The Nepali five-day festival of lights is called Tihar. It is also known as Yamapanchak, Dipawali, or Swanti in some communities.
Tihar usually falls in October or November according to the Gregorian calendar. Its five days honor animals and deities connected with Yama, the Hindu god of death and justice, as well as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Homes are cleaned and decorated, and rows of oil lamps called diyas are lit to welcome prosperity and dispel darkness.
The festival’s sequence includes Kag Tihar for crows, Kukur Tihar for dogs, Gai Tihar and Lakshmi Puja, Goru Tihar or Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Tika. Children also sing Deusi and Bhailo songs while visiting homes. Tihar is related to Diwali, but it is not simply another name for the Indian festival: its distinctive animal-honoring traditions and Bhai Tika give it a specifically Nepali character.