Being culturally as well as naturally rich, Nepal is a home for different people living together in a community.  Ethnic groups like Newar, Sherpa, Rai, Tamang, Gurung, Thakali, Brahmin, Magar, and many other are living together in a harmony.  Also, people from different parts of the world in living here from generation.  Due to this reason, we have different culture, ritual and lifestyle and also different festivals to celebrate.  Everyfestivalare celebrated in different time of the year which have their own denotation.  Most of the festivals are celebrated victory by good over evil.  People worship nature, deities, machineries, tools, weapons, and other daily household objects.  Most of these festivals are celebrated for a day while some festivals last up to a month or two.  All these festivals celebrated throughout the country have their own value and customs.

 

Bordered to China in the north, in the mountain regions, most of the festivals, rituals and lifestyle are influenced from Buddhist culture.  The monasteries, houses, culture, foods, lifestyle, and customs are similar to Tibetan / Buddhist culture.  Festivals like Mani Rimdu. Dumji, and Lhosar are the popular festivals celebrated by the people living the Himalayan region.  In Khumbu region, Mani Rimdu is celebrated on the 9th day of Tibetan New Year.  This festival takes place in Tengbochey Monastery in Khumbu region where Lamas and Sherpa gather and prays for the world peace.  Mask dance and role plays are performed for many days where people from the surrounding villages also come to witness this festival.  Lhosar is another festival celebrated as a New Year in a Mongolian and Tibetan tribe.  Different offerings and pujas and rituals are performed in this festival.  It falls under the new moon day.  Even though it is mostly celebrated in the mountain region, Sherpa, Tamang, and Mongolian people living the valley also celebrate this festival visiting different monasteries and organize different programs in their communities.

 

Dashain:In the hilly region the most celebrated festival is Dashain.  This festival falls in the month of September / October where different avatars of goddess Durga are worshipped.  It is celebrated for 10 days where oldr member of the house offer tika to the other members of the family and all the members who are far away come to visit and gather and celebrate this festival. 

 

Tihar:It falls on the month of October / November.  Also knows as a festival of lights, it is celebrated for 5 days worshipping crows, dogs, and cows.  Newari New Year also falls in this festival.  Goddess Laxmi is also worshiped in the third day and Mha Puja and BhaiTika is celebrated in the fourth and fifth day.  It is the festival of light and celebrated with joy and happiness. 

 

Holi:  Celebrated in the month of February and March as a reminder that the monsoon is coming.  It is the festival of color and water.  It is also known as FaguPurnima.  People from different communities living together apply different colors and splash water on each other to celebrate this festival.  Legend says that this festival is celebrated to commemorate victory over demon Holika.

 

Buddha Jayanti:  It falls in the full-moon month of February and March.  It is celebrate to mark birth of Lord Buddha.  Places like Swyambhunath and Baudha holds a special ceremony where monks performs different rituals and chants and do puja for the world peace.  It is also celebrated in the Lumbini – Birth Place of Lord Buddha, where monks from different countries visits here and does prayers.  Monasteries and stupas are decorated beautifully with different colored prayer flags.

 

Shivaratri:Dedicated to Lord Shiva this festival falls in the month February and March.  During this festival, devotee from different part of the country as well as from India comes to Pashupatinath to pay homage to Lord Shiva.  Thousands of people gather in a queue from midnight in the Pashupatinath area to get a glimpse of Shiva.  It may take 2 to 3 hours or more than that to enter the temple on that day.  It is one of the popular festivals for Hindu Devotee.

IndraJatra:  Falls in the month of August / September, this festival is celebrated to worship rain god lord Indra.  It is celebrated in the inner town of Kathmandu valley.  Different mask dancers perform dances in different places.  Chariot of Kumari, Bhairab, and Ganesh are pulled from different places.  It lasts for 8 days.  Lakhey (mask dancer), Pulu Kisi (elephant) dance, and other deities perform different dances during this festival.

 

GaiJatra:it is a popular festival celebrated in Kathmandu valley in the month of August – September.  It is celebrated throughout the country but mostly celebrated in Kathmandu valley.  It is celebrated in the memory of deceased family member.  People circumambulate in the inner part of the city distributing foods, fruits, and milk to the people participating in the festival.

 

BisketJatra:  It is celebrated for 7 night and 8 days in Bhaktapur as well as in Tokha.  The main attraction of this festival is the tug of war between two parts of the town upper and lower part.  The chariot is pulled in the different part of the town.  People from different part of time valley come to witness this festival.  Also another attraction is the 25 – meter long erected Yohsi (wooden pole).  This pole is then pulled down in the eve of New Year and the new year begins. 

 

RatoMacchindranathJatra:  It is one of the longest festivals celebrated here in the valley.  It is celebrated for almost 3 months.  The main attraction of this festival is chariot procession of Macchindranath and Minnath.  It takes places between the month of April / May.  RatoMacchindranath is considered as a “god a rain.”  Chariot is taken to the different part of the Patan and people from different part of the town come to worship.  On the last day of the festival, this chariot is taken to the Jawalakhel and jewel-studded vest is displayed to the people.  This is the interesting part of the festival.  ,

 

Other festivals that are celebrated are TansenJatra.  This is celebrated in Palpa.  Bhimsen, Lord Ganesh, and Narayan are worshipped in this festival.  It is celebrated in the month of August.  YomariPunhiis celebrated during the full month of December.  During this festival, a special dish “Yomari” is prepared with flour shaped like fig, which is filled with brown cane sugar and sesame seeds.  It is then steamed and served hot.  ChaathParva is celebrated in the Terai region after finishing Tihar.  Rising and setting sun is worshipped during this festival for the good health of oneself and the family members.  People fasts for whole day before puja and only eat specially prepared dish after finishing the puja.  Maghiis celebrated mostly by Tharu and Magar community people in the Terai region.  It is celebrated as a New Year for the Tharu people.  Teej is celebrated specially by the women in hilly region.  Women fast for whole day for the good life of the family member specially husband.  In the evening, they break fasting by eating different sweets and fruits.

 

Other than these festivals, people here celebrate different other throughout the year, some of the festival lasts for a day while other festival lasts for more than a week.  This indirectly is helping to preserve and promote the culture.  Witnessing these festivals will be a new and exciting experience to the travellers.