Festivals of Nepal or festivals celebrating in Nepal is another perspective to explore Nepal. As there is ethnic diversity in Nepal, they celebrate different festivals.
Nepal could be a numerous country with a variable landscape, made bio-diversity, and hundreds of cultures residing in it. Every community holds its cultures and traditions that they need to have been following for hundreds of years. All of them have their own set of beliefs and festivals to celebrate.
No wonder The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is named the land of festivals. Daily could be a day of celebration for one or the opposite community. The simplest part of all is one’s pride in one’s own culture and respect for others. This is often why these varied cultures and festivals are harmoniously synchronous in Nepal.
It is not possible to say all the festivals celebrated in Nepal; however, we’ve tried to incorporate the favored festivals celebrated by the majority of individuals.
Losar is Tibetan New Year. People celebrate it for many days by doing activities like singing, recreation, banqueting, and meeting relatives. A colorful crowd gathers within the space around the stupa. Many Tibetans are wearing a significant form of stunning ancient costumes typically mixed with western garments. They smile, laugh, and greet family and friends as they encounter them within the crowd. The atmosphere is saturated with anticipation. A group of monks diode by a high-rank teacher seems and withstand the lion-framed gate into the inner space of the stupa.
Chhath Parva could be a four-day festival celebrated in October or November by the natives of the Mithila region. It’s the most important festival in the Terai region. The festival is widely known for worshiping Sun God and thanking him for aliment life on earth. The worshipers fast during the day for the longevity and prosperity of members of the family and worship the setting Sun. Devotees add up the festival by giving water to the rising Sun consequent morning once day-long fasting.
Other rituals observed during this festival are holy bathing for a long time, giving food to the Sun God, etc. Thekuwa and Anarsa are two distinctive sweet dishes ready throughout Chhath.
Devotees worship goddess (Devi) Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and inventor of arts, education, and music. Basanta Panchami conjointly marks the top of winter and also the start of spring.
Maghi is discovered in January on the day one month of Magh, carrying an end to the ill-omened month of Poush when all religious ceremonies are forbidden. People take Holy Bath during this event and create and distribute delicious fudges like Laddoo, Ghee, Chaku, sweet potatoes, etc. The mother of the house needs health for all or any members of the family. In keeping with religious writing, King Bhisma, who had the controlling over his death, choose to die on the day of Maghe Sakranti. So it’s believed that people die nowadays to attain Moksha (salvation).
The no-moon night of Falgun (February) is devoted to Lord Shiva and celebrated by Hindus everywhere on the planet. It was discovered because of the birthday of Lord Shiva. Shivaratri is celebrated in Nepal all across. Most of the spectacular events happen at the Pashupatinath Temple in the capital of Nepal. This is often an unbelievable spectacle, with devotees paying tribute to Lord Shiva by smearing their bodies in ashes. Yogis and Jogis are the events and shows of the day in Pashupatinath. The worship was performed throughout the night.
Fagu Purnima or Holi is thought because of the occasion of colors and falls between February/March. This spirited occasion is enjoyed by playing with colors and water.
The day is meant to be a celebration of the death of ‘Holika,’ somebody who tried to kill Vishnu’s devotee Prahlad. She and Prahlad were each lit, however, solely Holika burned to death. This might be the explanation for splashing one another with water.
Holi marks the arrival of spring moreover. Days begin to urge hotter and more colorful flowers to bloom. Holi is celebrated on two different days. The Hilly region of the state celebrates the festival on the day of the total moon whereas the Terai region celebrates it the following day.
Dashain is known as a major festival in Nepal as about 80 percent of the people are Hindu. This most auspicious occasion is widely known to rejoice in the ending of fine over evil.
The occasion is celebrated for fifteen days. Ghatasthapana, the first day of Dashain marks the start of this festival. Families worship the Ashta-Matrikas (8 Tantrik Goddesses) and also the nine avatars of Durga (The Nine Goddess Durgas) for the remaining nine days. On the tenth day, people receive Tika and Jamara along with blessings from the elders, and this continues for the following five days. The Last Day of the festival is on the entire moon day and is named ‘Kojagrata’ Purnima.
Although a majority of Nepalese celebrate it, the manner of celebration varies in keeping with communities.
Tihar could be a five-day-long festival that takes place fifteen days once Dashain celebrations. This occasion is widely known by attending crows and dogs at the beginning of two days severally. On the third day, people worship cows in the morning.
While Dipawali (Lighting) is observed in the evening by loving the God of wealth- Laxmi and lighting candles in the house. Oxen were worshiped on the fourth day, and Govardhan Pooja was conducted throughout the evening.
The Newar community, however, celebrates New Year and performs Mha Puja on the fourth day. The Last Day of Tihar is Bhai Tika (Brother’s Day). It was celebrated by rejoicing in the pleasant relationship between the siblings. On this auspicious day, sisters place Tika on their brother’s forehead to would like their longevity and health.
Mha Puja is especially famous in the Newar community on the fourth day of the Tihar. Nowadays it is New Year in keeping with the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Sambhat.
Mha Puja is a widely known activity as a ritual puja to purify and empower one’s body and soul. Members of the family sit in a row on the ground with mandalas (sand paintings of a sacred circular diagram) drawn ahead of them. They then follow varied rituals and light-weight the figure to purify and impart the body they sleep in.
Buddha Jayanti is the birthday of remembrance of Gautam Buddha- the lightweight of Asia. Buddha was born in 563 before Christ in Kapilvastu, Lumbini. Therefore, it’s a unique and auspicious day, not only for the Buddhists; however, conjointly for others within the country.
People visit Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Lumbini, and different stupas and monasteries throughout the day. The superbly lit butter lamps create these holy sites to look additional supernatural in the evening. One could observe parades or massive gatherings wherever monks, nuns, and followers read prayers and tell the ethics or life of Lord Buddha. People do Dana Dharma to show generosity by helping others.
Bisket Jatra falls on the first month of the Nepalese calendar. It is explicitly celebrated in Bhaktapur.
The myth behind the occasion is that there was a princess whose husband kept dying on the wedding bed. This was problematic for the royal families. Then came on a prince, blessed by God, who found a combination of serpents crawling out of the sleeping princess. He killed them, and the princess finally remained married.
During this occasion, chariots of Lord Bhairav and goddess Bhadrakali are a force through completely different parts of town. At Lyasinkhel, a tall pole representing the serpents is erected. As it is celebrated to mark the death of the serpents, it is also called Bisyau Jatra, meaning the slaying of the serpents.
Because it begins from the end of Chaitra to the beginning of Baisakh, it is also known as the festival of Nepali New Year.
This is Nepal’s longest and most extensive festival, especially famous in Patan (Lalitpur District). A huge chariot is built on Pulchowk Road over a few weeks. And eventually, the god Machchhendranath is placed within, and three days later, the chariot begins its procession throughout Patan and wider Lalitpur, towards Bungamati. Machchhendranath is the Newar God of rain, and also the festival ushers in the monsoon.
Naag Panchami falls in the middle of the monsoon. It’s a Hindu festival that worships the serpent god, Naag. Photos of Naag are attached to the doorways, and milk is offered to the God Naag. It’s believed that appear Naag protects against snake bites. This festival marks the admiration of serpents because of the water guardians, and to make sure of regular rain within the country.
Janai Purnima is Sacred Thread Event. Nowadays, Hindu men, particularly the Brahmins and Chettris perform their annual amendment of Janai, and everyone who celebrates this festival places a sacred thread around their behavior. Gosaikunda, the holy lake at a high altitude, witnesses a good celebration nowadays.
Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna. Thought of the eighth incarnation of God Vishnu, Krishna is the most important character within the Hindu epic, the Mahabharat. Nowadays Hindu devotees visit Lord Krishna’s temples. Specifically, thousands of devotees gather at the stone Krishna’s Mandir in Patan Durbar Square.
Teej is a Hindu festival celebrated by girls/women in August/September month. This occasion is celebrated for three days. On the first day, married girls/women refuse to eat for the longevity and prosperity of their husbands and unmated women fast, hoping for a decent husband. The remain two days are followed by a ritual puja to make Lord Shiva happy. It is celebrated by singing and recreation. Girls dress in red Saris and wear completely different ornaments. And, they gather along to bounce and sing regarding womanhood. They visit their relatives and luxuriate in different sweets before and after fasting.
Rishi Panchami is a festival that is celebrated continually after Teej. Hindu girls attach undue importance to the current occasion of Rishi Panchami as a result of their belief that observant Rishi Panchmi fasting and paying respect to Rishis (Saints). Nowadays of the event, they’re going to be blessed and forgiven for all their sins that they’re sure to commit throughout their cycle by not following the strictures ordered down for them by their faith.
Ghode Jatra (Parade of Horses), celebrated throughout Chaitra (March- April), is another festival that unites all the people of the community. Though there’s no nonspiritual background for the parade, it’s believed that a demon spirit was buried below Tundikhel. And also the horse parade ensures that it doesn’t come from the graveyard. Newars from the local community are involved in gatherings or parties throughout these events.
This event is marked by different parades, athletics, acrobats, etc. performed by the Nepalese army in Tundikhel that number of high-ranking officers of the country attend.
Bhadrakali, Kankeswari, and Bhairav are deities worshipped throughout the day.
Gai Jatra is the Halloween of the Nepalese version. Celebrated this festival with a variety of events filled with humor, satire, jokes, etc. Because it is allowed to create jokes regarding something and anyone that day. A variety of magazines, TV shows, and theatre plays show humorous plots.
The Historical origin of the event, in keeping with proof, is that once the death of his son, King Pratap Malla was terribly upset regarding his queen who was mourning. So, he declared that each family who had lost a member would be part of a procession to showcase the pictures or symbols of dead family members in the form of Cows.
People within the procession are dressed laughably or as ghouls. They made funny faces and jokes so that the silent majority of people would forget the grief of losing their worshipped ones.
Rato Machhindranath Jatra is one of every of the foremost important festivals in Patan. A complete chariot was founded from the wood and bamboo from elite forests of the country having non-secular importance.
The festival began with a Paaneju priest introducing the idol of Rato Machindranath within the chariot. As Rato Machhindranath is a deity worshipped by many Hindus and Buddhists in the valley, the chariot carried through a variety of places in and around Lalitpur as well as Gabahal, Sundhara, and Lagankhel.
Rato Machhindranath is additionally idolized as Padmapani Lokeshwor, Aryavalokitesvara, and Karunamaya. He’s believed to possess been brought from Asam once the capital of Nepal was suffering from a long drought. He blessed the Kathmandu Valley with rain then and remained worshipped to welcome the time of year.
The festival comes to an end on Bhoto Jatra when an elegant Bhoto (vest) shown from the chariot to the general public. Then the chariot is demolished, and also the idol of Machindranath is unbroken at a temple in Bungamati village for the next six months.
This festival is famous for honoring the God Indra, the God of rain. It’s celebrated for eight days, principally within the Kathmandu Durbar Square, and was started by King Gunakamdev once setting the capital of Nepal in the tenth century. Kumari Rath Yatra was later added to the celebration of the eighteenth century.
The history behind the occasion states that once Lord Indra was fetching night jasmine from Kathmandu for his mother, he was captured and commanded captive by the locals. Once they complete they’d captured Lord Indra, they were frightened and at once free him. Indra’s mother blessed the town for releasing her son.
It is believed that the capital of Nepal receives enough condensate even in winter months for cultivation owing to the blessing.
The different essentials of the procession are the reenactment of this story like Dagin (Indra’s mother frantically checking out her son around the city) and Pulu Kisi (a dance depicting Indra’s elephant frantically touring town searching for its master).
This event starts with the erection of a pole referred to as Yasin, which was created from one tree with stripped branches and bark. The procession route within the historic parts of town includes societies lighting incense candles with respect to the deceased members of the family.
The other attraction of the Jatra is that the Kumari Jatra which has chariots of goddess Kumari, Bhairav, and Ganesha is a force across completely different parts of town amid mascots and musical bands.
Different Bhairavs (Sweta Bhairav, Akash Bhairav, and Baka Bhairav), Indraraj dyah, and Dashavatar are exhibited throughout the festivals whereas Pulu Kisi (elephant dance), Majipa Lakhey, Sawa Bhakku, Devi Pykhan, Mahakali Pykhan are the assorted dance forms performed throughout the Jatra.
