Festivals
of Nepal
Vijaya
Dashami ||
Tihar || Bala
Chaturdasi || Maghe
Sankranti || Basanta
Panchami
Fagu Purnima ||
Ghode Jatra
|| The Nepalese's New
Year || Seto Machhendranath
Jatra
Rato Machhendranath
Jatra || Ram
Nawami || Buddha
Jayanti || Janai
Purnima
Gai Jatra ||
Krishna Aastami
|| Teej || Indra
Jatra
Vijaya
Dashami (Joint Family)
It is truly the national festival of Nepal.
Every Nepali is stirred by the prospects of
joy that this festival is supposed to bring
with it. The change of mood is also induced
psychologically by the turn of autumn season
after a long spell of monsoon, introducing clear
and brilliant days, an azure blue sky and a
green carpet of fields, the climate is also
just ideal at this time, it is neither too cold
nor too warm. The Nepalese cherish their Dashain
as time for eating well and dressing well. Each
house sets up an shrine to worship the Goddess
at this time. Barley seeds are planted on the
first day in every household and nurtured for
nine days. During this period Goddess Durga
Bhawani is worshipped and offered a lot
of blood sacrifices. Buffaloes, goats, chickens
and ducks are killed by the thousands at
the temples at military posts and in every household.
One of the main center that witnesses the animal
sacrifice in a Large scale at this time
is the Hanuman Dhoka palace on the ninth. On
the concluding day of the festival called the
Tika, the elders of the family give Tika
to their junior members and to other relatives
who may also come to seek their blessings. The
fresh shoots of the barley's are also given.
Family feasting and feting of guests is a common
practice at this time.
Tihar
(Sister and Brother)
It lasts for five days and is marked by worship
to different animals such as crow, the dog and
the cow, five various days. The most important
day is Laxmi puja. The most endearing sight
of this festival is presented by the illumination
of the entire town with rows of tiny flickering
lamps on Laxmi puja. In the evening of
this day, the Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi
is worshipped at every household and it is on
her welcome that myriad of lamps are burnt.
On the fifth day sister show their affection
towards their brothers with puja and feed them
with delectable food. They pray for their brothers
long life to Yama, the Hindu God of death.
Bala Chaturdasi
For one year after the death, the soul of
the dead wanders around awaiting entrance
to the under world and it is the inescapable
duty of living relatives to provide it
with substance, comfort and peace once or twice
each year and Bala Chaturdasi is one of them.
The relatives pay homage to Pashupatinath and
offer grains while taking a round of the temple.
Magh Sankranti
A Sankranti signifies the first day of any month
in the Nepali calendar year. The first day of
the month of Magh, which falls in January is
sacred day in Nepal, because the sun,
on this day, is believed to be astrologically
in a good position. It starts on its northward
journey in its heavenly course on this day,
thus announcing the commencement of the Uttarayana.
In the Nepalese belief this day marks the division
of the Winter and Summer Solstices. Bathing
in rivers is prescribed from this day, especially
at the river confluence and feasting with rich
foods of special preparation is common in the
family.
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Basanta
Panchami
On this day Nepalese people bid farewell
to the winter season and look forward to the
spring season. Most of the people of Nepal worship
Goddess of learning called “SARASWATI”.
The people of Kathmandu valley go to a little
shrine near Swayambhunath to worship
this Goddess.
Maha Shivatri
This is the most famous and celebrated festival
of Nepal which attracts large crowds from
far flung places both in India & Nepal.
The festival is consecrated in honour of Shiva.
It is observed by bathing and holding of a religious
fast. All Shiva shrines become the places of
visit for “Darshan”, but the greatest
attraction of all is held by the temple of
Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. One gets to
see thousands of Hindus devotees coming to visit
the temple of Pashupatinath. Among them
are a large number of Sadhus and Naked ascetics.
Many people like to keep awake for the whole
night keeping vigilance over an oil lamp burnt
to please Shiva. Children are seen keeping awake
similarly over a bonfire in many localities.
In the afternoon an official function is held
to celebrate this festival at Tundikhel. The
Royal Nepal Army organises a show in which series
of gun fire are sounded. The ceremony is witnesses
by His Majesty the King.
Fagu Purnima
This is known as Holi. Holi is the festival
of colour. It is observed for eight days
just before the full moon of Phalgun and during
this time people indulge in colour throwing
at each other. This festival does not have any
religious flavour as it is practised
in the hills of Nepal. Nevertheless, the festival
has got some official status. Because the colour
festival is always heralded by the sticking
of a wooden pole with colorful streamers beside
the old Royal Palace at Basantapur by
the arrangements of the Government Religious
Endowment Office.
Ghode
Jatra
The
festival has two sides of its celebration. Its
cultural side involves the Newars of Kathmandu,
who celebrates it for several days, the idols
of the Gods of many localities are taken in
a procession in their area in portable chariots.
Every households will be feasting at this time.
A demon called “ Gurumapa” is also
propitiated at Tundikhel. The other aspects
of the festival is provided by the function
organised by the Royal Nepalese Army at Tundikhel
in the afternoon of the main day. Horse race
and acrobatic shows are presented at this time
in which His Majesty the King will be present.
A meeting of Kumari, Bhadrakali, Kankeshori
and Bhairab at Asan on the second day of the
main celebration is another highlight of
the festival.
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The
Nepalese New Year’s Days
On this day a popular festival takes
place in the 3rd city of Kathmandu valley
Bhaktapur, where a gigantic pole installed with
two long flags hanged on the top will be laid
down(rooted out) in a great pomp and show. This
will last for a week, many chariots festivals
of Gods and Goddesses will be celebrated
with open joys and cheers.
Seto
Machhendranath Jatra
On this day a popular festival held in honour
of the white Machhendranath, who is actually
the Padmapani Lokeswara, whose permanent shrine
is situated at Matsyendra Bahal in Kel Tole
in the middle of the bazaar in Kathmandu. A
huge chariot of wood supported on four large
wheels and carrying tall spire covered with
green foliage is made ready for receiving the
image of the divinity on this occasion and for
dragging in the old town. There is such a spontaneous
and heavy turnout of the devotees to pay homage
to this God, who is also said to be “ Embodiment
of Compassion” at this time.
Ram
Nawami
This day celebrates the birth of Rama, one of
the incarnation of Vishnu, a prominent Hindu
God. Religious fast is observed and 
worship
is offered to Rama. A special celebration takes
place at Janakpur temple of Rama and Janaki
on this day.
Rato
Machhendranath Jatra
This festival is the biggest social-culture
event for the town of Patan. It begins with
the chariot journeys of the most widely venerated
deity of the Nepal valley, who resides
in his twin shrines at Patan and Bungamati.
His popular name is Bunga Deo, but non Newars
call him also by the name of Red Machhendranath.
The wheeled chariot is prepared at pulchowk
and pulled through the town of Patan in several
stages until several month later it reaches
Jawalakhel for the final celebration of this
festival called the Bhoto Dekhaune. The two
Machhendranath of Patan and Kathmandu
form part of same cult of Avalokiteswara
in the Mahayan religion.
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Buddha
Jayanti
This day which falls on the full moon of the
month of Baisakh is celebrated to commemorate
the birth attainment of enlightenment and the
death of Gautam Buddha, the founder preacher
of Buddhism, more that 2500 years ago. Prayers
are sung and worship is offered by the Buddhists
in leading Buddhist shrines throughout the country
including Lumbini in the Rupandehi district,
which is the birth place of Buddha. There is
a great fare held at Lumbini on this day.
Janai
Purnima ( Rakchshya Bandhan)
The full moon of the month of Shrawan, the day
when this festival is observed is considered
sacred all over Nepal and is celebrated in different
manner by various groups of people of Nepal.
However, the most widely accepted mode of celebration
is that on this day all the twice-born caster
take ritual bath and they change their sacred
thread. Everyone gets strings of thread on his
wrist from the Brahmans a protective mark for
the whole year. This day is also held sacred
for bathing in Gosainkunda. One can also see
a pageantry of the Jhankris attired in their
traditional costume as they come to bathe at
Kumbheshwor at Patan. These Jhankris also visit
the temple of Kalinchowk Bhagwati in Dolkhas
district where they go to bet their healing
powers as they are the traditional healers of
the Nepalese villages.
Gai
Jatra (The Cow festival)
In this festival teen-aged boys dressed up as
cows, parade the streets of the town. This costume
springs from the belief that cows help the members
of the family who died within that year to travel
to heaven smoothly. Some are also dressed up
as an ascetic or a fool for achieving the same
objective for their dead family members. Groups
of mimics improvise short satirical enactment
on the current social scenes of the town for
the entertainment of the public. The week beginning
from Janai Purnima actually unfolds a season
of many good religious and cultural activities.
All the Buddhist monasteries open their gates
to the visitors to view their bronze sculptures
and collection of painting for a week. At Patan,
one observes the festival of Mataya at this
time.
The festivity of Gai Jatra itself
lasts for a week enlivened by the performance
of dance and drama in the different localities
of the town. The spirit of the old festival
is being increasingly adapted by cultural centers,
newspaper and magazines to fling humour and
satire on the Nepalese Social and Political
life.
Krishna
Aastami
The day is celebrated as the birth anniversary
of Krishna, one of the incarnation of Vishnu.
Religious fast is observed and Krishna’s
temple visited by the devotees on this day.
A procession goes around the town displaying
the pictures of Lord Krishna, a practice which
was started in the recent years by social organisation
called the Sanatan Dharma Sewa Samiti.
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Teej
This is the festival for the ladies. On this
day the Nepalese women go to Shiva temple in
colourful dresses to worship Shiva. In Kathmandu
Valley they go to Pashupatinath and then worship
Shiva (Hindu God of Destruction) and whatever
they wish that will be fulfilled.
Indra
Jatra
Like Gai Jatra, this also heralds a week of
religious and cultural festivity in Kathmandu.
There are several face of this festival. On
the night when this festival begins members
of the family in which death has taken place
within one year, go around the town limits of
Kathmandu burning incense and putting lamps
along the route. The same morning a tall wooden
pole representing the statue of Indra and large
wooden masks of Bhairab are put on display in
the bazaar. Several groups of religious dance
like the Devinach, Bhairava and Bhakku as well
as Mahankalinach come into life during this
week. The week also commences with pulling of
chariot of Ganesh, Bhairava and Kumari in Kathmandu.
On this historical day, King Prithvi Narayan
Shah made a victorious march with his troops
into the town and ascended the throne of Kantipur
the old name of Kathmandu displacing the Malla
King Jaya Prakash Malla.
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