MATA TiRTHA AUNSi

The Mata Tirtha Aunsi is a festival in Nepal that’s observed to honor mothers and motherhood. It is a day-long festival, and its observance is tied with the new moon that falls in the month of Baisakh.

As such, the date of the festival moves between April 19 to May 19. A pilgrimage to the Mata Tirtha Pond on the western outskirts of Kathmandu is often done during the day as a way of honoring deceased mothers.

It is believed that those who bathe in the pond and perform a tarpan ritual help deceased mother’s attain salvation, apart from bringing prosperity to the family. There’s also a belief that states that those who visit the pond can see their departed mother’s face reflected on the surface of the water.