Ahead of ‘Kukur Tihar’, also known as the festival of dogs, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) announced a celebration on October 17.
“We have some exciting celebrations coming up for our community dogs. Animal caretakers: If you haven’t registered with us, then now is the time to REGISTER so that you don’t miss out on the joy of celebrating community dogs’ love,” shared BBMP’s official Instagram handle.
In collaboration with Sahavarthin Animal Welfare Trust and other entities, the animal husbandry department of BBMP has rolled out initiatives under #Bitefreelocality.
“Harmonious coexistence with animals is critical to maintaining ecological balance around us. Beyond animal birth control and vaccinations, understanding animal behaviour and accepting them the way nature has created them is also important,” says a slide of a video shared by BBMP.
BBMP will initiate a pilot feeding exercise, training ‘pourakarmikas’ (civic workers) in four wards to assist in feeding community dogs by coordinating with local restaurants. The restaurants will provide leftover food which will be distributed to street dogs.
Call for volunteers
For Bengaluru residents, BBMP has shared a QR scan code to register in the drive and other initiatives. The registrations are open until October 15.
Kukur Tihar
Kukur Tihar (festival of dogs) is a Hindu festival, originating from Nepal. All dogs including strays are worshipped on this day as they are considered the messengers of Yama, the god of death.