The Nepal Army celebrated Kukur Tihar by applying tika and garlands on dogs (photos)

Kathmandu — Today (Yam Panchak), the second day of the Tihar festival, is being observed as Kukur Tihar. In Nepali households it is customary to apply tika and put garlands on dogs, feed them sweet delicacies, and perform a kind of worship.

Dogs are seen as obedient domestic animals, protectors of the home, and faithful creatures. According to religious and cultural belief, dogs are thought to sniff out criminals, act as the vehicle of Bhairava, and give advance warning of destructive natural disasters or divine calamities.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Army also completed a ceremonial worship of dogs. At the Bhairav Vahan Gulm in Bhaktapur, military dogs were worshipped and a “dog-kala” (dog regiment) demonstration held in celebration of Kukur Tihar.

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