Photo: Abhi3120, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tihar, also called Deepawali or Yamapanchak, is a five-day festival held in the Nepali month of Kartik, usually in late October or November. It is Nepal's second-biggest festival after Dashain. The five days honour, in order, the crow, the dog, the cow and goddess Laxmi, the ox (and, for Newars, the self), and finally brothers and sisters on Bhai Tika. Homes are lit with oil lamps, candles and marigold garlands.
Tihar has no fixed Gregorian date. It follows the lunar calendar, so the dates move a little every year. The festival starts on Kartik Krishna Trayodashi, two days before the new moon, and ends on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya.
Below is what happens on each of the five days and the rituals families follow.
When does Tihar fall in the Nepali calendar?
Tihar is commonly described as five days or five main observances. Lunar Tithi timing can place two observances on one civil date or separate rituals that often share a date. It usually falls in late October or November. Check each observance individually before planning visits or leave.
The Hindu calendar is lunisolar, so festival dates are tied to the tithi (lunar day), not to a fixed solar date. Tihar opens on Kartik Krishna Trayodashi and closes on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya. Laxmi Puja, the main night, falls on the new moon (Aunsi), when there is no moonlight and the lamps are most visible.
For this year's exact dates, check a current panchang or the holidays list instead of last year's calendar. The same lunar rule sets the date of Dashain, which falls in Ashwin. Nepali New Year falls in mid-April for a different reason: it follows the Sun's entry into Mesh, not the Moon.
What are the five days of Tihar?
The five days of Tihar honour the crow, the dog, the cow and goddess Laxmi, the ox together with the self (Mha Puja), and brothers and sisters on Bhai Tika. Each day has its own ritual and offering.
| Day | Name | Tithi (Kartik) | What it honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaag Tihar | Krishna Trayodashi | The crow, messenger of Yama (death) |
| 2 | Kukur Tihar | Krishna Chaturdashi | The dog, loyal guardian and Yama's gatekeeper |
| 3 | Gai Tihar / Laxmi Puja | Aunsi (new moon) | The cow and goddess Laxmi, source of wealth |
| 4 | Goru Puja / Govardhan Puja / Mha Puja | Shukla Pratipada | The ox, Govardhan hill, and the self (Newar tradition) |
| 5 | Bhai Tika | Shukla Dwitiya | Brothers and sisters; long life and protection |
Day 1: Kaag Tihar (Crow Day)
On the first day, families put out food for crows on rooftops and near doorways. In Hindu belief the crow is the messenger of Yama, the god of death. Feeding crows is meant to keep grief and bad news away from the household for the coming year.
Day 2: Kukur Tihar (Dog Day)
The second day is for dogs, honoured for their loyalty and for their role in the myths as guards of Yama's gate. People put marigold garlands and red tika on dogs and give them special food such as meat, eggs or sel roti. Many people feed street dogs as well as their own pets.
Day 3: Gai Tihar and Laxmi Puja
Gai Puja honours the cow, while Laxmi Puja is the evening worship of Laxmi. They often share a date, but not every year: the 2083 calendar lists Laxmi Puja on 8 November 2026 and Gai Puja on 9 November. Follow the current year’s observance dates rather than assuming morning and evening are on the same day.
Day 4: Goru, Govardhan and Mha Puja
The fourth day has three different observances. Many families worship the ox (Goru Puja) for its work in the fields. Others perform Govardhan Puja, building a small hill of cow dung to mark the story of Krishna lifting Govardhan hill. In the Newar community this day is Mha Puja, worship of one's own body and self, and it is also Nepal Sambat New Year.
Day 5: Bhai Tika
On the last day, sisters put a seven-coloured tika on their brothers' foreheads, place makhamali flower garlands around their necks and pray for their long life. Brothers give tika and gifts in return. For most families this is the most important day of Tihar.
What is the significance of Laxmi Puja?
Laxmi Puja, held on the new-moon night of Tihar, is the worship of goddess Laxmi, who is believed to bring wealth and prosperity. Households clean every room, light rows of diyo (oil lamps), and draw rangoli and small footprints to lead the goddess inside. The belief is that she visits only clean, well-lit homes.
The cleaning is part of the ritual. Families scrub floors, pay off debts where they can, and decorate doorways with marigold garlands and lights. The lamps and painted footprints run from the main door to the room where money and account books are kept, to guide Laxmi to the family's wealth.
Laxmi Puja night is also when deusi-bhailo starts. Groups go from house to house singing blessing songs and receive sweets, fruit and money. Traditionally girls sing bhailo and boys sing deusi. Today most groups are mixed, and many collect money for community causes.
What does Bhai Tika mean and how is it done?
Bhai Tika, the fifth day, is for brothers and sisters. The sister puts a seven-coloured (saptarangi) tika on her brother's forehead and prays to Yama for his long life. The brother then gives her tika and gifts. The custom comes from the story of Yamuna, who put tika on her brother Yama, the god of death, and got his promise that no brother who received tika from his sister on that day would be taken by death.
The ritual follows set steps. The sister usually draws a circle of mustard oil around her brother, puts makhamali (globe amaranth) garlands around his neck, and gives him a plate of sel roti, fruit, sweets and dry fruits. The oil line and the tika are protective: they stand for a line that Yama cannot cross. Families check the panchang for the auspicious time (saait) to give Bhai Tika, since it changes each year.
Many Nepalis travel home for Bhai Tika, and families who cannot meet often do the ritual over video call. Its focus on family duty and protection is also seen in Teej, when women fast and pray for their families. The Katigate holidays page lists every Tihar day each year, and the Nepali Calendar app can send you a reminder before each one.
How is Tihar different from Dashain?
Tihar and Dashain are Nepal's two big autumn festivals, and they differ in focus. Dashain falls in Ashwin and centres on goddess Durga's victory over evil, tika and jamara from elders, and family reunions. Tihar comes about three weeks later in Kartik and centres on lights, animals, Laxmi and brothers and sisters.
Both follow the lunisolar calendar, but they fall in different months and different phases of the Moon: Dashain's main day, Vijaya Dashami, is Ashwin Shukla Dashami, while Tihar's main night is the new moon of Kartik. The fourth day of Tihar also marks the start of Nepal Sambat, a calendar separate from Bikram Sambat, which the Newar community in particular follows.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Tihar fall on a different date each year?
Tihar follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so its dates follow the phases of the Moon instead of fixed solar dates. The festival is tied to set tithis in Kartik, and these move against the Gregorian calendar each year. As a result Tihar can fall anywhere from mid-October to mid-November.
What is the difference between Tihar and Deepawali?
They are the same festival of lights under different names. Nepalis usually say Tihar, while Deepawali (or Diwali) is the name used more widely across South Asia. In Nepal the festival keeps its own five-day order of honouring animals, along with Mha Puja and Bhai Tika, which Diwali elsewhere does not have in the same form.
What is deusi-bhailo?
Deusi-bhailo is Tihar's house-to-house singing, done on Laxmi Puja night and the following days. Groups sing blessing songs at each home, and the household gives them money, sweets and fruit. Traditionally girls sing bhailo and boys sing deusi, though mixed groups and charity collections are now common.
Why are crows and dogs worshipped during Tihar?
Both animals are linked to Yama, the god of death. The crow is Yama's messenger, so feeding it on Kaag Tihar is meant to keep bad news away. The dog guards Yama's gate and stands for loyalty, so it is garlanded and fed on Kukur Tihar.