Kukur Tihar 2026: Nepal's Dog Festival and Our Trail Dogs

Note: The Nepal Tourism Board is promoting Kukur Tihar this year with the Kukur Tihar Reel Contest 2026. The best reel wins NPR 100,000 (Rs 1 lakh). Reels must be original and in English or have English subtitles. The deadline is 21 November 2026.

Kukur Tihar is the day Nepal honours dogs. On Sunday 8 November 2026, families, police officers and army handlers across the country will give dogs a red tika, a marigold garland and a good meal. Pet dogs and street dogs are both included.

This guide covers what Kukur Tihar is, the 2026 dates, why dogs are worshipped and how we celebrate. It also covers the dogs we meet on trek, which walk with us, play with us and keep us company on the trail.

What Is Kukur Tihar?

Kukur Tihar is Nepal's dog festival, held on the second day of Tihar. Kukur means dog in Nepali, and the Nepal Tourism Board translates the name as "Dog Festival". It is also called the Festival of Dogs or the Day of the Dogs.

The day falls in the month of Kartik, usually in October or November. The date moves each year with the lunar calendar.

When Is Kukur Tihar in 2026?

Kukur Tihar 2026 is on Sunday 8 November, which is Kartik 22, 2083 BS. The Nepali calendar for Kartik 2083 lists Kukur Tihar and Laxmi Puja on the same day this year. Dogs are honoured in the morning and Laxmi Puja follows in the evening.

The Five Days of Tihar, Nepal's Diwali

Tihar is Nepal's five-day festival, also known as Deepawali or the Festival of Lights. Each day honours an animal, a deity or a relationship. These are the 2026 dates:

Laxmi Puja usually shares the third day with the cows. In 2026 it moves to the second day. Nepal Sambat 1147, the Newar new year, begins with Mha Puja on 10 November.

Why Dogs Are Worshipped in Nepal

Dogs are worshipped because Hindu tradition links them to Yama, the god of death, and to Bhairav. The Nepal Tourism Board says dogs are thought to guard the gates of the afterlife, so honouring them also honours Yama. Yama's two four-eyed dogs, Sharvara and Shyama, guard the paths to the underworld. In Nepal, dogs are also described as the vehicle of Bhairav.

The best-known story comes from the Mahabharata. Yudhishthira walks through the Himalayas towards heaven, and a dog follows him. When the god Indra arrives to take him in but refuses the dog, Yudhishthira says he will stay behind rather than abandon it. The dog then reveals itself as Yama, who had been testing him, and Yudhishthira enters heaven.

People also thank dogs for what they do every day. They are honoured for their loyalty and obedience and for their role as protectors and companions.

How We Celebrate Kukur Tihar in Nepal

We give every dog a tika, a garland and special food. That includes our own dogs and the street dogs in our neighbourhoods. The Nepal Tourism Board describes the same three parts to the day:

• Tika. We put a red mark of vermilion powder, rice and sometimes yogurt on the dog's forehead as a blessing.
• Garland. We put a marigold mala around the dog's neck as a sign of respect.
• Food. We give dogs meat, eggs, milk, biscuits or dog food.

On 3 November 2026, Kathmandu Metropolitan City banned plastic flowers and garlands for this Tihar and named sale points for fresh ones, including New Road, Bhrikutimandap, Kalimati, Chabahil, Maharajgunj and Swoyambhu.

Shelters mark the day too. Sneha's Care, a shelter for street dogs in Lalitpur, celebrated it with its dogs in 2022, when it had around 170 dogs.

Nepal Police and Army Dogs on Kukur Tihar

Nepal Police and the Nepal Army both hold ceremonies for their working dogs. Handlers give the dogs garlands, tika and food.

Nepal Police. The dog service began in 1968, when officers returned from training with four dogs from Malaysia. By 2018 the unit had 78 dogs of eight breeds, working at the international airport in Kathmandu and at provincial police offices. In 2005, police dogs found a 20 kg explosive buried at the entrance of a stadium in Pokhara.

The force also names a Best Dog of the Year at its Kukur Tihar event. Kushal won in 2018 after tracking a murder suspect in Pokhara, and Ghungroo won in 2025.

Nepal Army. The army trains its dogs at the Bhairav Bahan Company in Sano Thimi, Bhaktapur, and holds a Kukur Tihar event there every year. Onlinekhabar reported in 2023 that the company housed 88 dogs. It also reported that 13 dogs had served with Nepali peacekeepers on UN missions in Liberia and Libya, mostly detecting arms and explosives.

Kukur Tihar in the USA

Kukur Tihar is also celebrated in the United States. The first Kukur Tihar USA, a Day of the Dog celebration, was held on 27 October 2024 at James Long Park in Haymarket, Virginia. It was held again in 2025. People bring their dogs for garlands and tika, as in Nepal.

How to Honour a Dog on Kukur Tihar

Keep the dog comfortable and never force it.

• Garland. Use a loose, light garland and take it off if the dog is uncomfortable.
• Tika. Use only pet-safe, non-toxic colour, away from the eyes, nose and mouth.
• Food. Avoid chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic and cooked bones.
• Street dogs. Never chase or hold a frightened street dog for a photograph.
• Fireworks. Keep them away from dogs, and give dogs a quiet place indoors.

Ask the owner before you approach a pet.

In 2016, the president of Animal Nepal asked people in Nepal to look after their dogs all year, including walking them and not keeping them chained or caged.

The Dogs in Nepal That Walk With Us on Trek

Kukur Tihar thanks dogs for their loyalty, protection and company, and we meet the same in dogs on trek. On our treks, dogs often join us on the trail. They walk with us, play with us and give us company during the trip, and they make the trip more memorable.

Some stay for a few hours and others for days. On the Everest trail, a dog often walks with a group from Lukla to Namche.

Mera, the dog who climbed Baruntse. In 2018, a stray dog joined an expedition on the way down from Mera Peak, and the team named her Mera. On 9 November 2018, three days after Kukur Tihar that year, she reached the 7,129 m summit of Baruntse, as Outside magazine reported. The base camp manager, Kaji Sherpa, then took her home.

Staying safe with trail dogs. The CDC says dogs with rabies are commonly found in Nepal and advises travellers not to touch or feed animals they do not know. If a dog bites or scratches you, wash the wound with soap and clean water and see a doctor right away. Talk to your doctor about the rabies vaccine before you travel.

Photos: Kukur Tihar (Where we worship Dogs) by Alish Bhandarii, Dog in Kathmandu after Kukur Puja by Manju and Kukur Tihar USA-2025 by Jackjewan, CC BY-SA 4.0. Kukur Tihar by Ritesh Man Tamrakar and Himalayn Dog by chriscom, CC BY-SA 2.0. Dog worship in Hinduism by Swapnet, CC BY-SA 3.0. Patan-Tihar-Day-of-the-Dog by Cheryl Marland, _MG_1565 and _MG_1598 by DIY Del Ray and Surveying the Area by John Pavelka, CC BY 2.0. Mountain Dog by ActiveSteve, CC BY-ND 2.0. Kukur Tihar or Dog Puja in Kathmandu by Manto17, public domain (CC0). Via Wikimedia Commons and Flickr, resized; the top image is a collage.