Amazing Festivals in Nepal!

Amazing Festivals in Nepal

Nepal's festivals are special moments that celebrate various rituals and beliefs. Nepal's diverse cultures and traditions offer marvelous moments through festivals each year. With a large number of Indian immigrants, different festivals are celebrated by the majority of Madhesis. People from various religions, including Hindu, Buddhist, Kirat, Muslim, and Christian, live in Nepal with their unique traditions, rituals, norms, and festivals. Despite the diversity, the country represents an interweaving of Hinduism, Buddhism, and other beliefs.

Main Festivals Celebrated in Nepal

Though the country is full of many colorful festivals, there are 10 major festivals like Dashain/Tihar, Buddha Jayanti, Gai Jatra, Janai Purnima, Teej, Chhat, Fagun Purnima, Maghe Sankranti, Indra Jatra, and Mahashivratri celebrated in Nepal which reflect their unique ethnic backgrounds.

Dashain

Dashain is the most favorable festival celebrated by Nepalese people in the whole year for about 15 days, including different rituals each day, each referring to its own histories and importance. Bamboo swings, family gatherings, and religious facts are the most important aspects of this festival. The festival is mainly celebrated in September or October (also the best time to do trekking in Nepal) as a victory of goddess Durga over the evil Mahisashur. Thus, to celebrate such ancient mythology, Dashain festival is celebrated every year.

Tihar (Dipawali)

Tihar, also known as Deepawali, is a colorful festival of lights. Tihar is mainly celebrated for 5 days, including Kaag Tihar, Kukur Tihar, Gai Tihar/Laxmi Puja, Goverdhan Puja, and the last Bhaitika, on which sisters worship their brothers and thank them for the protection provided. Tihar, being the second biggest festival in Nepal, has great importance and beliefs, not only for humans and gods but also for animals like cows, crows, and dogs. The fascinating arrangements of lights throughout the city make the city look like a sparkling diamond.

Buddha Jayanti

Lord Buddha, also known as the “Light of Asia,” was born in 543 B.C. in Kapilvastu, Lumbini, Nepal, and this day is known as “Buddha Jayanti.” Buddha Jayanti has its own history; the day is celebrated by all Nepalese, even by the Hindus, as Lord Buddha is also considered one of the main incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Lumbini, the place where Lord Buddha was born, is visited by many foreigners on this day. Thus, to remember his virtues, teachings, and peaceful knowledge, Buddha Jayanti is celebrated every year. Generally, Buddha Jayanti is celebrated in May or June according to the Gregorian calendar.

Gai Jatra

Gai Jatra, also known as the “festival of a cow,” is a popular festival in Nepal, mainly celebrated to remove the grief of losing family members. It is mainly celebrated in Kathmandu Valley by the Newar community by marching cows on the streets of the city and praying for the safety of lost ones. Falling in August or September, “Gai Jatra” is a carnival of singing and dancing on the streets of the city.

Janai Purnima

Janai Purnima, falling in the month of Shrawan, also known as “Rakshya Bandhan,” represents the bond of purity and security. Janai Purnima is known as a sacred thread festival celebrated by all Hindus, especially by Brahmins and Chettris, to perform their annual change of “Janai,” a sacred thread on their west. Rakshya Bandhan is a ritual protective thread offered by sisters to brothers for providing them lifelong protection. Janai Purnima is also celebrated as Kwati Purnima, where Kwati refers to the soup of different beans considered the main menu of this day.

Teej

One of the monsoon festivals, celebrated by Hindu women all across the world for the long life of their husbands and purification of body or soul, Teej is also dedicated to goddess Parvati for her union with Lord Shiva. In Nepal, Nepalese women celebrate Teej by fasting and gathering at a holy place in their finest red outfits while singing and dancing to devotional songs. Teej is also known as Hari Talika Teej and falls in the month of Shrawan.

Chhath

In the context of Nepal, Chhath is celebrated by the Mithila region of Terai. During the festival, Sun and his wife are worshiped by the Hindu followers for bestowing life on earth. Hindu followers believe that God is the ultimate source of life force and energy. According to the ritual, they worship both sunset and sunrise; the setting sun means death, and sunrise means rebirth. To admire his power, they worship Lord Surya (Sun) in exchange for prosperity, well-being, and progress. Usually, women are the prime worshippers, but men also take part. The culture says that worshiping the Sun helps eradicate diseases like leprosy and helps family members live long and prosperous lives. Chhath festival is celebrated for four days from Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Kartik Shukla Saptami. In the English Calendar, they fall in October or November.

Fagun Purnima (Holi)

The most famous and traditional festival of colors celebrated by Hindus all over the world, Fagun Purnima is also known as Holi. Falling in the month of Shrawan, indicating the beginning of the spring season, is celebrated at the end of Falgun. Hindus celebrate Holi by playing with water and colors, hugging each other, eating tasty food, and more. Being one of the important festivals in the Hindu religion, it provides lots of joy and happiness to the people. Celebrating this great festival includes its own history.

Maghe Sankranti

Maghe Sankranti, also known as Makar Sankranti, is a festival celebrated in the month of Magh (January) to mark the end of the winter solstice and the beginning of longer days. People celebrate by taking holy baths in rivers, eating traditional foods like sesame seeds, molasses, ghee, sweet potatoes, and yam, and visiting temples. It is a time to celebrate the coming of warmer weather and the fertility of the land.

Mahashivratri

In the beautiful land of Festivals, Nepal celebrates Maha Shivaratri (the Great Night of Lord Shiva), a festival in honor of Lord Shiva who is known for his victory over Halahal, an evil monster who tried to destroy the universe (according to Hindu tales). Maha Shivaratri is celebrated on the night of Falgun Chaturdasi, believed to be the birth night of Lord Shiva. In Nepal, Shivaratri is celebrated by Hindus visiting designated temples, especially the Pashupatinath Temple, where many Hindus wait in long queues just to get glimpses of Lord Shiva.

Indra Jatra

The main venue for this festival is in Kathmandu valley. According to Hindu beliefs, Indra’s mother needed parijat, a flower for her ritual activities, for which Indra came to the earth to fetch the flowers, but was recognized by the people and got caught and tied with rope. As a result, the statue is still worshipped in Maru Tole, Kathmandu. Indra Jatra, one of the very interesting street festivals, also known as “Yenya,” where “Ye” means Kathmandu and “Ya” means celebrations, together meaning “celebration inside Kathmandu valley.” Another event, Kumari Jatra, is also celebrated on the same day, which means the chariot festival of Kumari.

Lhosar

Lhosar is the major festival for people following Tibetan and Buddhist cultures like Tamang, Gurung, and Sherpa, as they consider the day as New Year according to the Tibetan calendar. The word defines itself as “Lho” means year and “Sar” refers to new. Generally, events can be observed in monasteries like Swayambhunath and Boudhanath. They celebrate the festival by singing and dancing, wearing their own different cultural outfits in their Tibetan unison. There are mainly three types of Lhosars: Tola Lhosar, Sonam Lhosar, and Gyalpo Lhosar, each having their own ways of celebrating.

Saraswati Puja

Saraswati, one of the Hindu goddesses worshipped by Hindu pilgrims all over the world, is the symbol of learning, music, art, wisdom, and creativity. The word Saraswati is a combination of two words: “Sara,” which means “essence,” and “swa,” which means “oneself,” and together it refers to the “essence of oneself.” As the puja is done on Panchami, it is also known as Shree Panchami. Saraswati Puja falls in January or February, and students worship the goddess Saraswati with more diligence and respect. Along with this, this day is considered very auspicious for new ventures and implementations.

Krishna Janmashtami

Krishna Janmashtami refers to the annual birthday celebration of Lord Krishna, also known as the 8th reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, which falls in August or September every year. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Bhadra according to the Nepalese Bikram Sambat calendar. Lord Krishna plays a very important role in the holy battle of Mahabharat, and is also known by many names like Hari, Shyam, Gopal, Nanda Lala, etc. On this day many devotees worship Lord Krishna in ancient Krishna Mandir like the ancient Krishna Mandir of Patan Durbar Square and sing ancient hymns.

Christmas

Christmas, one of the national festivals among Nepalese people, is mainly celebrated by Christian communities as the annual remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. In Nepal, people celebrate Christmas in their own way, mainly by going to churches, sharing gifts, and having feasts. There is an official holiday in the country on Christmas Day, celebrated on the 25th of December.

Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr is the most important festival in the Muslim religion and is also known as the “Feast breaking the fast.” In Nepal, many people of the Islam religion celebrate the festival. The date is fixed according to the Islamic calendar every year. The day generally falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal and is celebrated mainly for 2 or 3 days. The festival also indicates the end of the Islamic fasting month known as “Ramadan." People celebrate this festival by praying for unity among all.

Having such diverse cultures following these wonderful festivals with their own different traditions and rituals makes the moments more pleasurable in Nepal. Different festivals define their different religious origins and religious significance. So, don’t miss the chance to explore such marvelous festivals with their legendary histories and importance.

Nepal's diverse cultures and festivals create marvelous moments for exploration. Each festival has its own unique history and significance, making Nepal a land of rich cultural heritage.