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Beautiful Photos of Pups Celebrated at Nepal’s Amazing Dog Festival

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A dog with red paint on its face celebrating Kukur Tihar.

While animal advocates are desperately trying to put an end to the Yulin Dog Meat Festival, there is another festival that celebrates dogs for being wonderful beings.

Last week, Nepal had its annual Tihar festival, a five-day event that is part of the Hindu celebration of Diwali, a holiday to honor the victory of light over darkness. The second day is known as Kukur Tihar and is solely focused on the celebration of dogs, an animal believed to represent the Hindu god Bhairav. They are also believed to be messengers of Lord Yamaraj, or the God of Death.

During the special day, dogs — both pets and strays — are draped in flower garlands, called a malla, to show respect for the bond they share with humans. (It also signifies the importance of the animal.) People also draw red marks on dogs’ forehead to symbolize the animal’s sacredness. Besides being adorned, pups are also spoiled with delicious treats and food during this day. Sounds like a nice day to be a dog – and a beautiful way to celebrate pups.

Related: Woman Travels More Than 1,200 Miles to Save 100 Dogs From Yulin Dog Meat Festival

We wanted to share with you a few of our favorite pictures of dogs being celebrated.

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

Image via Instagram

By Andrea Huspeni

Andrea Huspeni is the founder and CEO of This Dog's Life. Her mission it to help dogs live a happier, healthier and longer life. When she isn't working, she spends time with her two dogs, Lola and Milo. She resides in Brooklyn, NY.

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