Celebrating Askhay Tritiya in Pashupatinath with Lakhbatti Puja

I asked momma about her favorite  seasons and festivals,she started describing the moments of her childhood as she enjoyed the festivals of Summer like Askhay Tritiya  ,which  is a very popular festival that the Hindus celebrate every year. It is considered as one of the most important days for Hindu community as it is the day of the birth of the Lord Parasurama. The Hindu community considers this day as a lucky day and believes that any venture such as a business or the construction of a building started on that day will follow betterment and prosperity.

The word Akshay literally translates to never ending or eternal and hence it is believed that this mahurta is very good for purchasing new things or starting new relationships or ventures. It is said that on this day Lord Kubera prayed to Goddess Lakshmi and was granted the gift of eternal wealth and prosperity.At Dhakalthok home ,my granny celebrates it with uncles and aunt who distributes prasad made by granny to all and we relatives spend the days doing bhajan kirtan there.Mom also kept Lakhbatti puja with rudra puja and my relatives prepared all items ready for puja. Devotees wishing to get their wishes fulfilled by any deity of their choice pledge to light 'Lakh Vatti': 125,000 wick lamps. Once the deity fulfills the wishes, the devotees light 'Lakh Vatti' at the temple using  Puja sardan: cotton wicks, sesame seeds oil, five-baked clay dishes .Preparations began about a week before the event, with large groups of women coming to the house to make hundreds of thapadis, bowls fashioned out of leaves used for doing puja (an act of worship) and eating prasad (food served at the end of a puja.

Granny starts her narratology as she is highly interested in Hindu religious rituals at Dhakalthok .I just jot down the points as she prescribe to me and the input gets the font shape in my blogs.In astrology position of Sun and Moon hold great importance and this also give such a great place to this day. It is believed that Sun and Moon are in the most radiant phase on this day. Akshay Tritiya is considered to be the day Holy Ganges River descended on Earth and it is also believed to the day since when the Treta Yug commenced.

3 priests start the ritual with dad and mom and I hear the sloks they recite is in Sanskrita and the books are written in Sanskrita language which has own rythm too.

1) While applying Chandan to Lord Krishna –

“Yam karothi thruthiyayaam Krishnam chandanam bhushitham
Vaishakhasyasithe pakshe Sayathyachyutha mandiram”

2) Parashurama jayanti mantra –

“Jamadagnya mahaveera kshatriyaantha kara prabho
Gruhanarghyam mayadattam krupayaa parameshwaraa”

3) While donating – 

“Sri parameshwara preethyartha muda kumbhadaanoktha phala vaapyartham brahmana yodakumbha daanam karishye thadanga kalasha pujyadhikam cha karishye”.

4) Kuber mantra – ever-lasting wealth in your life

“Kubera Twam Danadeesam Gruha Te Kamala Sithta Tam Devem Prehayasu Twam Madgruhe te Namo Namah”

•  Steps of puja as narrated in Sanskrit and Nepali language I just tried to copy them as they order to perform the ritual .Perform the Atma Pooja This is a pooja that is dome for the self purification. For this you can take a little water in your palm and pray to the Goddess to help you with the successful fulfillment of the pooja. Tilak and Aachaman Use sandalwood and kumkum to put a tilak on your forehead. Take some water in your palm and drink it. Sankalpa Take some more water in your palm and make a promise of completion of this pooja in front of the Goddess. If you are performing this pooja with a particular wish n mind, you can say it now. Asvahana and aasan Offer flowers and invite the Goddess into your home and into the area of worship. Offer her a seat and ask her to kindly accept your worship. Paadya Now offer water to the Goddess's feet. Aachaman Now offer water that has edible camphor mixed in it to the Goddess.
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 Dugdha Snan Now use cow's milk to bathe the Goddess or in other words, the Kalash that has established on the first day. Gritha Snan and Madhu Snan Use Ghee and honey to perform the abhisheka. Shakkara and Panchamrit Snan Use sugar and the panchammrit to perform the abhisheka. Vastra When the ceremonial bathing is over, offer the goddess clothes to wear. White is the preffered colour today. Chandan and kumkum Offer sandalwood and kumkum to the Goddess. Use them to apply a tilak on the Goddesses' forhead. Other things to offer Offer kajal, bilwapatra, dhruvapatra to the Goddess. Lamp and incense Now light a lamp that uses Ghee and offer the Dhoop or incense to the Goddess Chandraghanta. Bhog Offer the prasad that you have prepared to the Goddess. Aarti Perform aarti to the Goddess and also chant mantras that are dedicated to the Mother Goddess.

 It is the duty of the householders (grhastas) to take care of the guests. Guests are called atithi (one who comes without an invitation). grhe satrum api praptam visvastam akutobhayam: It is said that even if an enemy comes to one’s home, one should receive him with all respects. Even if there were no guests, it is the responsibility of the householder to go into the street and call out, “If anyone is hungry, please come. The food is ready. You can dine with us.” and give an opportunity for the guest to come.While the Pandavas were on exile, to help them take care of their guests, the sun-god gave them Akshaya Patra, a mysterious vessel which can supply unlimited quantity of food to cater to any number of people, as long as Draupadi (the wife of Pandavas) had not eaten.Guests are served  prsad of puri, jeri, potatoes curry, brown chick peas, kheer and tea.Prasad is made for “God”. And in Hinduism, God is everyone. He is within everyone, within every thing, within every creature. So feeding “God” is actually feeding “everybody”. No idol would eat the food, but people will. It is for their belief that a false play of presenting food in front of the idol is done.

It is therefore also advised to commoners, to offer their first meal to God. Some families even today follow this tradition. They offer some morsels of food to fire, and only then they would taste their food. Those who follow this “divine” tradition of prasadam, they rarely fall sick. They would be eating healthy food everyday.Also this tradition ensures that people, despite of their disbelief in God, can always feel secure at a temple. You never know who is going through a hard time. Maybe your offerings to “God” satisfy him in one of his human forms, who might be needing your help. This is a humanitarian system, a beautiful way of co-existing.

 Thus ,the story of Akshaytritiya celebration at home and Pashupatinath has been a long term narratology which my granny narrates with guests and we children enjoy at home with the bhog she prepares and we love temple visits with her ,so gathering with all relatives is the best policy of life to be communicative like her,social gathering and festive season make me happy and I just insert in a page of blog to compose HTML link to sort out the ideas which brainstorms in my mind.