Which Nepalese Tihar day is dedicated to worshipping dogs?

The Nepalese Tihar day dedicated to worshipping dogs is Kukur Tihar.

Kukur Tihar is the second day of Nepal’s five-day Tihar festival, which is usually celebrated in October or November. “Kukur” means “dog” in Nepali, and the day is also known as the Festival of Dogs. People honor pet dogs, working dogs, police dogs, and strays by offering food, placing a tika on their foreheads, and adorning them with marigold garlands.

The observance has religious as well as social meaning. In Hindu tradition, dogs are associated with Yama, the god of death, and are believed to guard the path to the afterlife. The Mahabharata also tells of Yudhishthira refusing to enter heaven without his faithful dog, who is then revealed to be Yama in disguise.

Kukur Tihar is often confused with Kaag Tihar, the day for honoring crows, or Gai Tihar, which honors cows. Goru Puja, meanwhile, is associated with oxen on the fourth day of Tihar.