NEPAL FESTIVAL INFORMATION
Festival Tours in Nepal is very interesting. As there are around hundred of diverse festivals in Nepal, it has been called as the land of festivals which are a living part of the cultural heritage. The religious festivals of Nepal follow the lunar calendar. But the national festivals have the fixed dates. Some of the major interesting festivals of Nepal are explained as below.
Navavarsha (New year): The Nepalese New Year usually falls in the second week of April or the first day of the Baisakh which is the Nepali first month.
Baisakh Poornima ( Birth day of the Buddha ): This is a fullmoon day. Nepal is the birth place of the Lord Buddha. This day is very important for the Nepali people. Because this is the triple anniversary of the Buddh’s birth,enlightenment and death.
Red Machchhendranath Rath Jatra : This is the biggest socio-cultural festival of Patan. This festival falls in May-June. The main deity named as Red Machchhendranath is kept inside the wheeled chariot and dragged through the city of Patan.
Dumje: This festival is celebrated by the Serpa in July.
Gaijatra (cow festival): This festival falls in the month of July-August. This festival is celebrated with dancing,singing and comedy that cause mirth and laugh.
Krishnastami: This day is the birthday of the Lord Krishna and it falls in the month of July-August. Hundreds of people visit the Krishna temple in Patan on this day.
Indra Jatra: This festival belongs to the god Indra, the god of rain. This festival falls in August–September. In this festival the chariot of goddess Kumari gets to pass through the main streets of Kathmandu.
Dashain or Durga Puja: Dashai is the biggest festival of Nepali people. Dashain is a ten-day festival, celebrated entire the country in September-October. People worship the nine different incarnations of goddess Durga in Dashain.
Tihar( Deepawali): This is the festival of brother and sister. Lights are illuminated at night in Tihar that is celebrated for five days in October-November.
Maha Shivaratri: This festival belongs to the Lord Shiva, the supreme god of Hindu and it falls in the month pf February-March. Hundred thousands of people visit the Pashupatinath temple on this day.
Teej: Teej is the festival of hindu women. Women take fast on this day. The married women pray for a happy conjugal life and unmarried women for a good husband. women in red dress dance and sing in the temples in Teej.
National Democracy Day: This day is celebrated to respect the people’s revolution from 1950-51 for democracy. This falls on 7 Phalgun, the Nepali month, which is usually February 18.
