There is a saying which goes, ‘Every Dog has his Day’, and this could not be more true today on Kukur Tihar, or the festival of dogs, which is being celebrated in many Hindu households in the country to mark the second day of five-day long Yamapanchak of Tihar, the second biggest festival of Hindus which is also called Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
The dog, an animal well known for being loyal to people since ancient times, is worshipped once a year on this day.
People worship dogs, garland it with flowers and feed it special dishes today. This day is also called Narak Chaturdashi.
The Hindu epic Mahabharata talks about the close relationship dogs have enjoyed with mankind. According to it, a dog is said to have accompanied Dharmaraj Yudhisthir on his journey to heaven alive.
Yamapanchak is celebrated as a symbol of co-existence of human beings with all the living things in nature by worshipping the crow, dog, cow and oxen since ancient times, as part of Nepali culture. nepalnews.com Oct 27 08
