Tihar
Oct–Nov, five days in the lunar month of Kartik (lunar calendar)
Tihar falls in October or November, usually two to three weeks after Dashain, and coincides with Diwali in India. Each of the five days has its own focus. On the first, Kag Tihar, families leave food for crows, seen as messengers. On the second, Kukur Tihar, dogs are garlanded with marigolds and given tika and treats, a sight that charms almost every visitor. The third day honours the cow in the morning and Laxmi in the evening, when houses are lit with oil lamps and candles.
The fourth day carries several celebrations. Many Hindus perform Govardhan Puja, while the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley celebrates Mha Puja, a ritual for the self, and the Nepal Sambat new year. The final day, Bhai Tika, is for brothers and sisters: sisters apply a tika of seven colours, place garlands of makhamali flowers around their brothers' necks and give them sweets, and brothers give gifts in return.
In the evenings groups of young people go from house to house singing deusi and bhailo songs and collecting small gifts. The old lanes of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur are at their prettiest, with rangoli patterns at doorways and lamps along window ledges. It is a gentler festival than Dashain, and an easy one for travellers to enjoy on an evening walk with a guide, ending with dinner and a view of the lamps from a rooftop terrace.
How to do it well
- Walk Patan or Bhaktapur after dark on the Laxmi Puja evening to see the lamps.
- Look out for garlanded dogs on Kukur Tihar, the second day.
- Some shops and offices close on Bhai Tika; plan shopping for earlier in the week.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
When is Tihar in Nepal?
Tihar falls in October or November, in the lunar month of Kartik, usually two to three weeks after Dashain and at the same time as Diwali in India. It lasts five days, with Laxmi Puja on the third evening and Bhai Tika on the fifth. Dates change each year with the lunar calendar, so check current status before you travel.
Why are dogs worshipped during Tihar?
On Kukur Tihar, the second day, dogs are honoured as companions and as messengers of Yama, the god of death. Families and many temples garland dogs with marigolds, mark their foreheads with red tika and give them special food, and street dogs receive the same treatment. It is one of the most photographed moments of the Nepali festival year.
What is Bhai Tika?
Bhai Tika is the last day of Tihar, dedicated to brothers and sisters. Sisters walk around their brothers, apply a seven-coloured tika to their foreheads, place garlands of makhamali flowers around their necks and wish them long life. Brothers return the tika and give gifts. Families travel home for it, so roads and flights are busy around the day.
Is Tihar the same as Diwali?
Tihar and Diwali fall at the same time and share the worship of Laxmi with lamps and lights, but Tihar has its own five-day pattern. It honours crows, dogs and cows, includes the Newar Mha Puja and new year, and ends with Bhai Tika for brothers and sisters. Visitors from India will find it familiar but distinctly Nepali.
Festival journeys
Routes built around the calendar
