Which animal is honored on Gai Tihar, the morning of the third day of Tihar? Cows.
Gai Tihar is the morning observance on the third day of Nepal's Tihar festival, and it is dedicated to cows. People express gratitude by feeding cows, applying tika, and placing flower garlands around them. The cow is respected as a gentle, giving animal with an important place in Hindu religious and agricultural life.
Cows are traditionally valued for products such as milk, ghee, and cheese, while cow dung and urine have also had ritual and agricultural uses. Their role as providers helps explain why honoring the animal is connected with gratitude, prosperity, and household well-being.
The third day continues into the evening with Lakshmi Puja, dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Homes are cleaned and decorated, lamps are lit at entrances and windows, and worshippers symbolically invite Lakshmi inside. This makes Gai Tihar distinct from Kukur Tihar, which honors dogs on day two, and Goru Tihar, which honors oxen later in the festival.