Nepal's Most Celebrated Festivals & Events

The Festivals of Nepal reflect Nepalese culture, Nepalese tradition & customs. For centuries, these festivals have been playing a vital role in the lives of the Nepalese -

MAGHE SANGRANTI (January) As the Sun dawns into the southern hemispheres on the 14th January every year, people in Nepal gear up in the early morning to celebrate Maghe Sankranti. On this day people take an early morning bath in the holy rivers of the Bagmati, put on their best clean clothes and visit Lord Vishnu's temples to pay homage to the god with puja (ritual worship) items that include flowers, incense & fruits etc. At home, they read the Bhagwad Gita, a sacred Hindu book. Massaging the entire body with mustard oil is also regarded as very auspicious on this particular day. The festival peaks when the family gets together to enjoy a hearty delicious meal comprising of rice cooked with lentils, yams and sweets like laddus (a sweet round ball) made from sesame and sugarcane paste etc. On this day people in huge numbers gather around Devghat (a holy river) in Chitwan to take a dip into the confluence point that joins the river Kali, Gandaki and Trisuli. This ritual is believed to free devotees from sins that cleans their souls and brings them closer to god. From this day onwards, the spring season herald's longer days that get warmer into the summers.

BASANTA PANCHAMI (February)Basanta Panchami is also called Shri Panchami or Saraswoti Puja and is celebrated on 13th February in honor of Goddess Saraswoti known to be the goddess of knowledge and learning. This day is particularly special for students. They take an early morning bath, dress up in clean clothes or their uniforms, & one can view students of all ages strutting down the streets looking very colorful & clean with most holding colorful flowers in their hands & heading down to the temple of goddess Saraswoti with ritual items to worship the deity. Students believe that worshipping the goddess on this day enlightens & broadens the horizons in the quest for knowledge and also believe their studies will progress further fruitfully with academic rewards. Parents who have toddlers at home take them to temples and help & guide them write the first letters of education on the walls of the temple. This day also bears cultural and religious significance for Buddhists who prioritize this day for worshipping the God Manjushree. At Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu an official announcement is made indicating the arrival of spring. Astrologically, Shri Panchami is also considered an ideal day for couples to tie the marriage knot and also for new born babies' name-giving sacrament called the 'nwaran'.

LHOSAR (February)
Lhosar is the New Year for Sherpas and Tibetans. They heartily enjoy this time which begins from the 9th & continues into the 11th February with delicious feasts of eats with family, relatives and friends. The revelry peaks with music and dance. The merry Sherpa & jolly Tibetans wear their finest clothes and jewellery during this period and exchange gifts with each other. At monasteries priests perform ritual ceremonies to give auspiciousness among the faithful. Bouddha and Swayambhu stupas are adorned with colorful attractive decorations and so are the houses. People throw roasted barley flour, also called tsampa, up into the air as a sign of welcoming their New Year with pomp & gaiety.

MAHA SHIVARATRI (March)
Maha Shivaratri takes place on 8th March. On this occasion, devotees pay their utmost homage to Lord Shiva. Hindus from almost all walks of life from all over the world gather at Pashupatinath temple to pay their tribute to this their god. The temple showcases a hilarious & also divine crowd with most of the devoted (especially the female Nepalese folk) decked in red saris watching the throng of naked naga sadhus with colorful ash covered bodies that's really a treat to watch and people can be seen lined up in thousands to offer worship to the god Shiva. A majority of Hindus (specially the women) fast during this time. In the evening or at night Lord Shiva is worshipped through various rituals and offerings that include milk, vermilion, coconut & flowers. Hindus at home make a bonfire and the women folk can be seen dancing & singing religious songs by the fireside. Tourists can also be observed enjoying themselves during shivaratri.

FAGU POORNIMA (March)
According to legends known in Hindu Mythology, during the reign of King Hiranyakasyapur, the entire people of the kingdom were prohibited from worshipping Lord Vishnu and were coerced to worship him (the king) instead. The king had immense hatred & jealousy for God Vishnu. But for his misfortune, the King's own son, Pralhat, was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. When the king learnt about this, he grew very furious and implemented extreme cruel measures to make his son forget Vishnu. However, in spite of how cruel the king became, his son grew closer to Vishnu. As the story goes, in one of his ploys, the King assigned his sister, Holika, to burn Pralhad to death. Holika had the power of emitting fire. She took Pralhat into her lap intending to burn him but with Lord Vishnu's immortal blessings instead she was burnt to ashes; and it was to be from that day onwards, the celebration of Fagu Poornima or holi began. Till this day, on every 25th day in the month of March, Hindus celebrate holi as a victory of good over evil. People from every walk of life, age, and caste enjoy Holi in Nepal with powdered colors mixed in water, delicious food, music and dance. People fill up balloons with water and use them to throw at each other. They splash each other with paint of different colors and pour buckets of water on one another. It is a day of surrendering one self to blissful moments of complete pleasure. In the Terai region, holi is celebrated on the 26th March. Tourists also have a good time during this festival.

GATHEMANGAL / GHANTAKARNA (April)
Celebrated on 8th April, Gathan-muga holds special significance for the Newari community of Nepal. Gathan-muga is also called Gathemangal or Ghantakarna. At a time when the Newari community used to rely heavily on agriculture for livelihood, they were very superstitious about evil spirits playing spoil sport with their harvest and so they consulted with Tantrics to permanently eliminate this fear. People way back then were told to put on iron rings on their fingers and hammer iron nails into door lintels to drive away evil spirits. As time progressed, this practice also gained popularity and finally took the form of a festival named Gathan-muga.

BISKET JATRA (April)
14th April is dedicated for Bisket Jatra in Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. Men intoxicated with locally brewed alcohol drag a huge wooden chariot carrying a statue of god Bhairabrath all around Bhaktapur. Along with this chariot, another chariot carrying God Ganesh, Goddesses Mahakali and Maha Laxmi are also pulled along. Local people approach theses chariots with worship items that are used for worshipping gods and goddesses. Animal sacrifices are made in a bid to please these gods and goddesses. Bhaktapur features many street dramas based on mythological tales of Bisket Jatra. Thimi (a small town near bhaktapur) also enjoys this day with its tongue-piercing ceremony at Bode village. The practice of this ritual is believed to reserve a special seat in heaven for a tongue-pierced individual. Tourists generally take a lot of interest in this festival.

CHAITE DASHAIN and RAM NAWAMI (April)
On the 17th April Nepalese welcome Chaite Dashain and Ram Nawami in the name of celebrating Lord Ram's victory over evil Rawan. People wake up early in the morning; take showers, put on their finest clothes and worship Lord Ram through different rituals. Goats are sacrificed for religious purposes. At Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu, a buffalo is beheaded with a single stroke by the sword and people in hundreds come to witness this. Ram Janaki temple in Janakpur is mesmerizing to watch during this time with all its decorations painstakingly done in most attractive fashion. This occasion is a major day for most Nepalese. Delicious food, drinks and beautiful clothes add more flavor to this occasion.

MOTHER'S DAY (May)
The 8th May is a tribute to mothers and is celebrated as mother's day throughout Nepal. Depending on their economical status, Nepalese gift their mothers with sweets, fruits, clothes and jewelries as a token of their love and affection. Mothers are made to feel very special on this particular day. For those whose mothers have already expired, in memory of their mothers; a bath is taken early in the morning and prayers are offered for the departed souls. Motherless Nepalese go to Mata Tirtha to take a bath and offer alms of rice, pulses and coins to the priests in the name of their mothers. A mela (fair) is also held at Mata Tirtha.

BUDDHA JAYANTI (May)
The 23rd of May is the birthday of Gautam Buddha and is celebrated by both Buddhists and Hindus as Buddha Jayanti. People in Kathmandu visit Swayambunath, Boudhnath and other temples of the Buddha to pay their homage to Buddha. Lumbini, the birth place of Gautam Buddha, is beautified with amazing decorations &. Situated in a sprawling area of about 80 acres and surrounded with a lot of lush greenery. Buddhists from all over the world gather here to celebrate the occasion.

TEECHI (May)
Teechi is a very special festival for the Upper Mustang people that has been celebrated for centuries. It is celebrated on the last week of May and continues for three consecutive days. Legend has it that when the evil Man Tam Ru destroyed humankind and brought about enormous natural catastrophe, Dorjee Sonnu came to the rescue. Dorjee Sonnu was the incarnation of Lord Buddha. Dorjee Sonnu's victory over evil was, as believed, celebrated by Upper Mustang people as Teechi. On this day Choedhe Monastery organizes festivals and dances.

RED MACHHENDRANATH JATRA (June)
In ancient times, it is believed that Kathmandu Valley went through a severe famine threatening the lives of ordinary people & the Red god Machhendranath was requested to bring in rains to save the masses. When rainfall cascaded down the valley with the blessings of the god, the local people, with gratefulness started celebrating the Red Machhendranath Jatra as homage to the god. During the month of June, a Chariot seated with Red Machhendranath is taken all around the valley. People come before the chariot to worship this 'god of the rains' with different rituals.

NAG PANCHAMI (August)
10th August is a religious day when Nepalese worship snake gods, also called the Nagas. Like other festivals, Nag Panchami is also backed up by a tale. In ancient times, Nagas halted rain from pouring over Nepal. The king of that time also happened to be a Tantric and so he used his power to make the Nagas let go of the rain. The king succeeded in doing so but he also honored the majestic power of Nagas by turning the day of victory into a festive occasion of Nag Panchami. On Nag Panchami, devotees put a picture of Nag high above their doorway and perform rituals with necessary offerings. Offerings in the form of food & milk are left in the yards and paddies for snakes.

JANAI PURNIMA AND RAKSHYA BANDHAN (August)
Nepalese enjoy Janai Purnima on 19th August. Men purify their bodies with an early morning bath, change their sacred thread placed across their chest with a new one and perform puja (worship). Brahmins gather around the Bagmati River to take a dip in the holy river and offer their prayers to the gods. At home, a Brahmin places yellow blessed thread around the wrist of family members. Most Nepali families invite close relatives for a feast containing assortments of kwati, a combination of varieties of beans, as a special menu. Rakshya Bandhan is a special day for brothers and sisters. On the same day, sisters put rakhi on their brothers' wrist, offer those sweets and food and pray for their longevity, happiness and prosperity. Likewise, brothers also present special gifts to their sisters.

GAI JATRA (August)
20th August is the day when Nepal embraces the reality of life and death which is done with humor. People grieving the loss of their dear ones gather together and participate in a procession on the streets dressed like cows and replicate other comical characters. This binds people and makes them see that no one is immune to pain and sorrow in life and everyone must take the realities of life and death in their stride. Ancient history has it that a queen after the death of her son went into depression. The King wanted to get his queen out of her sorrow and so he introduced a festival called Gai jatra where bereaved families were presented before the queen. This made the queen realize that so many other people were also in similar pain like hers and despite that people went on with their lives holding on to the memories of their lost ones. This helped ease her pain. People on this day can make satirical comments about any one & even so called high up government officials are not spared. Street dramas are organized criticizing renowned public figures and the government system is literally mocked to a standstill on this day. Several newspaper and magazines publish satirical articles. But on this day everyone is forgiven. Tourists take much interest in this festival.

FATHER'S DAY (September)
Father's day, also termed as 'Gokarna Aunsi', is a special day for Nepalese people. Held on the 3rd September, Nepalese offer their fathers gifts including sweets, food, fruits, and clothes as an expression of love and respect. Fatherless Nepalese visit Gokarna and there they take a bath in the holy river and offer alms of rice, pulses, fruits, and coins to priest in the name of their fathers. This is believed to help their fathers live in peace in heaven.

TEEJ (September)
Teej is a very important festival for both Nepali married and single women and is celebrated on the 3rd September. Married women put on their bridal linen which is a red sari and put on their best makeup to look very beautiful. This day is regarded as the day when Lord Shiva's marriage proposal to Parvati was accepted by her father, Himalaya. Therefore, Nepalese regard this day very auspicious. Women visit Lord Shiva's temple to perform puja and offer prayers for their husbands' longevity, happiness and prosperity. They take very strict fasting by living only on water for the entire day. Hindu belief has it that if single women please Lord Shiva, they will have good husbands. At night, women group together, sing songs of their sorrows and pains and dance into the night to the tunes of melodious songs. Teej is a complete women's day.

INDRA JATRA (September)
On the 17th September Kathmandu valley celebrates Indra Jatra to please God Indra for his blessings to mankind. A chariot carrying a statue of God Indra is pulled along the streets of Kathmandu valley by youthful men. People throng around the chariot to worship God Indra with various Items for worship. Another chariot carrying Goddess Kumari, Lord Ganesh and Lord Bhairab is also dragged along the streets of the valley. People in Lakhe attire perform the Lakhe dance.

DASHAIN (October)
Dashain is the king of all festivals in Nepal. It is celebrated for 11 consecutive days during the months of October. The major events of Dashain are Ghatasthapana, Phool Pati, Mahaastami, Nawami and Vijaya Dashami. It is a celebration of Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahisasur. On Ghatasthapana, jamara, a green-colored plant, is planted in most Nepali households. Phool Pati announces the advent of Dashain. On Nawami animal sacrifices are made to please various forms of the goddess Durga. On Dashami people dress up beautifully and visit their elders to receive tika from them. Tika is red vermillion mixed with yogurt and rice. Elders put tika on the forehead of their juniors and give them blessings. Children during this ritual are gifted with money. Kite flying highlights the occasion with fun and joy. Families gather together after tika for a delicious feast and play card, sing and dance for pure entertainment.

TIHAR (November)
Tihar is also one of the very important festivals of Nepal. It is also called the 'festival of lights' & is known as 'deepawali'. During this time of the festival which occurs in the month of November, the whole country looks amazingly breathtaking with its colorful and attractive decorations. The whole country is lit up with different colorful lights & is celebrated for 5 days. The first day is termed as 'Kag (crow) puja' in which the crow is worshipped with ritual items and food. Next comes 'Kukur (dog) puja' and a similar ritual is followed. After kukur puja, Nepalese celebrate Laxmi puja, Gobardhan Puja and then Bhai Tika. After a thorough cleaning, houses are lit with candles and electronic lights to please Goddess Laxmi and to have prosperity, happiness and harmony in the family with blessings from goddess Laxmi. Bhai Tika is ceremonial ritual for brothers and sisters. Sisters put tika (red vermilion powder) on their brother's forehead and offer food, fruits, sweets and gifts to their brothers praying for their longevity. Brothers on the other hand also put tika on their sisters' forehead and present them gifts. Tourists & visitors also enjoy themselves this time around.

CHHATH PARVA (November)
Chhath Parva is a very popular festival in the Southeastern part of Nepal. Every year Janaki temple of Janakpur witnesses a grand ceremony on the 7th November for Chhath Parva. Devotes take a ritual bath from a Holy River, worship the sun God with ritual items and pray for their safety from skin diseases. At night temples are transformed into absolute illuminated beauty with candles and electronic lights.

MANI RIMDU (November)
Mani Rimdu, celebrated in the month of November, is an important festival for Sherpas of the Khumbu in the Everest region. Tengboche monastery organizes a grand ceremony for three days on the occasion of Mani Rimdu. Buddhist monks blow horns to bring in auspiciousness and then the chief Lama leads the entire ritual. Other participants from the local community also offer their prayers. At the end of the first day of the festival, the head Lama blesses devotees with holy water and auspicious pellets. On the second day after blowing cymbals, horns, flutes and conch shells, a similar nature of ritual is followed. On the final day monks perform sacred dances to ward off evil forces.

BALA CHATURDASI (November)
Ancient tales have it that an ordinary person named Bala turned into a demon after he accidentally ate the burnt flesh of a corpse. Later people plotted a deception against him to kill him. After Bala's death, people regretted the fact that they deceived him and so began to practice Bala Chaturdasi for seeking forgiveness from Bala. On 30th November, most Nepalese, after taking a ritual bath at dawn scatter grains all around for building a truce with incensed souls. A mela is organized near Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. This ritual concludes with the blowing of a horn.

YOMARI PUNHI (December)
Yomari Punhi was started as a thanksgiving to the gods for blessing farmers with good harvest. On the 15th December, the Newari community prepares a food called Yomari made from the flour of new rice with melted raw sugar stuffed into it and then sealed. After this is done, the Yomari is first offered ritually to the gods and then the remaining yomaris are shared amongst family, relatives and friends. Tourists find yomaris to be a tasty delicacy.

TAMU LHOSAR (December)
Abiding by rules that go by the lunar calendar, Tamang, Magar, Gurung and other Himalayan communities of Nepal celebrate Tamu Lhosar as their New Year during the month of December. Monasteries are attractively adorned with colorful decorative items this time around. People take blessings from monks for their progress, prosperity and happiness. Each home raises a symbolic flag on top of its roof. A party is organized at home and invitations are forwarded to relatives and friends. Delicious food, music and dance become the essence of the party. Greetings and gifts are exchanged and members of these communities generally have a good time during this period of the year.

CHRISTMAS (December)
The minority Christian community of Nepal celebrates Christmas on the 25th December. Christmas is a unique and divine festival that unites friends, family & relatives in harmony through love, peace and happiness within the community and throughout the world. It brings together lost family members and buries old quarrels. A Christmas tree is decorated with exquisite decorative items. Gifts are placed hidden under the Christmas tree and Children are led to believe that Santa Claus has left their gifts hidden under the Christmas tree. After receiving gifts family members sit together for a lavish dinner. In most countries, the special menu set for Christmas day is the traditional turkey. This is very special time of the year for most people throughout the world because this festival signifies the birth of Jesus Christ.