In November 2019 Laxmi Support sponsored the Tihar festival for the children of Hopeful Home. Tihar is a five-day Hindu festival, which is celebrated mainly in Nepal and some parts of India. It is the second largest festival in the country and is also called the ‘festival of lights’, as many lights are lit inside and outside the home in the evening. The festival is very special because not only gods and elders are honored, but also animals, such as the crow, dog and cow.
On the evening of the third day, offerings are given to Laxmi, the Goddess of Prosperity, by burning oil lamps and candles in front of the windows and doors to welcome prosperity and happiness into the home. On this day, songs are also sung and children go door to door to collect food and money.
The fifth and last day of the festival is called ‘Bhai Tika’, where sisters apply a ’tika’ on the foreheads of their brothers to wish them long life and thank them for their protection. The sisters follow a traditional ritual where drops of oil are sprinkled on the floor and in the hair of the brothers followed by applying a seven-coloured ’tika’. The sisters are also given a tika and gifts are handed out. Those who do not have a brother or sister are given a ’tika’ by friends or family. This festival strengthens the bond between brothers and sisters.
Ram of the Laxmi Support Foundation went out with Gopini Wosti, Krishna and a few other children from Hopeful Home to do lots of grocery shopping. They bought two bags of rice of 50 kilos, 6 kilos of sugar, oil, tea, meat, flowers, fruit, potatoes, various vegetables, coconuts, soft drinks, shampoo, conditioners, new underwear for all 24 children, and much more.
The children of Hopeful Home were very happy and it made their Tihar very special for this year. We would like to thank all our sponsors for their support.