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Festivals
Deze tekst is in het engels en is met medewerking van het Nepalese Board of Tourism samengesteld. U krijgt een overzicht van de festivals, maar omdat de data elk jaar veranderen, is er alleen een verwijzing naar de maand...
Nepali New Year (Bisket)
Venue: Bhaktapur
Date: The 1st day of the 1st month of the year Baishakh (mid Apr)
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Mother's Day symbolizes love, affection for living mother and memory for dead mother. It is also the day of 'Looking at Mother's Face'. For the living, it is a reminder to pray for their souls. In this day, a special Mela is organized at Mata Tirtha. There are two pools at Mata Tirtha, the lower one is bigger and used for bathing. The smaller, upper one is called the pond f "Looking at Mother's Face", for it is believed, or was believed, one could see the face of one's mother in the pool's reflection.
Venue: Mata Tirtha, Kathmandu.
Date: Apr/May Mani Rimdu
3 days long festival
Venue: The monastery of Thame, one day walk to the west of Namche Bazaar the main hub-bub of the highest Sherpaland. Tengboche Monastery.
Date: Apr/May
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The Teechi (oftern pronounced "Teeji") festival is an annual event indigenous to Lo-Manthang (Upper Mustang). The name is an abbreviation of the word "Tempa Chirim" which translates as "Prayer for World Peace". This festival commemorates the victory of Lord Buddha's incarnation "Dorjee Sonnu" over a demon called Man Tam Ru a vicious creature feeding on human beings and causing storms and droughts. The Teeji festival usually takes place during the last week of May and lasts fro 3 days. Dances performed by the monks of Lo Manthang's "choedhe" monastery during the celebration display. The harassment of Ma Tam Ru Ta (in a dance called "Tsa Chham" on the first day), the birth of Dorjee Sonnu as the demon's son (on the second day called "Nga Chham"), the attempt to return the demon tolord Buddha's realm (on the third and final day). The Teeji festival dances are all organized by the Choedhe Monastery, which is that of the Sakya sect of Lo Manthang. The monastery abbot is Khempo Tasi Tenzing Rimpoche. Altogether about 65 monks from Lo Manthang, Nhenyul and Chhosyer live in the monastery.
Venue: Mustang Region
Date: May
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About a month long festival of Buddhist rain god. Until a few decades ago, before the Kathmandu Valley became a purely commercial hub, it was an agricultural land, which depended upon the rainy monsoon for its important rice crop. Today, though traditional farming practices have reduced, the premonsoon season still sees great worship made to Red Machhendranath-the rain god. Patan's streets and palace complexes are made even more evocative by warering lamp and candle lights, women busily cooking feasts, and men gathering strength to pull the chariot of their red deity. As Lord Machhendranath views his followers from the high seat of his chariot, its four wheels-representing the powerful Bhairab-receive rice and vermilion powder, the king of serpents is aksed for blessing, and his jeweled vest is shown to the public.
Venue: Patan City, the old section, Bungmati
Date: Begins on 1st day of bright fortnight of Baishakh (May/Jun)
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A day choosen for cleaning ponds and wells combined with the worship of the mother earth and Kumara, the six headed god of warfare.
Venue: Jaisideval in down town Kathmandu
Date: The 6th day of dark Jestha (Jun)
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It is a festival designed to celebrate the death of a demon. Gathan-muga signals the end of the riceplanting season and the beginning of the autumn festival season. The festival itself (known varioulsy as Gathemangal and Ghantakarna) represents a ritual detoxification of the city. Evil sprits that might have sneaked in during the rice-planting season on the farmers or on their tools are banished outside the urban limits to preserve the city's harmony. Effigies of the Ghantakarna demons are ereected at street intersections in the morning. Girls hang dolls on them and people wear iron rings on their fingers to ward off evil sprits. A man wearing war paint all over this body goes about begging for money. At the end of the day, the effigy is taken down. The painted man is made to sit on it holding a fire torch and the neighborhood kids drag it away to the riverbank. Householders then place pots of cooked rice at the crossroads as food for the evil sprits. Iron nails are also hammered into the door lintels to keep them out, because the spooks are terrified of iron.
Venue: The crossroads more colourful in the countryside.
Date: The 14th day of dark Shrawan. (Jul/Aug)
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It is a day chosen to worship the naga (sacred snakes) and pray for the protection from the flood and other water related fears. This day honors the Nagas, the snake-gods, who in Nepal are associated with rain. The festival honors an ancient victory of a king, who was also a Tantric master, over the nagas, who had been withholding the rain. The king forced their submission by casting magic spells over them. Worship of the Nagas on this day, a compromise the conqueror graciously bestowed, insures there will be no drought. Nepalese purchase Naga portraits from the street stalls the day before and on the morning of Naga Panchami attach these over their doorways. They then perform a small puja and leave a food offering in the yards and paddies for the snakes.
Venue: Taudaha & Pashupati
Date: The 5th day of bright Shrawan. (Jul/Aug)
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A festival to change the sacred thread with the worship of Lord Shiva. Janai Poornima is the day when Hindus change the janai, the sacred thread the men wear on their chests. This full moon day sees flocks of Brahmina (Hindu priests) at the holy riverbanks. They take ritual dips in the water and offer ablution to the gods. They then change their sacred threads and also tie yellow sacred threads around the wrists of the faithful. Newars of the Kathmandu valley call this festival Gunhi Punhi, a soup of different sprouted beans known as kwati, is prepared as the special menu of the day. At Kumbheswar in Patan, a richly deocrated Lingam, the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva, is placed on a raised platform in the middle of the Kumbheswar (Knownti) pond to receive homage from devotees. Another ceremony that takes place here is Byan-ja Nakegu, in which rice is offered to frogs in gratitude for a good rain. In Bhaktapur, as a preclude to Saparu the next day, a Jujuya Ghintan-ghishi (king's carnival) goes around town. The participants dress in outlandish costumes and gambol to the tune of traditional music.
Venue: Throughout Nepal, Specially Pashupati Area and Kumbheswor, Patan
Date: The full moon day of Shrawan (Aug)
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Towards the end of rainy season far-westerners of Nepal start gathering for Gaura. Gaura festival generally falls onBhadra Astami. Married women play the main role and worship Shiva-Parvati for the longevity of their husband and peace, prosperity and happiness of their family. It is a group of women working together whose collective efforts not only make this festival service for centuries but also serves an example of unity to the young generation.
Venue: Far Western Development Region
Date: Aug
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The Buddhist festival of lights commemorating the victory of Buddha over Mara (vice)
Venue: Patan
Date: The 2nd day of dark Bhadra (Mid. Aug.)
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The birthday of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna, the dark god who taught warrior Arjuna the value of Kama in the Bhagwad Gita, was born at midnight on the eight day of the dark moon of August. To celebrate the birthday of this much-loved Hindu god, devotees flock to the Drishna Mandir in Patan on the preceding day. There, men and women from far away gather around the 17th century temple and sit in vigil waiting for the midnight hour. Euphoric prayers and incantations fill the air, and small oil lmaps are lit as a mark of felicitation and devotion to the deity. Images of Lord Krishna are also carried around the city in a procession accompanied by joyous crowds of followers and musical bands.
Venue: Patan Durbar Square and Krishna temples in the country
Date: The 8th of dark Bhadra (Aug)
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The celebration of a fathers day with the worship of Shivalinga at Gokarna. Gokarna Aunsi is a special day set apart for the venteration of one's fathers alive or dead. On this auspicious day, son and daughters offer ritual food, sweets, meat and other gifts to their fathers. The streets are a happy scene with married daughters with loads of goodies making their way to their parents' houses. Ceremony is also known as 'Looking upon father's face'. Those whose fathers are no more mark this day by visiting Gokarna and other sacred spots and worshiping the deities. There they perform anniversary rituals in honor of their departed fathers and offer aims of rice, pulses and coins to the priests.
Venue: Gokarna temple on Bagmati
Date: The last day of dark Bhadra (Aug)
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The three day long festival of women. Dancing, folk songs, and the red color of women's wedding sarees dominate the day of Teej, a Hindu festival of womanhood. The day recals the heavenly occassion when Parbati, daughter of the Himalay, won the hand of Lord Shiva after severe meditation and fasting. On the first day, mothers send gifts of food and sarees to their daughters' houses, and groups of women gather together to feast. At midnight, the women begin a fast in emulation of Parbati. The second day is for worship, in the early morning of the third day, women in red flock to the Pashupatinath temple, the great temple of Lord Shiva. The married ones ask for a happy and productive marriage and a long life for the their husbands, and those yet to tie the nuptial knot ask for an ideal husband.
Venue: Pashupati, Patan - Krishna temple & Sankhu
Date: From 2nd to the 5th of bright Bhadra (Aug)
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The longest Hindu festival of Nepal, Traditionally celebrated for two full weeks with the animal sacrifice to Durga the Universal Mother Goddess. The great harvest festival of Nepal, Dasain is a time of family reunion, the exchange of gifts and blessings, profuse pujas, ritual bathing and animal sacrifices. Dasain honors the goddess Durga, who was created out of the shakti energy of all the gods, armed with weapons from each of them. Goddess Durga, sumbolizing valor and prowess, is worshipped and offered animal sacrifices for the devotees' progress prosperity. During the first 10 days, pilgrims throng various river confluences early in the morning and sacred shrines in the evening. Ghatasthapana, Phool Pati, Mahaastami, Nawami and Vijaya Dashami are the series of the events under Dasain.On Dashami, men and women in their fineries visit their elders to seek tika (a dab of red vermilion mixed with yogurt and rice). Sword precessions (Paayaa) are also held in various part of the Kathmandu Valley. The last day, known as Kojagrat Purnima, is the full moon. From this day onwards, Hindu women begin a month-long fast, many in residence at Pashupatinath. New clothes, home visits, grand feasts, kite flying and village swings are the highlights of Dasain.
Venue: Important Hindu temples all over Nepal, Kathmandu Durbar Square
Date: It begins on the first day of bright Aswin (Sep/Oct)
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The 5 day long festival of lights, honoring Yama, God of Death. 1st day is to worship a crow informant of Yama. 2nd day is dogs day, dog is the agent of Yama. 3rd day is the day to worship Laxmi the goddess of wealth. 4th day is the self-respect day also a day for draught animal, oxen. 5th day is the brothers day. This festival is a time of lights and tinsel decorations, fancy sweets and juicy fruits. The celebrations begin with the adoration of crows and dogs. Leaf dishes of rice, incense and light are set out for the dark messenger, while dogs areworshiped and offered goodies. In the period of Tihar Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth is worshipped. Rows of lamps are placed on windows and doors, with the strong hope that Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth, is worshipped. Rows of lamps are placed on windows and doors, with the strong hope that Laxmi pleased to reside in light. The following day belongs to the cow, representative of Laxmi. Laxmi Puja, Gobardhan Puja and BhaiTika are the series of event under Tihar. In the day of Bhai Tika sisters and brothers get together and accept Tika from each other. This day is called as Brothers' Day. Brothers and sisters honor each other on this day and sisters pray to Yama, the God ofDeath, for their brothers' progress, prosperity and longevity.
Venue: The family houses
Date: It begins on 2nd day of dark Kartik and continues until the 3rd of bright Kartik (Oct./Nov.)
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The worship of Surya, the Sun God, attracts thousands of pilgrims to the holy town of Janakpur in southeastern Nepal. Devotees from Nepal and India throng the ancient city to worship at the Janaki temple and take ritual baths in the rivers and ponds. Devotees light lamps, sing songs and spend the night before Chhath Parva at the banks of rivers and ponds to greet the coming of the god. As the fiscal rays of the sun blaze from the sky, devotees scramble to offer prayers, holy water, fruits, coconuts and sacred threads. They pray to the sun for protection fromskin diseases.
Venue: Terai Regions
Date: Oct/Nov
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As the new rice is brought in, the farmers of theValley prepare for Yomari Punhi, an offering to the gods in thanks for the abundant harvest.The yomari is a special cake made from the flour of new rice. A shell of dough is filled with melted raw sugar and sealed. After the cake is steamed, it is present-ed to the gods as offering. Later it is eaten as blessed food. Thus each year, when the storerooms are full and the farmer's toil has been rewarded, the gods are thanked for their benevolence and generosity.
Venue: Newar Houses
Date: December
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Basanta Panchami or Shree Panchami Honors the deities of knowledge and learning. Hindus honor the goddess Saraswati, and Buddhists the god Manjushree. Basanta Panchami announces the advent of spring, with official ceremonies at Hanuman Dhoka. The day is also considered one of the auspicous in the a year to get married. On this day upper caste Hindu boys are given their first initiation as it is dedicated to learning. Most popular is the especially school children, line up from sunrise. People aslo flock to Saraswati Kunda in Patan. Ceremonies assoicated with the instruments of art and learning-books, pens, brushes, etc. take place at home. Traditionally, children are given their first alphabet lesson this day.
Venue: Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country.
Date: Feb
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Sherpas and Tibetans welcome their New Year with feasts, family visits and dancing. Families put on 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; and 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.
Venue: Boudha Nath, Swyambhunath and Nothern Himalayan Regions.
Date: Feb
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All year Pashupatinath attracts pilgrims, sadhus, devotees and mendicants, but on this day the visitors are in the tens of thousands. Many are from India or the Terai and begin arriving a few days before, some camping out in the vicinity of the temple. Shiva's sacred day begins at midnight but devotees don't really begin to crowd the ghats till sunrise. Then the populace begin streaming in, past a tremendous variety of sadhus, mendicants of various types and deformities, devotees performing roadside penances (standing with a small trident thrust through the tongue, being buried up to the neck, etc.) and merchants hawking everything from puja kits to kitchenware. Hindus pay homage to the scared lingam inside the temple and then bathe, or at least splash a little, in the river. The royal family takes part in afternoon rites at Tundikhel parade ground, receiving a 31- gun salute at the end. The King and his entourage pay homage to Shiva in the evening, when the whole tempo of the activity there has picked up, especially the musical side. Hundreds of sadhus reside in attendance camps in the courtyards of the temples situated at the opposite bank, where non-Hindus are also free to wander. The curious can witness some rather interesting yogic demonstrations there. It gets chilly in the evening, but there are usually several fires and lively scenes going at least till midnight, when the consecrated time elapses. In Bhaktapur, devotees honor Shiva by paying a visit to the Dattatreya Temple in Tachapal and people in other towns and villages of the valley.
Venue: Pashupatinath.
Date: March
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Holi celebrates the death of the demoness Holika. This wicked woman, who was supposed to be invulnerable to fire, tried many times to kill her nephew, an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. In the end she put the boy on her lap and set fire beneath them, thinking he would be burned up and she would escape. But instead the boy remained unharmed and Holika, to her surprise, immolated herself. The rites of this festival celebrate her end. Fagu Poornima begins the first day with the raising of the Chir pole about noon in front of Kumari house in Basantapur. Holi is known as 'playing with color' festival. Young and old, especially the children throw bags of water or handful of colored powder at each other and make it pleasure. In Terai region, they celebrate it the next day when people of valley celebrate it.
Venue: All over Nepal
Date: March
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Festival of horse, Army Day.
Venue: Tundikhel
Date: 14th of dark fort night of Chaitra (Mar) Janbaha Deo Jatra
A week long chariot festival of white Machhendranath, the Buddhist god of compassion
Venue: The old section of Kathmandu
Date: 8th of bright forth night of Chaitra (Mar)
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Hindus celebrate Dasain twice a year in Nepal. Chaite Dasain is one of these. The most public of the ceremonies are the ritual animal sacrifices performed by the army in the courtyard of the police station at Hanuman Dhoka. This commence from 8:00 a.m. and is performed before the banners and insignia of various military units. Goats and buffaloes are the victims, beheaded by a single stroke of the sword. In previous years anyone in the audience could volunteer to dispatch one of the animals, but this custom has lapsed. Western visitors are allowed to view from a balcony overlooking the courtyard, with a splendid view of all the gore. The rites last about two hours and are concluded after the military commander smears each of the banners with the sacrificial blood.
Venue: Important Hindu temples dedicated to Durga.
Date: 11th of bright forth night of Chaitra
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Hindus worship God Ram as a victorious person. In memory of the victory day, all Hindus worship Ram at various temples, especially in Ram Janaki Temple in Janakpur. Sacrificing of roosters, goats, and buffaloes at temples are main activities of this day.
Venue: Ram Janaki Temple in Janakpur and other Ram Temples
Date: 12th of bright forth night of Chaitra