The festivals of Nepal give the introduction for the Nepal’s large cultural heritage. There are lots of festivals that fall through out the year. The beliefs in Nepalese society and the ethnic backgrounds offer the life for the festivals. All the festivals glory the unity in the diversity for the people living in Nepal. Nepalese do have lots of festivals that give the homage to both Hindu and Buddhist gods or goddess and also they recreate typical effulgence events from ancient mythology. Some glisten the seasons or highlights important a time in the agricultural calendar and others embarks the minor that populate the belief of the country. Festivals as Dashain and Tihar are of national significance; such as Bisket or Red Machchhendranath Jatra, belong to the traditions of the old Valley towns and still others, such as Mani Rimdu, Tiji, and are celebrated only in a particular countryside community. It has been said that 'in Nepal. Every other building is a temple and every other day is a festival." Whichever period of the year for visit Nepal, there is certain to be a colorful and rewarding festive experience.

Sweta Machhendranath Snan:

Sweta (white) Machhendranath enjoys a week long festival in which he is bathed, oiled, perfumed, and painted. The Goddess Kumari visits him at his elaborate temple near Asan Tole. If he is pleased by the music, offerings, and attentions of his devotees, the people of the Valley can look forward to satisfactory rainfall in the planting season.

Swasthani Puja:

Goddess Swasthani's three eyes burn like the sun. She is the ultimate gift grantor; if insulted, she can make life miserable. By worshipping Swasthani, Parbati attained Lord Shiva as her husband. In the worship rites of Goddess Swasthani, outlined by Parbati, the Swasthani scripture is read every evening for a month. Worshipping Swasthani will bring together parted relations, remove curses, and result in limitless gifts.

Maha Shivaratri:

Lord Shiva is one of Nepal’s most popular gods. During Maha Shivaratri, his "Great Night", followers throughout the Indian sub-continent crowds the Pashupati temple to worship him. On this occasion, there is no space even for a sesame seed". Colorful sadhus, the wandering sages who emulate Shiva, rub ashes over their bodies, give lectures to disciples, meditate, or practice yoga. Devotees pray to Shiva's image inside the temple at midnight and may queue for up to six hours to look at the image. Bonfires are lit, neighbours and friends share food, and devotees enjoy two days and a night of music, song, and dance throughout the Pashupati complex and in the streets. . This day is the celebration dedicated to the Lord Shiva which falls on the Trayodashi of the month Fagun (February/March).

Losar:

Sherpa’s and Tibetans welcome their New Year with feasts, family visits and dancing. Families don their finest clothes and jewellery and exchange gifts. Buddhist monks offer prayers for good health and prosperity, and perform dances at the monasteries. Colorful prayer flags decorate streets and rooftops; the colors seem especially brilliant at the Bouddha and Swayambhu stupas. Crowds of celebrants at Bouddha bring in the New Year by throwing tsampa (roasted barley flour) into the air.

Fagu Purnima:

Fagu Pumima or Holi is one of the most colorful and playful festivals of Nepal. The chir pole decorated with colorful flags and erected on the first day of Fagu at Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, is a formal announcement to all: hide your good clothes, for throughout the week you may be splashed with colored powder and water balloons. The last day is the wildest: youths covered with red vermillion powder roam the streets as inviting targets.

Mata Tritha Puja (Mother's Day):  

It is a day when one shows appreciation and gratitude to his/her mother for her unconditional love and undying support. This is one of the widely celebrated festivals that fall on the first month; Baisakh (April/May), of the Nepali Year. It is also called Mata Tirtha Aunsi as it falls on a new moon night.

Buddha Jayanti:

Large groups of people parade through the streets praising the Lord and his teachings. Special flags, usually red, blue; yellow and white can be seen flying high above all the Buddhist households. This day is celebrated to mark the birthday of the Lord Buddha which dates back in about 543 BC. It falls on Jestha Purnima (Full moon night-May/June).

Holi/Phagu Purnima: 

The festival of water and colors. This festival of water and colors that falls between February/March is also known as “Phagu” in Nepal. Phagu means the sacred red powder and Pune is the full moon day on which the festival ends. The festival is of a week. However it's only the last day that is observed by all with colours. This day is observed to rejoice the extermination of female demon Holika who together with her King Brother conspired to kill his son Pralhad, an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. This day, playful people especially the young ones wander through the streets in groups on foot or vehicles with various colors smeared all over they and the people in houses make merry throwing colors and water balloons at each other and also to these people on the streets.

Ghode Jatra:

Ghode Jatra is a festival, which doesn't have a lot of religious ceremonies, but the horse parade is a big attraction and people always look forward to it.

Mata Tritha Puja (Mother's Day):  

It is a day when one shows appreciation and gratitude to his/her mother for her unconditional love and undying support.

Janai Purnima:

Janai Purnima is the festival of Sacred Thread. On this day every Hindu ties a sacred thread on the wrist. It is also called Rakshya Bandhan. On this day, there is a big Mela (fair) at Khumbeshwor; Lalitpur is celebrated. It is again on a full moon night. Raksha Bandhan: This is also the day when male, females, and children regardless of station and caste tie a sacred yellow thread around their wrist.

Gai Jatra:

The festival of cows is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. The festival of "Gai Jatra" (the procession of cows) which is one of the most popular festivals is generally celebrated in the Nepalese month of Bhadra (August-September).This festival has its roots in the belief that the god of death, Yamaraj, must be feared and hence worshipped.

Krishna Janmastami:

This festival is also known as Krishna Jayanti or Janmashtami. Lord Krishna is regarded as the 8th avatar or 'incarnation' of Vishnu. Sri Krishna Janmastami marks the celebration of the birth of Lord Sri Krishna. It falls on Saptami of Bhadra (August/September).

Gokarna Aunsi (Father Day):

A day when children show their gratitude and appreciation for his guidance and teachings in life. Sons and daughters, near or far, come with presents and confections to spend the day with their fathers. The most auspicious day to honour one's father is Gokarna Aunsi. It falls on the dark fortnight of Bhadra or in August or in early September.It is also known as Kuse Aunsi.

Rato Macchendranath Jatra:

This is the longest as well as the most important festival of Patan. It begins with several days of ceremonies and the fabrication of a wooden-wheeled chariot at Pulchowk, near the Ashoka Stupa.

Teej:

"Teej" is the fasting festival for women. Through this religious fasting, hindu women pray for marital bliss, wellbeing of their spouse and children and purification of their own body and soul.  Well known as “woman's festival” Gaily dressed women can be seen dancing and singing on the street leading to Shiva temples. It takes place on Tritiya of Bhadra (August/September).

Indra Jatra:

This festival falls in the end of Bhadra (August/September). Both Hindus and Buddhists unite to celebrate the festival of Indra Jatra with great enthusiasm. It is also believed that Indra Jatra is a festival of classical dances.

Dashian:

The most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. During the month of Kartik in the Bikram Sambat calendar (late September and early October), the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain.

Tihar:

The festival of lights is one of the most dazzling of all Hindu festivals. During the festival all the houses in the city and villages are decorated with lit oil lamps. In this festival we worship Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth. It heralds the month of Kartik (October/November) starting with Kukur Puja-Narak Chaturdashi.

Maghe Sankranti:

This day is said to be the most significant day for holy bathing despite the weather. This ritual usually takes place at the union of sacred rivers and streams. Maghe Sankranti is the beginning of the holy month of Magh, usually the mid of January. It brings an end to the ill-omened month of Poush (mid-december) when all religious ceremonies are forbidden. Even if it is considered the coldest day of the year, it marks the coming of warmer weather and better days of health and fortune.

Shree Panchami:

This day is celebrated as the birthday of Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning, She is the lily-white daughter of Shiva and Durga in spotless white robes and seated in a full-blown lotus. This festival falls in mid Magh (January/February). This day is also dedicated to the martyrs of Nepal and hence celebrated as Martyr's Day.

Sita Vivaha Panchami:

This festival, commemorating the marriage of Sita to Ram, is particularly celebrated in Janakpur.

Yomari Punhi:

Yomari Punhi -meaning full moon of yomari-one of the popular Newar festivals, a yomari is a confection of rice-flour (from the new harvest) dough shaped like fig and filled with brown cane sugar and sesame seeds, which is then steamed.

Ghanta Karna Chaturdasi:

This festival celebrates the exorcism of the mythical demon Ghantakarna. It is also called Gathemangal festival which falls on trayodashi of the month Shrawan (July/August).

Ram Nawami:

Ram Nawami is celebrated in the mid of Chaitra (March/April) as Lord Ram's Birthday. It is celebrated with much pomp at Janaki temple in Janakpur city, which lies in southern Nepal.

Bagh Jatra:

The Bagh Jatra of Pokhara is another cultural baggage brought by Newars from Kathmandu, celebrated in early august. The festival has been celebrated in Pokhara for about 150 years. It expresses the people's joy at their deliverance from a marauding tiger. On the first day, people dress up like hunters and make an appearance accompanied by musical bands. The next day is an interlude devoted to the showing of comic programs. For three days, the hunting party parades through different parts of the town before "slaying" the beast to end the festivities.

Bhairav Kumari Jatra:

This is one of the major religious celebrations in Dolkha, a historic town in north-eastern Nepal (133 km from Kathmandu off the highway to Tibet ). The festival falls on early August; and consists of masked dances that go on non-stop for five days. Escorted by musical bands, dancers representing the deities Bhairav and Kumari and other gods and goddesses swirl and sway through Dolkha, visiting its many temples. On the occasion, devotees also undergo fasting and worship Bhairav and Kumari. The ceremony has a history going back more than five centuries.

Chaite Dasain:

Chaite Dasain used to be the original day of the grand Dasain festival (which takes place exactly six months later now), but because people got their stomachs upset after feasting on spicy food during the warm month of Chaitra, the grand celebration was shifted to the cooler season. But the religious fervor is still evident in the celebrations of the day.

Gaura Parva:

Gaura Parva is another celebration honoring Lord Krishna's birthday. It is celebrated in far western Nepal with much gusto for two days (August/September). Apart from the many ceremonies that happen during this festival, it is the occasion for married women to put on the sacred thread. The deuda dance is a major part of the festivities in which participants hold hands and form a circle as they step to traditional music.

Tiji Festival: (Festival in the Forbidden Kingdom, Mustang Lo- Manthang)

The Tiji festival is a three-day ritual known as "The chasing of the Demons" that centers on the Tiji myth. The myth tells of a deity named Dorje Jono who must battle against his demon father to save the Kingdom of Mustang from destruction. The demon father wreaked havoc on Mustang by bringing a shortage of water (a highly precious resource in this very dry land) and causing many resulting disasters from famine to animal loss. Dorje Jono eventually beats the demon and banishes him from the land. Tiji is a celebration and reaffirmation of this myth and throughout the festival the various scenes of the myth will be enacted. It is of course timed to coincide with the end of the dry winter/spring season and will usher in the wetter monsoon season (the growing season for Mustang). Tiji comes from the word "ten che" meaning the hope of Buddha Dharma prevailing in all worlds and is effectively a spring renewal festival.

Guru Purnima:

Teachers come second (after the gods) in the Hindu hierarchy of respect. The full moon day of the month June/July is set aside for students to pay homage to their teachers and receive blessings from them in return. At a place called Vyas on the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway, special worship is performed to Maharishi Vyas, the saint who wrote the great Hindu epic, Mahabharat. For Buddhists, the occasion (Dilla Punhi) is sacred as the day when the Buddha-to-be entered the womb of Queen Mayadevi. Religious functions are held at monasteries and temples to commemorate the event.

Mani Rimdu:

(Full moon of the 9th Tibetan month) Mani Rimdu is the biggest event of the year for the Sherpas of the Khumbu region. Sherpas from the Khumbu region congregate at Thyangboche Gompa, the picturesque monastery situated on a spur at 3,870 meters from where both Mt. Everest and Ama Dablam can be seen.

Mata-yaa:

Celebrated in mid-August Mata-yaa is one of Patan's popular festivals. It consists of a day-long procession of devotees going around the Buddhist courtyards of the town and offering worship at the shrines there. Carrying lighted tapers and joss sticks in their hands, Mata-yaa participants rush in a meandering file and visit the hundreds of Buddhist sites scattered all over Patan. They toss rice grains, flowers and coins at the shrines as they pass by. Some devotees wear elaborate and amusing costumes. Musicians also take part in the parade.

Neel Barahi Pyakhan:

Neel Barahi Pyakhan is a sacred masked dance which is shown over four days (August/September) in different parts of Bode. Nineteen persons representing the town's guardian pantheon take part in the dance performance. Music is provided by a 27-piece traditional orchestra. The ceremony invokes peace and harmony, and is dedicated to the deity Neel Barahi whose temple is located in a jungle outside Bode. Bode adjoins Thimi which is 8 km east of Kathmandu.

Rath Yatra:

Biratnagar in south-eastern Nepal brings out a spectacular chariot procession to mark Lord Krishna's birthday (August/September). The parade sets out from the Radha Krishna temple and goes around the town. The six-meter tall chariot carries the images of Krishna and his consort Radha and is drawn by hordes of devotees. The annual chariot festival was started in 1932 to commemorate the building of a temple dedicated to Krishna.

Tamu Dhee:

Tamu Dhee (also known as Trahonte) is a Gurung holiday (august). Ceremonies are performed to purge the neighborhood of evil spirits and to safeguard one's farm and farm animals from hostile elements. The festival can be observed in Pokhara. Groups of people beating on different kinds of drums form a colorful procession and make house-to-house visits. Participants with their faces smeared with soot and wearing feather headdresses parade through the town to drive away negative influences and ensure peace and security.

Tansen Jatra:

The hilltop town of Tansen in central Nepal exults in a week-long festive spree beginning with Janai Purnima, when Hindus change their sacred threads. The next day, Gai Jatra is marked by parading figures of cows made of bamboo and cloth. Ropai Jatra is the rice planting ceremony and participants perform plowing and planting acts on the streets. During Bagh Jatra, actors dressed up like tigers and hunters march through town. Then there are the parades. Images of Ganesh, Bhimsen and Narayan are placed on palanquins and carried around Tansen. The celebrations climax on August 12 with Bhagawati Jatra, the procession of the town's protective goddess.

Taya Macha:

The Taya Macha dance is shown in different parts of Pokhara as part of the Gai Jatra observances. The five dancers, four dressed up as angels and one as a clown, are accompanied by a group of traditional musicians. It is believed that the performance will bring peace to the souls of those who have passed away during the previous year. The festival has its roots in the Kathmandu Valley. It was brought to Pokhara by Newars who migrated here centuries ago.

Festivals of Nepal in 2009/2010