Tihar (also known as Yamapanchak Deepawali) is a five-day spiritual and cultural Hindu festival of lights celebrated by Nepalese as well as by the Indian Gorkhas inhabiting Sikkim state and Territories (particularly the towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong).

[1] According to the Vikram Samvat calendar, the festival begins with Kaag (crow) Tihar on Trayodashi tithi of Kārtika kṛṣṇa pakṣa (the 13th day of the waning moon) and ends with Bhai Tika on Dwitiya tithi of Kārtika śukla pakṣa every year.

)[1] Gambling in the form of cards, kauda (a game of cowrie shells), or langur burja are popular pastimes during the festival.

The festival is considered novel in that it shows reverence to not just the gods, but also to animals such as crows, cows, and dogs that have long-lived alongside humans.

[8] Crows and ravens, believed to be the messengers of the death god Yama, are worshipped with offerings of grains, seeds, and sweets placed on the roofs or out on the streets.

[9] The cawing of crows and ravens is associated with sadness and grief in Hinduism as these birds are believed to carry messages from Yama.

[13] On this day, all dogs, whether pets or strays, are offered treats and worshipped by placing a tika on their forehead and garlands of marigolds around their necks.

[17] Kukur Tihar has since acquired widespread popularity on the internet[18] and in 2016, was even adopted by a Mexican animal rights group for a similar celebration in Mexico City.

[23] Thus, on the third day of Tihar, Nepali Hindus people show their gratitude to the cow by feeding them treats and worshipping them with tikas and garlands.

Lakshmi, the patron goddess of the festival, is welcomed into homes that have been cleaned and the doorways and windows decorated with garlands made out of marigolds.

On this final day, which is celebrated with much fanfare across the country, brothers and sisters mark their special bond by worshipping each other with giving gifts to each other to express their feelings.

[31] The legend goes that when the goddess Yamuna's brother fell mortally ill, Yama the god of death came to take his soul.

The Yamuna then asked Yama to not take away her brother until the tika on his forehead had faded, the oil she had sprinkled on him had dried and the Makhamali Ful Ko Mala (Gomphrena globosa) garlands she had put around his neck had wilted.

[32][33][verify] Thus, on the fifth day of Tihar, sisters create a protective barrier of holy water and blessed oil around their brothers, circumambulating them several times.