Tihar (the Festival of Lights)

One of the reasons we came to Nepal when we did was to witness the Tihar celebration. This year, Tihar was celebrated November 1st to 5th.

Tihar is a 5 day Hindu/Buddhist festival celebrated in Nepal, also known as Deepawali. (Very similar to Diwali in India). It begins two days prior to the new moon and ends two days after and means "Festival of Lights." During the festival many candles are lit inside and outside the house to make it bright at night, and it is also a time to worship animals such as the crow, cow and dog who maintain an important relationship with people. 

The first day of Tihar is known as Kag Puja (worship of crows). Crows symbolize sadness and grief in the Hindu mythology, so worshipers offer sweets and dishes on the roofs of their houses to avert grief and death in their homes.

The second day is known as Kukur Puja (worship of dogs). Dogs are messengers of Lord Yamarej - God of Death. Garlands are put around their neck, tika placed on their forehead and good food is given to acknowledge the cherished relationship.

The third day is called Laxmi Puja, and the evening of the third day is the day of the new moon. In the morning, the cow is worshipped. The cow is a sign of prosperity and wealth. Garlands are placed around the neck of the cow and the best grass is fed to them. 

Houses are cleaned and doorways and windows are decorated with garlands made of marigold and chrysanthemums. In the evening, Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, is thanked by lighting oil lamps and candles in doorways and windows welcoming prosperity and well being. In the evening the girls dance and sing and visit all the houses playing an historical game called Bhailo. They collect money and sweets from the houses by singing and dancing and then share their collections amongst themselves.

The fourth and fifth days are comprised of Bhailo and Deuisi, songs sung by girls and boys respectively that are only sung on these Tihar days. Homeowners give them money, fruit and rice in return. 

In the Newar culture, the fourth day they also celebrate worship of self, as Tihar is also their New Year so it ensures prosperity in the New Year. 

On the fifth day of Tihar, sisters put tika in the foreheads of their brothers to ensure long life and thank them for the protection they give. Brothers will sit on the floor while their sisters perform the puja. The sister will circle the brother three times, dropping oil on the floor from a copper pitcher. They will put oil in the ears and hair and then give them tika by dabbing seven colours on top of the base, followed by placing a flower garland around their neck. In return, brothers give gifts to their sisters. The festival is then ended by a Tihar feast.

We witnessed Tihar in both Bhaktapur and Pokhara - two very different atmospheres!

We arrived in Bhaktapur on the first evening of Tihar. The next day, the main signs of Tihar were all the marigold garlands for sale in the square, the hundreds of clay candle holders for sale, and of course the dogs walking around with garlands around their necks and coloured powder (tika) on their foreheads. 

 Dogs of Tihar:

The third evening of Tihar, the power was out and candles were out all over Bhaktapur, including on the temples. We made our way down narrow streets, all lit by candle light. Many homes had drawn rangolis outside their home to make them look attractive and beautiful. Girls were busy going from door to door and even around the market, collecting money and other offerings. Dave and I listened to a group sing Bhailo and gave them some rupees. 

We retreated to our room until we heard loud singing coming from Durbur square. we looked out and could see people lighting candles and so we went out to take a look. A group had gathered in front of the old palace and were singing and spelling out something with candles. It was quite the captivating atmosphere!

The next day we flew to Pokhara, a city much more catered to tourists. Many groups were singing and dancing in the street (with cars, buses and motorbikes having to maneuver around them and the crowds that formed). Candles were lit at bars and restaurants, though even though the power was out, backup generators ensured there was still some fluorescent light amongst the candle lit ambience. 

On the fifth day we tried to get out to some museums, but of course everyone was getting or giving tika! We did finally find a taxi to the Gurkha museum only to find it closed, but then made it to the mountain museum and it was open. We didn't get to witness the ceremony unfortunately (though the next day met someone who would have invited us into his home had we only met a day earlier!) We did see many men with colourful tikas and garlands walking around though as we walked back from the museum through local streets!