A Unique Tradition: Nepal's Festival of Animals.

 Nepal is a small landlocked country between India and China. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas. It is also the world's best destination for rafting and kayaking. Nepal is the second richest country in water resources. The world's largest mountain (Mt. Everest) lies in the land of Nepal. It is rich in cultural norms and values. People are also religiously bonded with each other. There are countless cultural beliefs and thousands of temples. There are mostly four religions in Nepal- Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. More than 60% of people follow Hinduism, Buddhism comes second and Christianity and Islam are less than others. Everyone follows their religion and respects others. Along with cultures and religions, Nepal is rich in festivals too. Most of the festivals are celebrated in all the religion. They are filled with cultures, happiness, beliefs, and love. Among these festivals, I am discussing the unique festival today. I haven't heard animals being worshipped anywhere else in the world other than Nepal. Nepalese celebrate dogs, cows, crows, and ox. 

In Nepal, we celebrate a festival called Tihar which usually falls from late October to early November depending upon the Nepali calendar and lasts five days. On the first day, we celebrate crow as a messenger of the lord of Death and symbolizes sadness and grief in Hinduism. On the second day, we celebrate dogs. This day marks the special relationship between humans and dogs, where dogs are thanked and celebrated for their loyalty, service, and companionship. Dogs occupy a special place in Hinduism, not just as loyal companions but also as messengers of Yama and incarnations of the god Bhairava. On the third day, we celebrate the goddess Laxmi as the goddess of wealth. On the fourth day, we celebrate ox. on the night of the fourth day, we celebrate Mha Puja which means the worship of self. We celebrate ourselves for being healthy, happy, and alive to see another year on earth. This day is seen as the beginning of the New Nepal Sambat Calendar Year. On the fifth or the day, women celebrate their brothers and vice versa. All the females worship their brother with garland, flowers, and many other things. it is believed that sister's love and prayers can save the brothers from any bad luck coming to them and brothers are committed to protect and love their sister forever.

Nepal is a unique country with unique cultures and festivals. If anyone ever visits Nepal, they obviously will visit again. Green forests, snow-capped mountains, hills, and plains all attract tourists.