Major Festivals in Nepal

  • Sun-Jun-2018

Major Festivals in Nepal

Home to the the various religious group, Nepal celebrates different festival almost throughout the year. In Nepal, religion is more than worshipping gods; it is our way of life; they are the ultimate guideline that determines our behavior and lifestyle. And festivals are the significant part of our life when we immerse with devotion and reverence draped in full celebration and joy.

Festivals in Nepal are diverse and distinct. Festivals celebrated in the Himalayan region of Nepal is not as same as Hilly or Terai region; their significances differ according to place. From remembering the deaths to worshiping animals for their ultimate loyalty towards human; festivals in Nepal are unlike any other in the world. So, here we are to have a look at some of the major festivals in Nepal; mark your calender and be a part in them.

Buddha Jayanti

Buddha Jayanti is the celebration of Gautam Buddha’s born day, and as Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha, the festival is celebrated with much fervor and passion. Both Buddhists and Hindus in Nepal marks this day as special one.

You can see the festival is celebrated widely in a gentle and serene fervor way, keeping in mind the nature of Buddhism. People visit monasteries and gompas to observe rather longer-than-usual, full-length Buddhist sutra. Also in this day, people avoid non-vegetarian foods.

Buddha Jayanti is one of the biggest festivals in Nepal that focuses on the three main events of Buddha’s life: birth, enlightenment, and Paranirvana and is also termed as Thrice Blessed Festival.

Right in Kathmandu, locals, as well as tourists, visit the two great stupas of Boudhanath and Swayambhunath to honor Buddha. Many religious activities take place in the Buddha’s shrines that starts at dawn and end at late in the evening.

Holi

Holi, also known as the festival of colors, is probably the most joyous festival in Nepal. The festivals speak several meanings; the arrival of spring, end of winter, blossoming of love, and a day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive and repair a broken relationship.

In this day, people play smearing with colors and drench each other with water guns and water-filled balloons. It is fun to witness when everyone joins the festival; friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children, and elders; with no disparity of any kind.

The festival falls in the month of Falgun and signifies the legends of Hindu god Krishna. As the festival itself is vibrant, to add more fun, various concerts and events are organized throughout Nepal.

Another best part of Holi is bhang, which people mix in their drinks and food. You will obviously notice joy among people as Holi approaches, so do enjoy this exciting festival in Nepal.

Dashain

If there would be any ranking of festivals in Nepal, then Dashain would definitely win the crown. It is the longest and the main festival in Nepal, which is celebrated for two weeks with prayers and offerings to Goddess Durga.

It is the great harvest festival in Nepal, when family comes together, exchange of gifts and blessings and do elaborate pujas. The festival mainly honors the Goddess Durga, who symbolizes valor and power and is worshipped offering sacrifices to ensure the devotees’ progress and property.

In the first ten days of the festival, people pay visit to various river confluences in early morning and sacred shrines in the evening. Of all the days, Ghatasthapana, Phoolpati, Mahaastami, Nawani, and Vijaya Dashami are the main event days, which are marked with a different set of rituals.

In the main day of Vijaya Dashami, men and women visit their elders to put tika and receive blessings. Wearing new clothes, visiting relatives, flying kites, and village swings are some of the highlights of Dashain. In Kathmandu, the population gets drastically low for a few days as people visit their hometown and also, you can witness sword precessions in several places in the valley.

Tihar

Tihar is probably the favorite festival amongst everyone in Nepal and the second biggest festival in Nepal after Dashain. Also known as festivals of lights, there are diyas and electric lights lit inside and outside the houses to make it illuminate at night.

Tihar has great importance in the Nepali community as it shows respect towards not only humans and gods, but also to animals like dog, cow, and crow for their relationship with humans.

The five day festival of Tihar worships crow on the first day for their cawing symbolizes sadness and grief in Hinduism; second day worships Dog for their friendship and loyalty towards us; third day is Laxmi puja, where Goddess Laxmi is worshipped for wealth; fourth is Govardhan puja, and last is Bhai Tika, when sisters worship their brothers for their long-life thanking for the protection they provide.

Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivaratri is the major festival for Hindus, and as the majority are followers of Hinduism, it is a very important festival in Nepal. As the name suggests, the festivals honors Lord Shiva, especially for the day of marriage of Shiva and Parvati.

The festivals also marks a remembrance of overcoming darkness and ignorance in life and the world. On this day, it is believed the stars in the Northern Hemisphere are the most optimum position that raises a person’s spiritual energy.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the festival is observed by chanting Shiva prayers, fasting and meditating on ethics and virtues of self-restraint, honesty, non-injury to other, forgiveness and discovery of Shiva.

Devotees of Shiva visit shrines and ardent devotees even stay awake all night. If you want to witness this festival in Nepal, then do visit Pashupatinath Temple, where around a million pay visit and where takes place the most intense celebration of Maha Shivaratri.

Lhosar

“Lhosar” is a Tibetan term, that translates as New Year, and in Nepal, altogether there are three different types of Lhosar; Tamu, Soman and Gyalpo and different ethnic groups celebrates this festival specifically.

Tamu Lhosar is mainly celebrated by Gurung ethnicity, Soman by Tamangs and Gyalpo Lhosar is celebrated by Sherpa. People visit monasteries, stupas, and chaitya to perform ceremonial rituals and receive blessings from Lamas for progress, prosperity, and happiness.

There is a tradition of cleaning house thoroughly during Lhosar, which is believed to sweep away any bad fortunes to make way for good incoming luck. Houses are decorated with prayer flags; colorful papers, cloths, and couplets with the theme of “good fortunes” or “happiness”, “wealth” and “longevity” are put on windows and doors. Family gathering and organizing a large feast with delicious food, music, and dance is also a part of celebration.

Major Buddhist shrines in Kathmandu like Boudhanath and Swoyambhnath gets more lively and impressive. Take time and pay visit taking an evening stroll to observe this festival in Nepal.

Teej

Nepal is full of religious-minded people, and most of the families are male-dominated; however, amid all the strict practices, Teej is the only day where women in Nepal are bestowed with full freedom.

Teej is the festival of women which is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and her union with Lord Shiva. During this festival, married women keep rigid fasting for the well-being of spouse and children and purification of one’s body and soul and unmarried ones with a hope of being blessed with an ideal husband.

The three-day long celebration of Teej is marked with stupendous feast, gatherings and party, folk music, and dances, visiting temples, wearing the best attire (esp red sari) and makeup and of course, fasting. As the festival gives significance to women and their sacrifices for family, Teej is an important festival in Nepal.

Chhath

Chhath is the only festival in Nepal that doesn’t involve any idol worship; it is dedicated to the Sun and his sister thanking them for their blessing on earth and making a request for granting of certain wishes.

The festival is mainly celebrated in the Southern region of Nepal with many rigorous practices. It is celebrated for over four days, which includes a holy bath, fasting and abstaining from drinking water, standing in water for a long period and offering prayers and reverence to rising and setting suns.

Women are the main worshipers of Chhath festival in Nepal. However, it is not a gender-specific festival. Any family members keeping fast during Chhath abstain from having non-vegetarian food, alcohol and even onion and garlic are excluded from the diet for the four days of the festival.

Janai Purnima

Janai Purnima is one of the most celebrated festival in Nepal when families get together to join a feast of Kwati and other delicious food (mainly Newar community). Also known as Rakshyabhandan, the festival takes place on the full moon day in the month of Shrawan.

Celebrated by both Hindus and Buddhist, Janai Purnima is celebrated in different ways. Hindus ties ornamental scared thread formBrahman priests and Buddhists take a bath in sacred steam and visit temples. The Himalaya lake of Gosaikunda receives thousandof pilgrims in the occasion of Janai Purnima from around the country.

On the occasion of Janai Purnima, sisters also tie holy thread (Raksha) in brothers’ wrist symbolizing protection.

In Kathmandu valley, a richly decorated Lingam, the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva is placed on a raised platform in the middle of Kumbeswar pond to receive homage form devotees.


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