Festivals in Nepal
April-May
Nawabarsa and Bisket - Nepalese New Year
and the festival of the God Bhairab in Bhaktapur. Four days
of colorful parades and processions
Aama KO Mukh Herne Din -
Mother's Day (literally Mother's Face Looking Day)
Rato Machhendranath -
the festival of Lokeswar, one of the patron Gods of Kathmandu.
A 40-foot tall chariot with the God's image installed is pushed
and pulled through the streets by hundreds of worshippers.
Buddha Jyanti - Celebrating
the birth of the Buddha
May - June
Kumar Sasthi - A celebration of the birth
of the Hindu warrior God Kumar marks the beginning of the
rice-planting season. It's also celebrated by groups of boys
who indulge in stone throwing fights.
June-July
No major festivals in the worst of the monsoon season.
July-August
Ghanta Kharna - A festival commemorating
an ancient victory over a particularly malevolent devil, Gathemuga.
Mock funerals are held and figures burned in effigy.
Gunla - A Buddhist
Lent or Ramadan-like holy month of penance and pilgrimage,
climaxing in a rollicking celebration.
Naga Panchami - A
festival devoted to the snake gods, who most Nepalese believe
ruled the Valley before the coming of people.
Janai Purna - the
festival of changing of the sacred thread which every Brahmin
caste Hindu male wears around his torso.
August-September
Gai Jatra -
A festival to the sacred cow. Among other symbolisms of the
cow, cows are believed to lead the souls of the dead to the
underworld; and on Gai Jatra Newar households process around
an ancient path believed to mark the city walls of times past,
in honor of recently deceased members of their families. It's
also a carnival celebration with practical jokes - something
like Mardi gras combined with April fool day.
Krishna Jayanti -
Celebrating the birth of the Hindu God Krishna.
Gokarna Aunsi - Nepalese Father's Day
Tij Brata - A woman’s'
festival. Worshippers undergo fasting and penance and seek
good fortune and long life, and a ritual purification of self.
The three or four day celebration ends with a great feast.
September-October
Indra Jatra - A Kathmandu festival celebrating
the legendary capture of the King of Gods, Indra, in the Kathmandu
Valley. The Living Goddess of Kathmandu marks this weeklong
festival with many processions, street dancers, and the annual
blessing of the King.
Dasain - Two weeks
of happy celebration and gift giving, interwoven with bloody
animal sacrifice to appease the mother goddess Durga.
October-November
Diwali - A festival of lights, when homes
and offices are strung with colored lights and illuminated
by candles. This is also the festival of the Goddess Laxmi,
goddess of wealth, and is celebrated by much good-natured
gambling.
November-December
Indriani Puja - Festival of the Goddess Indriani
and of the various mother goddesses, which protect each village
in Nepal.
Sita Bibaha Panchami -
Celebrating the wedding of the Goddess Sita and the God Ram
with mock wedding processions
Dhanya Purnima -
A full moon festival celebrating the end of the rice harvest.
December-January
Seto Machhendranath - A cleansing ritual
for the White (seto) Machhendranath, a counterpart god to
the Red (rato) Machhendranath whose chariot procession is
in April-May.
January-February
Lhosar - the Tibetan and Sherpa New Year,
celebrated by thousands at Bodhnath Stupa and monasteries
throughout the country.
February-March
Shiva Ratri - The all day and all night festival
of the great God Shiva.
Holi - a rowdy festival of "colors",
in which participants douse themselves (and sometimes unwary
onlookers) with colored powder and liquid, and generally have
a great time.
March-April
Ghora Jatra - a horse festival, celebrated
with coach processions and races and displays on the main
parade ground in Kathmandu.
