KUKUR TIHAR (also called Narak Chaturdashi, Nepali) is an annual Hindu festival originating from Nepal which falls on the second day of the festival of Tihar (around October or November). This year it is celebrated on the last Sunday of October.

The second day of Tihar, called Kukur Tihar, is dedicated to the worship of dogs. On this day, people worship dogs to please Yama, the god of death, as they are considered to be his messengers. Dogs are decorated with tilaka and wear flower garlands around their necks. Worshippers offer them various foods including meat, milk, eggs, and dog food. It is considered a sin if someone acts disrespectfully to a dog on this day. Kukur Tihar is also celebrated worldwide by the Nepalese diaspora.

Kukur Tihar festival is now adopted in the USA. The first Kukur Tihar- Day of the Dog Celebration happened October 27, 2024 at James Long Park, Haymarket, VA. Speaking at the event organizer Jewan Tiwari said they will be celebrating Kukur Tihar Annually the last Sunday in October in the US. After the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, Animal Nepal used the occasion of the festival to promote awareness about dogs who became homeless. The Kathmandu Post reported that people were buying foreign breeds of dogs which left the local dogs in the streets.

Kukur Tihar spread around Mexico in 2016 to make people aware of respecting animals. Special Broadcasting Service reported that many Nepalis in Australia were also celebrating the festival. In 2008. Asian Art in London celebrated the festival by creating a dog walk charity event. Also in 2016, Kathmandu Metropolitan City with the help of Humane Society International and Jane Goodall Institute Nepal created a program to “humanely manage urban dog population”. An educational assessment done by International Companion Animal Management Coalition (ICAM Coalition) found that dogs in the capital of Nepal were “generally healthy and accepted by the community”.