Nepalese police dogs blessed - PHOTOS

Nepalese police dogs are smeared with vermillion on their foreheads and marigold garlands are placed around their necks on the occasion of the Tihar festival in Kathmandu on November 13, 2012. On Tihar, as the Hindu festival of Diwali is locally known, it is customary in Nepal for people offer blessings to dogs, which are according to Hindu tradition, the messengers of Yamaraj, the god of death. (All photos courtesy PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty Images)