DIWALI - DOG DAY OF WORSHIP

Photo from: Mother Nature Network Website

We collected the information for our explanation of Diwali from Dogster.com

Diwali, one of the great celebrations in the Hindu calendar, is a five-day autumn festival generally known as the festival of lights. Each day has its own focus, and specific observances vary from one denomination of Hinduism to another. Regardless of regional and denominational differences, Diwali is a period of gift-giving, storytelling, and recognition of the relationships humans have with all things.

In Nepal, Diwali is called Tihar. Similar to other Diwali observances, lamps are lit at night during Tihar. The festival of lights celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of knowledge over ignorance, and the dissolution of barriers that separate humans from authentic experience of the world. Nepalese Hinduism is unique in dedicating the second day of Tihar, Kukur Tihar, to the worship of dogs.

Diwali for Dogs: The Garland

​What forms does this worship take? During Kukur Tihar, the mythological and real relationships between humans and dogs constitute the day’s major focus. A garland of flowers is draped around the neck of every dog; not only those with homes, but strays as well.

Diwali for Dogs: The Tika

On Kukur Tihar, a red mark is applied to the forehead of each dog. In Nepal, this mark is called the tika, a paste made from abir — a red dye powder — along with rice and yogurt. The tika is applied in a single stroke on the forehead upward from the eyes.

Like the malla that garlands the neck, the red tika marks the dog as both a devotee of the righteous path and as an object of devotion. The tika imbues the dog with an air of sacredness and acts as a blessing to those who encounter the dog during Kukur Tihar.

Diwali for Dogs: Food Offerings

Prayers and flowers are certainly nice, but as far as dogs are concerned, their favorite part of Kukur Tihar must be the food. On the first day of Diwali, Kaag Tihar, food is arrayed on the roofs of homes as offerings to crows. On the second day, food offerings are put out for dogs in the home, as well as for strays in the streets.

These food offerings take a variety of forms. Depending on the celebrant, the dog’s treats may include milk, eggs, meat, or high-quality dog food. Some may even offer dogs a bit of sel roti, a deep-fried confection similar to a donut. This is a day when dogs have the best of everything.

Real Dog Moms of Chicago has partnered with Utsab, the owner of The Amazing Paw dog walking company and native to Nepal, to bring together a local celebration of our dogs. Together with One Tail At A Time we will be hosting a beautiful evening on October 26th at One Tail At A Time’s Adoption Center to bless our beloved dogs both those with homes and those waiting for homes. Every detail has been carefully planned in honor of the Hindu tradition. Utsab’s mother will be flying in from Nepal and teaching Jessica (rdmoc) and Heather (OTAT) how to perform the blessing alongside her, as well as bringing in traditional items for the tika, garland and food offerings. We are very excited to share, honor and experience this wonderful celebration with our community.

Tickets for this event will be on sale October 1, 2019 and will include traditional tea and small bites from Nepal, as well as local food & beverage items. Somewhere in my googling I saw that gambling, especially card games are also popular parts of the festivities and are considered auspicious. We will be hosting raffle items to raise more money for One Tail at a Time and a dog shelter in Nepal. Tickets will be on sale before the blessing and winner selected after the blessing in celebration. 
​
P.S.  If you are a local business that would like to donate high quality dog treats (shaped like fish, ideally), marigold flowers for the garland or financial donations to help cover the cost of the perishable items we would love to talk to you, please email [email protected]

DIWALI EVENT

---

RETURN TO NEWS PAGE