Nepali Festivals

Nepal is the land of festivals. No matter what time of year you chose to travel, chances are you’ll see at least one of these vibrant and colourful celebrations. However it is difficult to predict when they will be held as their exact dates are only decided a year in advance, but to be sure to catch one August and September are jam packed with festival fever. Listed below are just a few of the festivals Nepal has to offer.



Shivaratri (Feb/March time). Shiva’s birthday falls on the new-moon day of Falgun (Nepali month). The main celebration can be seen in Pashupatinath and it is quite a sight to see. Hundreds of Sadhus arrive here from all over India and Nepal to celebrate, many of them walking thousands of miles barefoot just to be at Pashupatinath. It is also the one day when hashish is legal in Nepal, so walking around these smoky temples can give you quite a high!



Holi (Feb/march time). In my experience I have to say Holi is the most colourful festival of Nepal, also known as Fagu or the Festival of Colours. It falls on the full-moon day in the month of Falgun. During this festival, water is sprayed around as a reminder of the monsoon days soon to arrive. However do not wear clothes that you are particularly fond of in this day as the water is usually coloured with Tikka (and red seems to be the favourite!). If you are brave enough to leave your hotel you will get covered, great fun if you want to play, but keep an eye above as the locals tend to set up camp on their rooftop and bombard you from above!



Bisket Jatra (April-May). Nepali New Year starts in mid-April. The Bisket chariot festival is a great way to see the New Year in and is said to be one of the most exciting events in the valley. To get a real feel for this festival the best place to be is Bhaktapur.



Buddha Jayanti (May-June) (Buddha’s Birthday). For this festival I would recommend heading to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha (although if this is a little out of your way Swayambhunath (the monkey temple), Bodhnath and Patan are also put on a good show for this festival.) The highlight of this celebration are the colourful Monk dances.



Gai Jatra (Aug/Sept time) The Cow festival is one of the most popular in Nepal. Cows are led through the streets on this day and you’ll even see young boys dressed up as cows! Newars believe that when you die cows will guide them to Yama, the god of the underworld. And if you are lucky enough to be holding onto a cows tail, this journey will be made much easier. As with most of the festivals, to really get a feel for it you should head to one of the Durbar Squares, either Kathmandu, Patan or Bhaktapur.



Teej (Aug-Sept time) The woman’s festival. To become really involved in this festival I’d recommend spending the main day of Teej at one of the Durbar Squares. The whole place will become a sea of red saris. This festival combines feasting and fasting! The women pray for marital bliss, well being of their spouses and children and purification of their own souls. On one of the days the women are even expected to bath their husbands feet and then drink the water!



Indra Jatra (Aug-Sept time) This festival celebrated by both Hindus and Buddists marks the end of the monsoon and is one of great colour and excitement. The festival is named after Lord Indra who is known as god of rain and also as the king of heaven. This festival has 8 whole days of singing, dancing and feasting. On the third day of the festival the Kumari (the living goddess) is taken around the capital in a chariot.



Dashain (Sept/Oct time) This is Nepal’s biggest festival and one of the longest lasting 15 days. This festival is not much to see for tourists as it is a very family orientated, but if you are lucky enough to join in celebrations with a local family and really get involved it is by far the best festival. Different celebrations take place on each day, for example on Maha Astami or the ‘Great Eight Day’, this is when you will see the sacrifices begin and on Vijaya Dashami, the 10th day, is a family affair and cards and greetings are exchanged.



Tihar (Oct-Nov time) Also known as Diwali or Deepawali, this is the festival of lights where the Goddess of wealth, Goddess Laxmi is worshipped. During this time you will see the city come alive with candles (which when the electric isn’t working is simply stunning) and the skies come alive with fireworks; just keep an eye out for teenagers with firecrackers! This is a 5 day celebration honouring certain animals, crows, dogs, cows and bullocks on each day