Nepal Festivals

All Nepal Festivals That The Locals Will Celebrate

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  Dashain, Nepal's biggest festival

  Dashain, similar to Chinese Spring Festival, is the biggest and longest annual festival in Nepal. Lasting for 15 days, it is held to celebrate the victory of the goddess Durgar over the evil. A large number of animals will be sacrificed during this auspicious festival. And people would go back home for family reunion. You'll see colorful kites flying in the blue sky and kids playing on the swings.

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  Tihar, the second biggest festival in Nepal

  Tihar, also known as Diwali or Deepawali after the third day of the celebration, is the most important festival in India and second only to Dasain in Nepal. Famous for the colorful festive lights, it falls between late October and early November, lasting for five days. During this festival, people will honor some animals, like crows, dogs, cows and bullocks. On the fourth day, all the houses are cleaned and decorated with candles, lamps and colorful lights to welcome Lakshimi, the goddess of wealth. Thus, It's also called as Festival of Lights.

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  Holi, the most popular festival in Nepal

  Holi, one of the most famous Nepalese festivals, is closely related to the Songkran Festival in Thailand and Myanmar. It falls on the full moon in the Nepali Fagu month. As the dry season comes to an end, the cooling water reminds us that the monsoon season is just around the corner. Fagu Purnima is also known as Festival of Colors, during which people make cheerful throws at each other by waters and paints. At this moment, foreign visitors would get special treatment. If you go out on this day, please leave the camera at home and put on old clothes.

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  Gai Jatra / Festival of cows

  Gai Jatra, aslo called as the Cow Festival, starts on the day after the full moon in Nepali Saaun month and is held to commemorate the people who died in the last year. The Newars believe that the deceased will be guided by the cows to the Yama, the god of the underworld. So it would be much easier for them to complete the journey if they could catch the cowstail. On this day, the cows will be led through the wide streets and narrow lanes in Nepal, and small kids would dress up as cows. You must be amazed at the marvelous sights on the streets of Bhaktapur.

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  Teej / Nepal Women’s Festival

  Teej, also called as the Festival of Women, starts from the second to the fifth day after the new moon in Nepail Bhadra month and is particularly celebrated in Pashupatinath. During this three-day-long festival, you'll see Nepalese females dress in their beautiful red saris everywhere. The married women would pray Shiva for the healthy life of the families and the unmarried would hope to marry a good husband.

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  Indra Jatra / Kumari Jatra / Yenya Festival

  Indra Jatra, also known as Yenya, falls in Nepali Bhadra month and lasts for eight days. Following Gai Jatra, Indra Jatra festival is celebrated by Nepalese to pray to Indra and Dagini for a good harvest and commemorate the deceased in the past year. In fact, Yenya Festival consists of two parts, namely Indra Jatra and Kumari Jatra. The celebrations of Indra Jatra include the flagpole ceremony, blood sacrifice, displays of Bhairava's masks, etc. During Kumari Jatra, the living goddess will take the chariot to march through the streets of Kathmandu.

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  Magh Sankranti

  As one of the few Nepalese festivals not timed with lunar calendar, the date of Magh Sankranti is determined by the north movement of winter sun. It usually occurs at the mid of January. On the new-moon day, Tribeni Mela will be held at various places, including Devghat of Terai, Ridi Bazaar and the confluence of Kali Gandaki and Ridi Khola, etc. At that time, tens of thousands of followers would bath in the holy Bagmati River.

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  Saraswati Puja / Basanta Panchami

  People celebrate the coming of spring by worshiping Saraswati. Since Saraswati is the goddess of learning, this festival has special significance for the students. The most popular place for the locals to celebrate Basanta Panchami is Saravati Monastery in Swayambhunath. Of course, You can also attend this grand celebration in Kathmandu. Falling between Januanry and Feburary, it is regarded as a very auspicious time for marriages.

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  Tibetan New Year / Losar Festival

  Tibetan New Year (Losar Festival) starts on the new moon in February and ends at Magh or Falgun. It's warmly celebrated at Bodhnath Stupa, Swayambhunath Monkey Temple, Tibetan community in Jawlakhel as well as the Solu Khumbu region by Sherpa people. At that time, all the Tibetan communities are indulged in the festive atmosphere. People exchange greetings and gifts with each other. The colorful prayer flags are hung around the houses,temples, pagodas, etc. And Nepalese carry out the traditional masked dances.

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  Maha Shivaratri

  The birthday of Shivaaratri takes place on the new moon in Nepali Falgun month. Various kinds of celebrations are held in all the Shiva temples, and the scene is especially spectacular at Pashupatinath Temple. You'll see thousands of ascetic monks gather here from every corner of Nepal and India. When the masses bath in the holy Bagmati River, you’ll marvel at those magnificent views.

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  Chaitra Dasain

  Chaitra Dasain, also known as small Dasain, is celebrated just six months before the Big Dasain. Both Dasain Festivals are held for the Goddess Durga. In the early morning, goats and buffaloes will be sacrificed in Kot Sq at Kathmandu. The worship of Chaitra Dasain also symbolizes the start of the one-month-long Seto Machhendranath.

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  Bisket Jatra / Navavarsha / Nepali New Year

  Bisket Jatra, also famous as Nepal New Year Festival, starts at mid-April, the beginning of Nepali Baisket month. The Bisket Jatra chariot parade in Bhaktapur is the best event to celebrate this national holiday. It's also one of the most exciting annual celebrations in Nepal, attracting tourists from all over the world.

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  Buddha Jayanti / Buddha's Birthday

  The birthday of the Buddha falls in Nepali Jeth month. On this day, Buddhists from the global swarm into Nepal and pay a visit to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. People also have spectacular celebrations at Monkey Temple, Bodhnath and Patan. And the precious Thangka will be exhibited on the southern wall of the courtyard in Swayambhunath. You can catch the golden chance to observe monks dancing for the Buddha's birth.

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  Naga Panchami

  On the fifth day after the new moon in Nepali Saaun month, the whole country will hold celebration to honor Naga. It's believed that the Naga has magically taken control of the monsoon rains. During this festival, people will post the pictures of Naga on the door for the peace and luck, and prepare food for the snakes, including a bowl of rice.

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  Mani Rimdu

  Mani Rimdu, a popular dancing festival among Sherpa People, is held at Tengboche Temple in the Solu Khumbu region. Timed by Tibetan calendar, it takes place in October or November and lasts for three days. The festival features masked dances and traditional opera to celebrate the victory of Buddhism over Bon religion. Another Mani Rimdu Festival is celebrated six months later at Thame Temple. It's just one day's walk from Namche Bazaar.

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  Pachali Bhairab

  Pachali Bhairab takes place on the fourth day of the brightest fortnight in September or early October. The bloodthirsty nature of Bhairab means that there will be a large-scale sacrifice at this festival.

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  Sita Bibaha Panchami

  Sita Bibaha Panchami falls on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in November or December. Millions of pilgrims swarm from Nepal and India to Janakpur, the birthplace of Sita, to celebrate Sita’s marriage to Rama. The wedding will be shown again and you are likely to witness elephants carrying Rama’s portrait to Sita Temple.