Matatirtha Aunsi Celebrated Across Nepal Today

Matatirtha Aunsi, popularly known as Mother’s Day, is being celebrated across the country today with deep devotion and reverence toward mothers.

This special day honors the vital role of mothers, who are regarded as greater even than priests and fathers in religious scriptures. Traditionally, children rise early, bathe, and dress their mothers in beautiful clothes, offering them sweet and savory foods to express gratitude and seek their blessings for happiness and prosperity. It is a moment to recognize the immense contributions and sacrifices of mothers within families and society.

For those whose mothers have passed away, the day is marked by remembrance. They honor their mothers’ enduring legacy by making offerings to their departed souls and donating food to the needy in their memory.

Ancient Vedic texts emphasize the supreme status of mothers and the motherland, encapsulated in the revered saying, “Janani Janmabhoomischa Swargadapi Gariyasi”—meaning the mother and motherland are more cherished than heaven itself, explained Prof. Dr. Devmani Bhattarai, a theologist and member of the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee. He noted that scriptures place a mother’s importance as a thousand times greater than that of a father, which underpins the day’s traditions of offering gifts and sweets to living mothers and holding rituals for those who have passed away.

In observance of Matatirtha Aunsi, a grand fair is underway at Mata Tirtha in Chandragiri Municipality, Kathmandu. Meanwhile, many devotees are visiting temples, riverbanks, and confluences to pray for the eternal peace of their late mothers. Those blessed with living mothers are visiting them today with gifts, flowers, and heartfelt prayers for their continued blessings.