Every year in Nepal a large festival celebrates the friendship that joins dogs and humans.
Diwali – the festival of light –plays a large part in the Hindu calendar and unites millions of Indians for five days in autumn.
The Nepalese have taken the step to dedicate the second day of the festivities to our friends, dogs.
This special day, called Kukur Tihar, sees the population recognise and celebrate the loyalty, kindness and love of dogs.
Stray and domestic dogs all receive the same honours: crowns of flowers adorning their necks, red marks on their forehead to bless them and prayers by their sides...
But even if they appreciate the flowers and prayers, they undoubtedly prefer the food offerings, which are left by the Nepalese on every street corner. These offerings aren’t measly leftovers either, as it is customary to feed the dogs the best possible food.
The spirit of the festival has even crossed borders with many Internet users eager to honour their dogs (with whatever they have on hand).
This year, Kukur Tihar took place in June, only a few days after the sickening Yulin festival in China. What a way to warm the hearts of supporters and animal lovers.
Perhaps it is the fact that the Nepalese don’t stop there. Last July, they put an end to the largest sacrificing of animals in the world, which had taken place every five years for around three centuries, in honour of the goddess Gadhimai.
Ram Chandra Shah, the representative of the Gadhimai temple announced that: “The time has come to transform this old tradition and replace killing and violence with peaceful worship and celebration.”
A historic decision achieved thanks to actions in the field by associations such as Humane Society International and Animal Welfare Network Nepal (AWNN).
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