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Festivals of Nepal
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Nepal is not only the land of high mountains, it is
also the land of festivals. There are more than 50 festivals celebrated
in Nepal every year. While the national festivals have fixed dates,
religious festivals are set by astrologers following the lunar calendar.
The best part about the festivals in Nepal is that all the events are
celebrated with the same enthusiasm and galore the way it used to be
hundreds of years ago when people had no other means of entertainment.
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New Year: |
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It is known as "Navavarsha" in Nepal. Nepal has its
official calendar that begins from the first day of the first month
Baisakh. This very first day is observed as Nepali New Year which
usually falls in the second week of April. People go for picnics, have
get-togethers and celebrate the day socializing in various ways as this
day is also a national holiday.
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Lhosar (Tibetan New Year): |
This is the New Year of the Tibetans and Sherpas of Nepal which falls in
February. The Buddhist monasteries in Kathmandu like Boudhanath and
Swayambhunath are decorated with eye catching colorful prayer flags
pulling the crowd. The people perform their traditional dances and
welcome their New Year with feasts and family gatherings wearing all the
new clothes and finest jewelries and exchanging gifts.
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Buddha Jayanti: |
Buddha's birth anniversary is celebrated every year during May in Nepal.
On this day people swarm in Swayambhunath and Boudhanath to pay homage
to Lord Buddha and also visit Buddha's birth place in Lumbini and chant
prayers and burn butter lamps. Lord Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha
Gautam but he abandoned his luxurious life when he realized the misery
of mankind and went in search of enlightenment.
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Saraswati Puja: |
Saraswati Puja or Shree Panchami is a day to celebrate the birthday of
Saraswati - the Goddess of Learning. This is a day when people from
school students to scholars worship their pens and books to please the
Goddess and expect her favor in their studies so they become wise and
knowledgeable. People also throng around the idol of Goddess Saraswati,
especially in Swayambhunath and offer flowers, sweets, fruits, etc. On
this day, small children are taught to read and write and people write
on the stones and slabs with chalks and pencils.
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Gai Jatra (Cow Festival): |
This festival of cow is celebrated every year in August/September. This
is one of the most popular festivals in Nepal as it is full of humor,
satire, comedy, mockery and shades of sadness too at the same time. And
on this day satires and jokes on anybody is legal. As per the tradition,
the family who has lost a relative during the past one year must take
part in a procession by sending young boys in cow like attire and walk
through the streets of Kathmandu lead by a cow. Cow is regarded as a
Goddess and it is also the national animal of Nepal.
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Krishna Janmastami: |
The birth anniversary of Lord Sri Krishna, believed to be the 8th
incarnation of Lord Vishnu falls sometime in August/September. All the
devotees assemble in Krishna Mandir, the ancient Krishna Temple in Patan
Durbar Square and other temples with the idol of Sri Krishna and offer
prayers, flowers, food, sweets and chant hymns too.
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Teej: |
This is a Hindu married woman's day for her man. This festival is
celebrated in August/September. Women clad in beautiful red saris with
shining potes (glass beads), singing and dancing is the sight almost
everywhere in Nepal during the festival of Teej. On this day women
observe a fast and pray Lord Shiva for the long, healthy and prosperous
life of their husbands and their families. The unmarried women also
observe this festival with unabated zeal with the hope that they will
get to marry good husbands. From early dawn, women queue up in the
multiple lines in Pashupatinath to offer their prayers to Lord Shiva.
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Indra Jatra: |
This festival named after Lord Indra- the God of Rain and also the King
of Heaven is celebrated by both the Buddhists and Hindus in Nepal in
August/September. This festival lasts for eight days with singing, mask
dancing and rejoicing. The chariot of Kumari - the Living Goddess is
taken through the main streets of Kathmandu with much fanfare. On the
first day, the King of Nepal also pays homage to Goddess Kumari.
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Dashain (Bijaya Dashami): |
During the month of Kartik (late September and early October), the
Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain.
Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese
annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed
throughout the country.
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Tihar: |
This festival of lights that falls between October/November is the
second biggest festival after Dashain. This festival lasts for five days
and people worship Laxmi - the Goddess of Wealth. All the houses are
cleaned and decorated with the belief that Goddess Laxmi will enter the
house that is the cleanest and people lit candles, oil lamps and other
lights and the whole place looks illuminating. During the five days,
crows, dogs and cows are worshipped and honored with vermilion, garland
and delicious food for what they have done in the lives of humans. Crows
are regarded as the messenger that brought news even during the times
when there were no postmen and no postal services. Dogs are the most
obedient animals and they guard our house as true guardians.
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Shivaratri (Maha Shivaratri): |
Shivaratri or the night of Lord Shiva that falls
sometime between February/March is one of the major festivals of Nepal.
This day is dedicated to the Lord of the Lords - Lord Shiva or Mahadev
who lived in Mt. Kailash in the Himalayas. Lord Shiva is the most
worshipped God in the Hindu religion. More than 100,000 of Hindu
devotees from India and Southeast Asia throng weeks ahead of the
festival and gather in and around Pashupatinath temple - one of the
holiest shrines of the Hindus in Kathmandu to pay their homage to Lord
Shiva on his birthday. "Pashupatinath" literally means "the Lord of
animals" as Lord Shiva is considered as the guardian and protector of
everything that exists in the Himalayan Kingdom.
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Holi: |
| This festival of water and colors that falls between
February/March is also known as "Phagu" in Nepal. This day is observed
to rejoice the extermination of female demon Holika who together with
her King brother conspired to kill his son Pralhad, an ardent devotee of
Lord Vishnu. This day, playful people especially the young ones wander
through the streets in groups on foot or vehicles with various colors
smeared all over them and the people in houses make merry throwing
colors and water balloons at each other and also to these people on the
streets. |
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Ghode Jatra (Festival of Horses):
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This festival takes place between March/April and a
grand horse parade takes place at Tundikhel. Although this festival does
not have much of religious aspects, a large number of people, even from
outside Kathmandu flock around Kathmandu to witness the horse race and
other exciting sports activities performed by the Army in the presence
of the King and the Royal family.
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Nepal Travel Information
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