This was a short day as we reached Ghorepani soon after lunch. The name in Nepali means horse water

As this was in the middle of the Tihar festival people were gambling in the street

Brenda and Suzy had the great idea to suprise our staff with a Tihar party on the 3rd day of Tihar. The girls spent the previous day collecting flowers and making around 26 garlands. We bought tikka powder and snacks As we setup we resticted access to the dining tent and our staff were abuzz in anticipation of what we were cooking up.

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One by one we called in our 22 staff where according to tradition the girls applied a tikka to their forehead, put the garland over their head and offered them treats and Chris served his special Yak Soup drink, a captivating concocation of rum and some other unknown stuff

The third day is the most important day of the festival. It is called 'Laxmi puja', The day when Nepalis worship goddess of wealth. On this day, early in the morning the cow is worshipped. Tika is put on her head and a garland around her neck then she feasts with delicious food. A cow also symbolises wealth and she is the most holy animal for Hindus. Cow is the national animal of Nepal.

In the evening goddess laxmi is worshipped. Days before the house are cleansed and decorated. For goddess likes clean and tidy places. In the evening a small potion of the house out side the main door is painted red with red mud and an oil lamp is lit on it. (our staff tidied up our camping area and lit candles outside the entrance to all our tents) A pathway is made from here to the place where the old money box and valuables are kept in the house that is the puja room. All the Nepalese have a box where from generation to generation money is put every year worshipping goddess laxmi. This money is never used unless extreme emergency. The entire house is decorated with lit oil lamps in every doors and windows. Laxmi, goddess of wealth is worshipped performing the traditional rituals and when the rituals are over then gambling in the house starts. This is a festival when gambling is not illegal. On this day throughout the evening groups of girls come to houses singing song of praise of the goddess and they are taken as guests and given gifts. This day the entire place is lively through out the night.