| Festival in Nepal |
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| Dashain |
| Ghatasthapana
Bada Dashain (Vijaya Dashami) 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
centre 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. |
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| Tihar
|
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.
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| 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 |
| Madhav
Narayan Mela |
A
religious procession of the devotees fasting for a month
ago with a silver statue of Lord Vishnu to Aryaghat,
Pashupati, Devpatan, Kathmandu. Thousands of people
get together there to take holy bath in the Bagmati
river at the time of the submergence of the statue of
Lord Vishnu in the Bagmati.
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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 |
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| Maha
Shivaratri |
| 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 Pashupati. 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. |
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| 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 colourful streamers beside the old
Royal Palace at Basantapur by the arrangements of the
Government Religious Endowment Office. |
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| 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 Day |
| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
| Krishnaastami |
 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.
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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| 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. |
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| 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. |
