Kukur Tihar, Nepal’s annual dog worship festival held on October 20, 2025, honours the loyalty and companionship of dogs by adorning them with garlands, applying tikas, and offering special food.
The tradition, rooted in Hindu mythology, venerates dogs as messengers of Yama, the god of death, and symbolises protection, gratitude, and respect for all living beings.
This year, Kukur Tihar coincides with Laxmi Puja, blending the worship of animals and the goddess of wealth, and highlighting Nepal’s unique cultural ethos of harmony between faith, humans, and animals.
Dogs Celebrated, Loyalties Honoured: Nepal’s Kukur Tihar Festival
More than just a religious ritual, Kukur Tihar serves as a reminder of humanity’s bond with animals — a day when loyalty, service and companionship are honoured through flowers, food and faith.
Summary
As lamps light up homes and marigolds brighten the streets of Nepal, one of the country’s most touching traditions takes centre stage — the worship of dogs. Known as Kukur Tihar, or the Dog Festival, this annual celebration forms the second day of Nepal’s five-day Tihar festival and honours the loyalty, love and protection dogs bring to human lives.
The festival, observed this year on October 20, 2025, sees dogs — both pets and strays — bathed, adorned with garlands of marigold, and marked with a red tika on their foreheads. They are then offered special treats such as meat, milk, eggs and dog food. The ritual is not confined to households alone — even street dogs are decorated and fed, reflecting the inclusive spirit of the celebration.
The roots of Kukur Tihar lie deep in Hindu mythology. Dogs are considered the messengers and gatekeepers of Yama, the god of death, and worshipping them is believed to bring protection from untimely death and misfortune. The Mahabharata further reinforces this reverence — when Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, refuses to enter heaven without his faithful dog, it symbolises unconditional loyalty and companionship.
Beyond its religious origins, the festival highlights Nepal’s deep cultural respect for all living beings. Animal welfare groups across Kathmandu and other cities use the day to care for and feed stray dogs, promote adoption drives, and raise awareness about compassion towards animals. For the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, it is also a day to honour their canine units, recognising the service of dogs in rescue and security operations.
This year, Kukur Tihar coincides with Laxmi Puja, the day devoted to worshipping the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The overlap of these two observances adds symbolic depth — as homes welcome wealth and good fortune, they also express gratitude to animals that safeguard and share their lives.
Tihar itself is celebrated from October 19 to 23, with each day dedicated to a different being — crows, dogs, cows, oxen, and finally, the bond between brothers and sisters. The shifting dates each year are determined by the lunar calendar, falling in the Hindu month of Kartik.
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More than just a religious ritual, Kukur Tihar serves as a reminder of humanity’s bond with animals — a day when loyalty, service and companionship are honoured through flowers, food and faith. In Nepal’s streets and homes alike, the sight of dogs proudly wearing garlands stands as a testament to gratitude, kindness and shared existence.
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