk and ghee are nectar-like. Yogurt keeps the digestive system healthy. Even in modern medical science, cow urine is used in the treatment of diseases like diabetes, pressure, gastric, ulcer, and cancer.
Why is Govardhan Puja performed?
Today, a mountain of cow dung is made and worshiped as the Govardhan mountain. It is said that during the Dwapara era, Lord Krishna raised the Govardhan mountain with his palm to save the people of Gokula from the torrential rain.
Worship of Bali
Based on the belief that Lord Vishnu gave king Bali the right to rule Matryalok for the five days of Yama Panchak. Today, King Bali is also worshiped as a memorial. For this reason, it is customary to say that those who play Deusi Bhailo during Tihar say that King Bali was sent to them.
Crows, dogs, and cows are worshiped, and bulls, which have been involved in agricultural work since ancient times, are also worshipped today.
That's it for today's content. I want to thank you very much for reading, watching, and supporting me so far. We will meet again with another informative content until then, goodbye to me and my whole team. Namaskar.
