Worshipping Crow and Dog in Nepal Today
By KTM Metro Reporter
October 25, 2011: Hindus and Buddhists as well have celebrated the festival of crow and dog in Nepal today. They have first worshipped crow as a few hours of making offerings to crow have remained today morning following the Nepal Calendar called Nepal Samvat and then they celebrated the day of dog garlanding dogs, decorating them with vermillion and giving them nice foods elsewhere in Nepal.
Actually, the first day of five days of Tihar is of crow but yesterday, it has started only afternoon. So, Nepalis celebrated the day of crow today morning, and then the day of dog.
Today also is the day of Dhanavantari: the proponent of Aryuveda that has the principles of preventing diseases and treating diseases. Aryuveda uses mainly herbal medicines. All students of Dhanavantari have celebrated the day of Dhanavantari and of Aryuveda.
The remaining three days are for celebrating the day of Goddess of Wealth: Laksmi and certainly sacred cow that is living goddess of wealth for Hindus.
The fourth day is the day for celebrating the day of bull, govardan or self-reverence or of New Year following the Nepal Samvat depending on which ethnic group you belong to.
The last day or the fifth day is the day for performing ‘bhai-tika’ means adoring brothers with five different color tika. Some writers believe that the tika looks like a traffic light.
Unlike in Dashian, nobody kills any animal or birds in the name of offering sacrifices to different goddesses and gods during this festival. Nepalis decorate their houses with flowers and illuminate their homes with lights in the evening of the day of Goddess Laksmi to welcome Her. So, the festival of Tihar is for merrymaking and enjoying the beautiful lives on earth