Kukur Tihar is the Festival of Dogs that is celebrated in Nepal on the second day of the Tihar festival, which goes on for five days in the country. Tihar 2022 will be celebrated from October 22 to October 27. Meanwhile, Kukur Tihar will fall on October 24, Monday. People worship the dogs and decorate them with tilak and garlands on this day. They thank the dogs for their loyalty and companionship, which excludes them from every other animal. It is believed that disrespecting furry animals on this day is sinful and must be avoided at all costs. As you celebrate the special day dedicated to worshipping dogs in Nepal, learn all about Kukur Tihar 2022 date & significance. Know everything about the traditional day celebrated by the Nepalese diaspora worldwide. Pet-Friendly Happy Diwali 2022: Tips To Ensure Your Furry Companions Are Feeling Safe and Calm This Deepavali.

Kukur Tihar 2022 Date

Kukur Tihar is observed on the second day of the Tihar festival in Nepal. The five-day festival is known to be the second-largest celebration that occurs in the country after Dashain. During the Hindu festival, people worship the four creatures associated with the God of Death, Yama. Tihar begins with Kaag Tihar, a day dedicated to the cows, which is followed by Kukur Tihar in Nepal. The festive period ends with Bhai Tika on the Dwitiya Tithi of the dark fortnight of Kartika month. Thus, Kukur Tihar 2022 falls on October 24, which marks the second-day celebration of the Tihar festival.

History & Significance of Kukur Tihar

The epic of Mahabharata mentioned the five Pandavas who made their way to heaven and were accompanied by a dog. While all of them went on to climb the Himalayas along with their wife Draupadi, Yudhishthira and his dog perished along the way. They were met by the King of Gods, Indra, who denied entry to the dog and asked Yudhishthira to leave him behind. However, he refused and agreed to return to earth, leading to the dog emerging as Yama, the God of Death.

According to Hindu mythology, Yama, the God of Death, has two dogs - Shyama and Sharvara, who guard the door of hell or the netherworld. It is believed that worshipping the dogs on Kukur Tihar lets people perceive death positively as they hope to be protected by them against torture in hell. Thus, devotees worship the dogs to please Yama on this traditional day.

The four-legged creatures are worshipped by putting a tika on their forehead to indicate the significance of the religious tradition. People pay homage to the dogs by offering them meat, eggs, peanuts and other gourmet preparations to keep them fulfilled and pleased. Thus, Kukur Tihar celebrates the special relationship between a human and a dog and marks it with all the traditions and rituals intact.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2022 09:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).