Next: about 6 to 10 Nov 2026
Tihar in Nepal
The Nepali festival of lights, with lamps for Lakshmi, offerings to crows, dogs and cows, and the tika between brothers and sisters.
What is worn for Tihar in Nepal
Tihar is the Nepali version of Diwali, kept over five days. Crows, dogs and cows are honoured on the first three days, and the third night is Lakshmi Puja, when houses are lit with oil lamps and the floors are decorated with rangoli. The fourth day is Govardhan Puja, and in the Newar community, Mha Puja, the worship of the self. The fifth day is Bhai Tika, when sisters put a seven colour tika on their brothers' foreheads and give them garlands, and brothers give gifts. Groups of young people go door to door singing Deusi and Bhailo. Women wear new sarees or other festive clothes. The dates shown are the first and last days of the festival, and can differ by a day in Nepal.
The sarees
Also part of it, and being written: Haku Patasi (The black saree with a red border of Newar women.).
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Tihar (festival)" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sari: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source