Content
- What is Tihar and what is it celebrated?
- The five-day events at Tihar or Swanti
- How do you honor animals in Tihar?
Tihar is a festival celebrated in Nepal and in some states of India such as Assam, Sikkim and West Bengal. the diwali is an official and very important party in Hindu countries as it celebrates the triumph of light, good and knowledge of all evils. The festival marks the end of the year of Nepal's lunar calendar, the Nepal Sambat.
Tihar, also called Swanti, is an autumnal festival, although the exact date varies from year to year. It usually lasts about five days and at Animal Expert we want to tell you more about this topic as it blesses the animals.
Keep reading and find out all about the Tihar, a festival in Nepal that honors animals.
What is Tihar and what is it celebrated?
both the tihar like the Diwali know each other as "light festivals" and represent themselves with small lanterns or lanterns called diyas that are placed inside and outside the houses, besides that there are fireworks shows.
Diwali is a prayer time and spiritual renewal, in which people clean their homes and families gather to celebrate, pray and offer gifts to each other. However, the most concrete rituals depend on religion. The lights represent the victory of knowledge and hope over ignorance and despair, and therefore the triumph of good over evil.
In Nepal, the tihar mark the end of the national lunar calendar, so the renovation is especially important. This feeling of renewal applies in many aspects to life, such as health, business or wealth. Despite this, most people celebrate the new year in April, with the festival Vaisakhi, as is done in Punjab.
The five-day events at Tihar or Swanti
O tihar is a festival in Nepal that lasts for five days. In each of them, different rituals and celebrations are carried out, which we describe below:
- Day one: kaag tihar celebrates ravens as messengers from God.
- Day two: Kukur tihar celebrates the loyalty of dogs.
- Day three: Gai tihar celebrates and honors cows. It's also the last day of the year, and people pray the Laxmi, the goddess of wealth.
- Day four: Goru have celebrates and honors the cows, and the My Pua celebrates the new year with complete body care.
- Day five: bhai tika celebrates the love between brothers and sisters by praying and offering garlands and other gifts.
During the Tihar, it is tradition for people to visit their neighbors, sing and dance seasonal songs like the Bhailo (for the girls) and the Deusi Re (for boys). They also bless and give money and gifts to charity.
How do you honor animals in Tihar?
As we explained, the tihar is a festival in Nepal that honors dogs, crows, cows and oxen, as well as their relationship with humans. In order for you to better understand how they honor and celebrate this tradition, we explain their activities to you:
- crows (Kaag tihar) they believe they are God's messengers who bring pain and death. In their favor and to avoid bringing bad events with them, people offer treats such as sweets.
- dogs (Kukur tihar) dogs stand out above other animals due to their loyalty and honesty. Offer them chrysanthemums or chrysanthemum garlands and treats. Dogs are also honored with tilaka, a red mark on the forehead: something that is always done to guests or to the idols of prayer.
- cows and oxen (Gai and Tihar Goru): It is widely known that cows are sacred in Hinduism as they symbolize wealth and motherhood. During the Tihar, garlands are offered to cows and oxen as well as treats. Lights with sesame oil are also lit in her honor. Furthermore, cow dung is used to make large mounds.
