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Nepal's Kukur Tihar Festival Is Dedicated Entirely To Dogs

Rachel Andrews

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Nepal's Kukur Tihar Festival Is Dedicated Entirely To Dogs

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Nepal celebrated our fluffy four-legged friends in its Kukur Tihar 'Day of the Dogs' on Tuesday, and it looked incredible.

The five-day Nepalese Hindu festival of Tihar kicked off earlier this week, and the second day is dedicated entirely to dogs.

Pooches are given flower garlands and are blessed with a Tika, which is a red or white mark applied to their forehead.

Both stray dogs and pets are doted on and offered delicious food as part of the five day-long festival.

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Hindus believe that dogs are messengers of Yamaraj - the God of death - and they hope that a day dedicated to them will please him.

Social media is littered with pictures of pets and stray dogs being honoured in the festival, wearing flower garlands and tika, enjoying banquets of food.

Other animals are also honoured in the festival including crows and ravens, which have sweet foods and delicacies left out for them.

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The caw-caw that the gathering birds create is a symbol of sadness to Hindus, and they believe the crows could also be their ancestors.

Cows are given garlands and tika on the morning of day three, and are allowed to graze on the best grass, and oxen are honoured in the same way on day four.

Tihar is also known as Deepavali or the festival of lights, and it either comes in November or October, depending on the year.

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Diyas (oil lamps) are lit inside and outside houses to make them illuminate at night. They pray to the Goddess of Wealth Laxmi, urging her to visit their homes and bless them.

They also encourage her to visit by making patterns called Rangoli on the floors of their living rooms or courtyards by using coloured rice, dry flour and flower petals.

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Rangoli is meant to be a sacred welcoming area for the Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism.

Topics: Life News, Pets, Real, Dogs

Rachel Andrews
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