Tiji Festival in Mustang: Reaching Mustang is a visitor’s dream. Largely untouched by modernity, Mustang has stubbornly preserved its unique and rich culture, traditions and a nostalgic sense of ancientness.
Tiji is a special festival observed in Mustang. It comes from the Tibetan word “Ten Che” meaning the hope that Buddha prevails.
The festival is believed to drive away demons afflicting human lives. There is a myth behind the festival. The myth has it that Dorje Jono faced the predicament of having to fight with his demon father who was scheming to destroy the Kingdom of Mustang with his monstrous powers. According to the myth, the demon father cast his evil spell in Mustang leading to severe shortage of water. To save his people from dying of thirst, Jono fought a bloody and prolonged battle with his father and eventually won. However, he did not kill his father. Instead, he exiled the demon. It takes place in May or June depends on their calendar.
Venue: Mustang

Maha Shivaratri: This is the biggest festival for the worship of Lord Shiva. Maha Shivaratri means the Great Night of Shiva, who is believed to reside in the Himalayas and is believed to have taken birth on this day. Lord Shiva is the most worshipped God in the Hindu religion. Tens of thousands of Shiva devotees, including sadhus of various sects arrive in Kathmandu to celebrate the night at the famous Pashupatinath temple. Lord Shiva is believed to be the supreme protector deity of Nepal. It takes place in February or March depends on their calendar.
Venue: Pashupatinath temple.

Lhosar: On this day, Buddhists celebrate the arrival of the New Year by cooking traditional Buddhist dishes and inviting relatives to their houses for a feast. In Khumbu, Helambu and several other northern parts of the country, Buddhists celebrate the day by organizing folk dances and singing traditional songs. In Kathmandu, the streets are decorated with prayer flags and Buddhists throw tsampa (roasted barley) in the air. The Boudhanath Stupa is crowded by Buddhists on this day. It takes place in February or March depends on their calendar.
Venue: Buddhist settlements throughout the kingdom.

Fagu Purnima: This festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Lord Krishna, one of the human incarnations of Lord Bishnu, over Holika, a female demon. A popular myth states that Holika conspired with her King brother to kill Prahlad, the latter’s son. Prahlad was a strong devotee of Lord Bishnu despite taking birth in the family of demons.
The festival is famous among children owing to the use of colorful powders. Several days before and after this festival, children and even the elderly hurl water mixed with colored powders on passersby. During the festival, people smear the faces of relatives and friends with colors. It is a very entertaining festival. It takes place in March.
Venue: Throughout the kingdom.

Ghode Jatra: This is the festival of horses. It is another festival marking the victory of good over evil. During Ghode Jatra, the Royal Nepalese Army performs various stunts on horses in Tundikhel, the capital’s military parade ground. Also, horse race, motorcycling and gymnastics are showcased in Tudikhel. A lot of spectators gather around Tudikhel to observe the proceedings. The show is attended by their Majesties the King and Queen. It takes place in April or May.
Venue: Tundikhel. Kathmandu

Seto Macchendranath: The festival is the chariot ceremony of Seto Macchendranath, the Buddhist deity of rain. It is a weeklong festival. For preparations, the Seto (white) Macchendranath god is cleaned, painted and perfumed. A special chariot is prepared for the god. The living goddess Kumari visits the god. It is believed that if the god is pleased with the worship, the people in the valley will have a prosperous year. It takes place in April.
Venue: Kathmandu.

Bisket Jatra: The festival is observed on the Nepali New Year. During the festival, an ancient drama featuring demons is reacted in Bhaktapur. The demons are appeased with animal sacrifice, among other things. Chariots are prepared for various gods and men tipsy with local liquor pull the chariots through the city. On the day, a tongue-piercing ceremony is held in the village of Bode. It is believed that piercing the tongue on this day secures you a place in heaven. It takes place in April.
Venue: Bhaktapur and its neighboring areas.

Rato Macchendranath: This is the chariot ceremony of Rato Macchendranath, another Buddhist deity of rain. Patan is the focal point of the festival and it is decorated colorfully for the occasion. A myth has it that in ancient times, the Valley went through a long period without rain. A Buddhist priest brought Rato (red) Macchendranath deity from the Himalayas. His arrival opened up the skies and it rained. The deity is still worshipped with the belief that he controls rain. The deity is taken across the city on a chariot and people feast and dance during this festival that lasts several days. It takes place in April.
Venue: Patan.

Buddha Jayanti: This is the Birthday of Buddha, the messenger of peace. Lord Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal. His birthplace in Lumbini is dotted with monasteries. Buddhism has the second largest followers in Nepal after Hinduism.
During Buddha Jayanti, birthday of enlightened one and apostle of peace is commemorated, and Buddhists celebrate his coming to a planet full of pain and suffering. Buddha-believers crowd stupas in the Kathmandu Valley as well as outside and offerings are made to Buddha images and icons. In Kathmandu, Boudhanath and Swayambhunath stupas are decorated with prayer flags and Buddhists in large numbers go there to worship and contemplate in peace. Even traditional dances are organized on the day. It takes place in May or June depends on their calendar.
Venue: Lumbini, Bouddha, and Swayambhu.

Gai Jatra: This is a festival for the remembrance of the dead. It has a funny side as well. The day is also famous for gossip and jokes. On the day, several magazines publish funny, half-true, sometimes obscene stories about the rich and powerful.
Similarly, people dressed in funny clothes move around the city and are fed by people in the name of the deceased. The festival is believed to have started after an eighteenth century king ordered his subjects to celebrate in order to cheer his Queen who was inconsolable after the loss of their son. It takes place in August.
Venue: Kathmandu Valley, Butwal, Palpa, Trisuli

Teej: On this day, people worship Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. Women fast, sing traditional songs and dance wishing the long life and prosperity of husbands if married and asking the deities for an ideal husband if unmarried. Women dressed in sharp colors crowd the Pashupatinath temple. It is also a day for married women to visit their paternal homes and feast with their mothers before the fast begins. It is believed that goddess Parvati displayed exemplary devotion to Lord Shiva on this day. It takes place in August or September.
Venue: Throughout the country.

Dashain: This is the most important, prolonged and elaborate festival of the Hindus. It is celebrated with extravagance, mostly on food, clothes and gambling. It is a 14-day festival commemorating the victory of goddess Durga over demons. On the first day, Ghatasthapana, people perform prayers at home and plant barley seeds on specially prepared cake of sand, mud and cow dung.
The barley seed is used ten days later for blessings. While prayers are performed every single day, the other significant day is the seventh day, Fulpati, when people offer flowers to the goddess. On the eighth day, animals are sacrificed for the goddess. On the tenth day, elders put tika (vermilion paste) on the foreheads of juniors and offer blessings. People clad in new, colorful clothes go their relatives’ houses to receive the tika and blessings from seniors. This continues for the next couple of days. People feast, relax and gamble, while children fly kites. Government offices remain closed during Dashain. It takes place in September or October depends on their calendar.
Venue: Throughout the kingdom.

Tihar: This festival is also known as festival of lights which comes after Dashain. The festival is marked by beautiful decorations at homes and the lighting of candles and lamps outside the home. The most important days during Tihar are Laxmi Puja and Bhai Tika. On Laxmi Puja, people worship goddess Laxmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity in the form of cows decorating their homes with flower garlands and lamps. It is believed that the goddess visits the houses at night and blesses with wealth the house that she finds most beautiful. During Bhai Tika, sisters worship brothers and exchange gifts and wish for each other’s welfare, success and prosperity. Tihar lasts for four to five days. It takes place in October or November depends on their calendar.
Venue: Throughout the kingdom.

Mani Rimdu: Mani Rimdu is the most important festival observed in Tengboche monastery. The monastery is situated at an altitude of almost four thousand meters in the Khumbu region of Nepal. North of the monastery are several high mountains of the world with Mount Everest only two kilometers away.
Approximately 36 monks and 25 students stay in the monastery under the spiritual guidance of Rimpoche Ngawang Tenzing Zangbu who is believed to be the re-incarnation of the previous Rimpoche Lama Gulu.
Tengboche’s literal meaning is sacred bowl.
The festival is a marathon nine-days meditation that ends with mask dances and blessings. It has been observed ever since this monastery was built in ancient times.
The festival of Mani Rimdu falls in the ninth Tibetan month that usually concurs with late October. The festival largely follows the Mindroling tradition. It is a legacy of Ronbuk monastery of Tibet. While Mani comes from the sacred and famous Buddhist chant, Rimdu is an adapted form of Rilbu, meaning the small red pills that are distributed along with blessings at the end of the festival. It takes place in November.
Venue: Tengboche monastery.