Gokarna Aunsi

Gokarna Aunsi

Between August and September; during the waning half of the Hindu month of BhadrapadaA Hindu festival unique to Nepal, Gokarna Aunsi honors fathers living and dead. Also known as Kuse Aunsi, it is celebrated during Bhadrapada, a lunar month in the Hindu calendar. It takes place during the month's dark fortnight, placing it sometime between August or early September.
In Nepalese culture, fathers are highly regarded as the pillars of the family and the community, so the festival has a significant place among religious days. Children with living fathers show their appreciation by giving presents and sweets. After the presentation of gifts, it is customary for sons to touch their fathers' feet with their foreheads, while daughters will touch their hands. This tender gesture is known as "looking upon father's face."
Those whose fathers are deceased also pay tribute. One noteworthy ceremony takes place at the Gokarneswor Mahadeva shrine of Gokarna, a village located just east of Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. The shrine has special significance for Hindus because they believe it was the dwelling site of Shiva, who is attributed with having special affinity with the souls of dead.
CONTACTS:
Nepal Tourism Board
Tourist Service Center
Bhirkuti Mandap
Kathmandu, Nepal
www.welcomenepal.com
SOURCES:
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 513
RelHolCal-2004, p. 173