The Newar community in Bhaktapur has decided to celebrate Mha Puja on Kartik 4 (October 20, 2025) and Kija Puja (Bhai Tika) on Kartik 5 (October 21, 2025) this year.
The decision was made in a meeting chaired by Bhaktapur Municipality Mayor Sunil Prajapati, attended by Taleju Temple priests and astrologers Dr. Birendra Prasad Kayastha and Kedar Prasad Daivagya Joshi.
According to the priests and the lunar calendar, Kag Tihar will be celebrated on Kartik 2 (October 18), Kukur Tihar on Kartik 3 (October 19), and Laxmi Puja on the same day in the evening as the Amavasya Tithi begins at 3:00 PM. Mha Puja will be observed on Kartik 4 (October 20) after 4:29 PM when the Pratipada Tithi begins, and Kija Puja (Bhai Tika) will be held on Kartik 5 (October 21) after 6:20 PM when the Dwitiya Tithi starts.
Meanwhile, the Panchang Determination Committee has announced a slightly different schedule — Kartik 4 as a holiday, Kartik 5 for Mha Puja, and Kartik 6 (Thursday) for Kija Puja (Bhai Tika).
In recent years, Bhaktapur Municipality has been celebrating the Tihar festival based on the Taleju priests’ and local astrologers’ calendar, rather than following the Panchang Determination Committee’s official calendar. Following the same tradition, the municipality has once again announced its own dates for Tihar this year.
As a result, some members of the Newar community in Bhaktapur celebrate the festival according to the municipality’s schedule, while others follow the Panchang Determination Committee’s official dates.
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