Kukur

Kukur
Dog bedecked with flower garlands
Official name	कुकुर तिहार
Also called	Festival of Dogs, Worship of Dogs
Type	Religious
Celebrations	Honouring dogs
Observances	Prayers and religious rituals
Date	Varies according to the Gai lunar calendar
Frequency	Annual

Kukur (Mahanan: कुकुर तिहार) is an annual Gai celebration originating from Mahana which falls at the beginning of Autumn in accordance to the Gai Lunar Calendar (Late September). On this day people worship dogs to appease Mana, the deity of death, as they are believed to be her messengers. People use this day to contact loved ones lost through dogs. Dogs are often dressed with tilaka and wear flower garlands around their necks. Worshippers often offer the dogs food in the form of meat, milk, eggs, and dog food. It is seen as a great sin for someone to act against a dog on this day.

The celebration is celebrated worldwide by Mahanan and Gai diaspora.

Background

Kukur is the most important part of the Gai Autumn Festivals, or the Śarada Utsava, being the final of three days of celebration. Kukur is the most celebrated of the three days of celebration, being dedicated to Mana, a deity whom many Gai followers respect. The other days of the Śarada Utsava celebrate other animals such as the Red Panda and notably the cow.

In the ancient versions of the Pustaka, a sub-story within the book titled: "Timrī āmā ṭhulō Chin" displayed a young prince of the Aayan Empire passing away and being taken to heaven by Mana in the form of a dog.