Tihar is a five-day Southern Bhutanese festival celebrated in late autumn, which comes soon after Dashain. Two of these days incorporate the Hindu festival Deepavali, where one day is celebrated for goddess Laxmi and the other one is celebrated to worship brothers for their long life. The festival is celebrated from Trayodashi of Kartik Krishna to Katrik Shukla Dwitiya every year. The name Tihar means the festival of lights, where many candles are lit both inside and outside the houses to make it bright at night. The five-day festival is considered to be of great importance as it shows reverence to not just the humans and the Gods, but also to the animals like crow, cow and dog, who maintain an intense relationship with the humans.

Kag Tihar

The first day of the festival is called Kag Tihar – Worship of Crows. The crows are worshipped by offerings of sweets and dishes on the roof of the houses. The cawing of the crows symbolizes sadness and grief in the Hindu mythology, so the devotees offer the crows food to avert grief and deaths in their homes. Tihar represent the divine attachment between Human and other animals and birds in our nature. To strengthen the worship of nature, all these rituals are introduced in Hinduism.

Kukur Tihar

The second day is called Kukur Tihar – Worship of Dogs. Dog, which is believed to be messenger of Lord Yamaraj, the god of death, is worshipped once a year on this day. People offer garland, teeka and delicious food to the animal, and acknowledge the cherished relationship between humans and the oldest ever tamed animal.

Gai Tihar

On the morning of the third day is Gai Tihar – Worship of Cows. The Cow is considered to be the surrogate mother humans, according to Hindu myth, so they worship her with tika, garlands and fruits on that day.

In the evening Laxmi, the goddess of wealth is worshipped. This day is called Laxmi Puja. The goddess is believed to enter the brightest house to give her blessings, making the family healthy and prosperous. And at night the girls enjoy dancing and visiting all the houses of villages with many musical instruments playing a historical game called Bhailini (vailini) for whole night. By this they collect money from the houses which they share among them. Bhailini is a historical game which has been followed by our ancestor.

Gobardhan Puja

On the fourth day of Tihar, there are three different known pujas. Most perform Goru Puja, or Worship of Oxen. People who follow Krishna perform Gobardhan Puja, which is made up of Cowdung. Cowdung is seen as very useful, as in the olden days it was used for everything from light at night to polish for the mud floors of traditional houses.

The third and fourth day of Tihar is especially famous for DEUSI AND BHAILO, light and fireworks. Deusi and Bhailo are the songs which have only been sung on those Tihar days. Social workers, young and children visit local homes to sing these songs, and in return the home owners give them money, fruit, rice and Selroti. Deusi is mostly sung by boys while Bhailo is sung by girls.

Bhai Tika

The fifth and last day of Tihar is Bhai Tika, a day where sisters put “Tika” on forehead of brothers, to ensure long life, and thank them for the protection they give. When the sisters give “Tika“, brothers offer gifts or money as a return. A special garland is made for the brothers out of a flower that wilts after a couple of months, symbolizing the sister’s prayer for her brother’s long life.