Distinctive flag of Nepal
Problem
I was in Nepal and never saw the dog's day.
Answer
Never mind. The BBC has a story all about it. It's not just a doggy celebration. It's based on the idea that death is looking for you, dogs are the messengers, but if you are nice to them you won't die. The gates to hell are guarded by two dogs.
I can imagine some people are frowning and some are smiling. But the dog owners and dogs are all smiling. The dogs receive all kinds of favourite food, as well as garlands around their necks. Dogs, man's best friend, love being made a fuss of.
To some people from other cultures it may seem rather far-fetched. On the other hand, dogs can save lives. Dogs help the lonely and widowed. They cheer up people in old folks' homes and patients in hospitals. Provide new interest for the family.
But get a rottweiler in a bad mood and things could turn out badly.
Meanwhile, for dog lovers it is all good news with treats for dogs and lots of great photos. Such characters.
If you are planning a trip to Nepal and you like dogs, consider adding next year's Diwali date to your diary.
What else to do in Nepal? Kathmandu with those wonderful temples with the all-seeing eyes.
Everest base camp. You can get to the base camp in either Nepal (on the south side) or Tibet, by vehicle. If you want to do the worlds' highest trek you must go to Tibet. My husband did that. I think I'll stick to Nepal and take pictures of dogs.
India also celebrates in the same way, with the crow features on the first day of Diwali, the dog on the second day, the cow on the third day.
Useful websites
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46111525
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tihar_(festival)
www.welcomenepal.com
See Nepal in
wikitravel
wikivoyage
tripadvisor
Nepal is also on Facebook and Twitter.
India
www.incredibleindia.org
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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