Kukur tihar or honoring of the dog Tihar, the second day of the brightest festivals in Nepal. The five days celebration of tihar which is also known as Yama panchak, tihar is the most celebrated festival in Nepal after Dashain.
Tihar is celebrated in Nepal after a couple of weeks of Dashain. It is also famous and celebrated throughout Nepal with excitement and enthusiasm. It is a five days celebration and each day has its special significance. A famous story about a brother, Yama and sister, Yamuna is one of the reasons behind the celebration. This celebration is the fifth day of Tihar, because Yamuna wanted to spend time with her brother.
She sent a crow, a dog and then a cow to invite him to visit her. Then she again went herself, to invite him over. Yamuna made a circle with mustard oil, Cynodon Dactylon plant and mentioned that until the oil and the plant dried up, Yama was not to leave his sister. Then, she worshipped her brother with flowers, 5 different colored tika, garland made with marigold and also fasted all day for his long life.
When is Kukur Tihar celebrated?
The second day of tihar is kukur Tihar or the worshipping of the crow. It is celebrated on chaturthi. It usually falls in the month of Kartik according to the Gregorian calendar.
Why is Kukur Tihar celebrated?
The second day of this five days festival tihar is dedicated to the dogs. Dogs are one of the most loyal, faithful and diligent friends to humans. It is believed that dogs can see upcoming dangers and deaths. Perhaps, they howl and cry right before the death and are usually sad to notify the members of the family.
How is Kukur Tihar celebrated?
Usually, people leave the food items outside for the dogs to eat. If you do not have a pet at home, you can go to your negihbor or the dogs in the streets, or if that is not available then, leave the food stuff for dogs to come eat. Yama is the god of death.
The Story Behind Tihar
Tihar is celebrated in Nepal after a couple of weeks of Dashain. It is also famous and celebrated throughout Nepal with excitement and enthusiasm. It is a five days celebration and each day has its special significance. A famous story about a brother, Yama and sister, Yamuna is one of the reasons behind the celebration. This celebration is the fifth day of Tihar, because Yamuna wanted to spend time with her brother.
She sent a crow, a dog and then a cow to invite him to visit her. Then she again went herself, to invite him over. Yamuna made a circle with mustard oil, Makhmali garland plant and mentioned that until the oil and the plant dried up, Yama was not to leave his sister. Then, she worshipped her brother with flowers, 5 different colored tika, garland made with marigold and also fasted all day for his long life.
What are the five days of Tihar?
- Kaag Tihar (Worshipping of Crow)
- Kukur Tihar (Worshpping of a dog)
- Gai Tihar (Worshipping of a Cow), Laxmi Tihar or Deepwali (Worshipping of Goddess Laxmi)
- Govardhan Puja (Worshipping of miniature hill using cow dung and mud), Mah Puja (purify and empower the soul as part of New Year celebrations)
- Bhai Tika (Worshipping of a brother)
If you want to learn more about other festivities here are some popular ones:
- Deepwali: Festival of Lights
- Gai Jatra: The Procession of the Cow
- Significance of Janai Purnima or Rakshya Bandhan
Learn More About Hidden Adventure Nepal
To learn more about the festivities, culture of Nepal visit our websites. We offer customized packages for your travels to Nepal. Contact Us and for the packages find out more about the offers and deals for your next trip.