With the monumental loss of our Waylon just a day ago I was trying to find some worthy way of honoring him. Sometimes life, or in this case death, is serendipitous and leads us to an unusual destination.
I stumbled onto a post about this incredible Hindu Dog Festival from Nepal that occurs every year in late October or November. It is based in ancient folklore that is incredible in the sense of a journey of 5 Gods into Heaven as they climb the Himalayas. They all perish except Yudhishthira and his loyal dog. The King of Gods tells him he may enter - only if he leaves his dog behind. He refuses and returns to earth and as a result the dog disappears and is taken from him. Thus this festival of Kukur Tihal celebrates dogs to please Yama, the God of Death for the sacrifice of their lives.
For the festival, dogs are elevated to hero status for the day. Dogs are given flower garlands around their necks and fed lavish amounts of meat, milk and eggs. The dogs are bathed and their faces smudged with tilaka which are bright colored powders of rice and yogurt. All dogs are honored whether pets, strays or military animals. Recently it has turned into a large day of charity for shelters in Nepal, Mexico and Australia. I am very curious as to why it has not caught on in Western countries.
It will be on Nov. 3 this year in 2021 and I plan to celebrate our dear Waylon and remaining Rosie by celebrating their incredible human/ animal bond and the unconditional love they bring to us daily.
