Nepal's Day of the Dog!
October 19, 2009
The second day of the Tihar Festival is devoted to honoring man's best friend -- the dog. In 2007, we were lucky enough to be in Pokhara for the Day of the Dog or Khukor Puja.
We found this adorable puppy on New Road in Pokhara.
Above is Amar's version of the lucky little dog.
This dog was also along New Road. Dogs in Nepal get to roam free, without collars most of the time, and rarely on a leash. Notice the traditional necklace of marigolds.
Here's that previous puppy and her Nepali owner.
The first day of Tihar is devoted to crows and little tidbits are left for the crows to eat. The second day is devoted to Dogs, the third to cows, the fourth day is devoted to little brothers and the fifth is the festival of light, devoted to Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, and the night is aglow with spectacular displays of candles and holiday lights of all types inviting wealth into their households. I notice that both Hindus and Buddhists celebrate this holiday.
The dates of the Tihar celebration are based on a lunar calendar and change each year. This year's date to celebrate the Day of the Dog was October 17.
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