Kaag Tihar
Ravens and crows are seen as the messengers of the god of death, Yama. People worship them by offering rice,
seeds, and sweets.
Kukur Tihar
On this day, dogs are worshipped and celebrated. People put tika and a garland made of marigold flowers on dogs.
It doesn't matter whether it is your own pet or a stray dog. It is believed that Yama has two dogs, who guard
the gates of hell.
Gai Tihar and Laxmi Puja
In Hinduism, cows are believed to be sacred, and on this day people celebrate cows by putting tika and marigold garlands
on them, and feeding them treats.
In the evening of this day, Laxmi Puja is done. Laxmi is the goddess of wealth and people welcome her by cleaning their house
and decorating it with flowers, lights, and lamps. Those that have a temple in their homes also offer prayers to the goddess.
Goru Tihar and Govardhan Puja
Ox are worshipped and celebrated as they are an important part of Nepali agriculture. Some Hindus also do
Govardhan Puja, which worships the Govardhan Hill (religiously important place).
Bhai Tika
The legend behind this day is that the goddess Yamuna's brother was so sick that Yama had come to collect
his soul. Yamuna begged the god to wait until she was done doing puja for her brother. During the puja, she
put tika on her brother's forhead, sprinkled oil on him, and put a garland of globe amaranth around his neck.
Yamuna then requested Yama to wait until the tika on his forhead faded, oil dried, and flower dried before
taking his soul.
In the present day, a similar puja is performed by girls to their brothers or male cousins. The brothers
also put tika on their sister's forhead and they exchange gifts with each other.