Olympia Hindu Temple Announces Tihar Program from Kag Tihar to Bhai Tika
The Olympia Hindu Temple and Cultural Center in Washington state has published a detailed November schedule covering Kag Tihar, Kukur Tihar, Diwali and Bhai Tik
By Nepalese Events Australia Editorial
Published: 2026-09-30T03:00:00.000000Z
Category: Festivals
While most US Nepali organisations are still finalising their Tihar plans, the Olympia Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (OHTCC) in Washington state has already published a full November festival schedule — one of the most complete day-by-day Tihar programmes announced by any US temple so far.
The published schedule
• November 6 — Kag Tihar: 7 PM – 8 PM
• November 7 — Kukur Tihar: 10 AM – 1 PM
• November 8 — Diwali / Festival of Lights: 10 AM – 1 PM
• November 10 — Bhai Tika: closing ceremony
The temple is located at 2010 Black Lake Boulevard SW, Olympia, Washington. The schedule follows the traditional five-day Tihar structure — crow day, dog day, the main Lakshmi Puja evening and the sibling-blessing finale — rather than compressing everything into a single weekend event.
Kukur Tihar gets its own morning
The standout on the schedule is the dedicated Kukur Tihar programme on November 7, when dogs are honoured with garlands, tika and food. The temple's description specifically covers the traditional practice — a sign the programme is designed around the ritual calendar itself rather than a generic "Diwali party." For Nepali families in the Pacific Northwest, that matters: Kukur Tihar is one of the most distinctive (and most photographed) parts of the festival, and a temple-organised version gives children the ritual context that a concert-style event can't.
A temple-centred alternative
Olympia's approach offers a useful contrast to the party-format Tihar events common in bigger metro areas. For families in Washington who want the observance — puja timings, ritual order, temple prasad — OHTCC's calendar is currently the most specific public programme in the region. Full details and any timing adjustments are on the OHTCC events page.
Note that temple timings follow US dates, which can differ from Nepal's tithi-d schedule by a day depending on sunrise calculations — our Nepal–Seattle time difference page explains the offset, and the Nepali festival calendar shows the Nepal-side observance dates. If you're planning around family in Kathmandu, checking both is the reliable approach.
More US Tihar coverage
On the east coast, the Albany Nepalese Society's Tihar celebration lands on the same November 7 weekend. Our USA desk is ing community programmes as they're announced through November.
Getting to the temple
Olympia sits at the southern end of Puget Sound, roughly an hour's drive from Seattle in light traffic — a feasible evening trip for Puget Sound Nepali families, and a straightforward day trip from Portland for Oregon's community. Black Lake Boulevard is a main arterial in west Olympia with the temple set back from the road; temple events of this kind are typically open to non-members, though arriving with a donation for the festival programmes is customary.
What to expect at each observance
The evening Kag Tihar on November 6 is a short one-hour puja — crows are fed as messengers of Yama, traditionally with offerings placed on rooftops; the temple adapts this to a courtyard observance. The November 7 Kukur Tihar session is the family draw: three hours across the late morning where attendees bring (or meet) dogs for garlanding and blessings — bring your own dog's lead and check with the temple if you plan to bring a pet inside. The November 8 Diwali program is the main daytime gathering with Lakshmi Puja elements, and Bhai Tika on November 10 closes the cycle — the ceremony siblings attend together, often the hardest to schedule on a Tuesday, which is why many families also do a private Bhai Tika at home on the weekend.
Read more Nepali community news and stories. Browse upcoming Nepali events across Australia.
Explore Nepali Events
Nepali concerts | Teej events | Dashain events | Tihar events | Holi events | Festival calendar
Nepali events in Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Perth | Adelaide | Canberra