The Dog, Man’s Best Friend, Even unto Death
The Dog, Man’s Best Friend, Even unto Death. By Tommy Eriksson This year, the 8th of November is associated with the *tithi* of the Hindu lunar calendar (an astronomical interval determined by the angular relationship between the Sun and the Moon). During the new moon that we are now entering, this is celebrated through the festival of Kukur Tihar, during which affection, love and care are shown towards dogs, both family pets and stray street dogs. The dogs are given good food, offered flowers, and marked with a red symbol, a *tika*, on their foreheads. The dogs are honoured for their faithfulness, loyalty and the special bond that human beings have shared with them for many thousands of years. The festival has a particular connection to the two dogs of the god of death, Yamaraja, named Shyama and Sabala, who are mentioned in the Rigveda as offspring of Sarama. Each of these dogs is described as having four eyes, and they act as companions to human beings throughout life and along the ...