Nepal's Religious Festivals Festival information

Nepal's Religious Festivals Nepal's Festivals: M -T (Machindranath Jatra - Teej )

Machindranath Jatra

This is a four-day chariot festival held in honour of the White (Seto) Machchhendranath (to be distinguished from the Red (Rato) form of the same divinity in Patan), who is actually the Padmapani Lokeshwara, whose permanent shrine is situated at Janabahal in Kel Tole in the middle of the old bazaar in Kathmandu. A huge chariot of wood supported on four large wheels and carrying a tall spire covered with green foliage is made ready for receiving the image of the divinity on this occasion and for dragging in the old part of city. There is such a spontaneous and heavy turn out of the devout people to pay obeisance of this god, who is also said to be the 'embodiment of coMapssion', at this time.

Maghe sankranti

A Sankranti signifies the first day of any month in the Nepali calendar year. Makar means Capricorn. Makar Sankranti, therefore, means the first day of the month when the sun enters that part of the zodiac which is symbolized by Capricorn. It starts on its northward journey in its heavenly course on this day, thus announcing the commencement of the Uttarayan. In the Nepalese belief this day marks the division of the Winter and Summer solstice. Bathing in rivers is prescribed for this day, especially at the river confluence and feasting with rich foods of special preparation is common in the family. This is celebrated in the month of January.

Maha Shivaratri

This is the most famous and celebrated festival of Nepal which attracts large crowds from far-Flung places both in India and Nepal. The festival as its very name suggests, is consecrated in honor of Lord Shiva. It is observed by bathing and holding of a religious fast. All Shiva shrines become the places of visit for dracaena, but the greatest attraction of all is held by the temple of Pashupatinath in Katmandu. One gets to see hundreds of thousand of devout Hindus coming to visit the temple of Pashupati on this day.

On this day religious Hindus worship Lord Shiva by offering flowers, garlands, 'bel patra' (leaves of 'bet' f rub), fruits, coins and so on and also by chanting prayers and hymns. Among them are a large number of Sadhus and ascetics. Many people like to keep awake for the whole night keeping vigilance over an oil lamp burnt to please Shiva. Children are seen keeping awake similarly over a bonfire in many localities. In the afternoon an official function is held to celebrate this festival at Tundikhel. The Royal Nepalese Army organises a show in which volleys of gunfire are sounded. The ceremony is witnessed by His Majesty the King and is celebrated in February.

Matatirtha Aunsi - Mother's Day

This day is observed as the Mother's Day with the expression of proper regards towards one's mother. It is individually performed by persons out of filial piety. Those whose mothers are already dead go to bathe and offer ablutions to their dead mothers at Matatirtha near Thankot village. The fortunate ones whose mothers are alive present her with gifts of sweetmeats and receive blessing from them. This day is an official holiday in Nepal.

Naga Panchami

This is devoted to the worship of the Nagas, the divine serpents. Pictures of the Naga are stuck over the doorposts of all the houses in the morning as protective spells. This is also the day for the beginning of Gunialakhe dance in Kathmandu in which persons wearing masks of a demon entertain the people with their gimmick.

New Year

The Nepalese festivals follow round the traditional ,religious' Lunar Calender in the same sequence. An exception is New Year Day, which always fails in the middle of April, observed throughout Nepal as the first day of the official Nepalese solar Calendar, i.e., the first day of Baisakh. This day is an official holiday for Nepal. The most important New year festival in the Valley is held at Bhaktapur City, located fourteen kms. on east of Kathmandu. This festival is known as Bisket Jatra meaning the festival after the death of serpent. The main attraction of the festival is the erection of the 'lingo', a ceremonial pole, a thick, shorn tree-trunk some eighty feet in length. This is an exciting operation, for the pole, supported by bamboos and pulled by heavy ropes, must be made to rest in the centre hole of a large pile of cemented rocks. A large crowds from other town of the Valley assemble to watch this festival. During the week Bhairav, Bhadrakaii and other goddesses are dragged in chariots in the town. This is the biggest festival of Bhaktapur.

Pancha Dan

This is a Buddhist festival in which gifts are made by the laity to the monks. Since monastic Buddhism has been long extinct in Nepal, the receivers of the gift today are the Buddhist priests, the Sakyas and the Vajracharyas, who go begging aims to the house of their clients. Mainly food grains are offered on this occasion to the begging priests. Traditional collections of artifacts are displayed in monasteries and households on this occasion.

Phagu Poornima

Phagu Poornima also known as Holi is the festival of colour. It is observed for eight days just before the full moon of Phalgun during which time townsmen indulge in colour throwing at each other. The festival of colour is always heralded by the sticking of wooden pole known as chir with colourful streamers beside the old royal palace at Basantapur by the arrangement of the Government Religious Endowment (Guthi) Office. This festival is observed with most joy and gaity in the Terai region of the country. The festival is terminated with the burning of the pole on the night preceding the Phalgun full moon.

Sri Panchami

Sri Panchami also known as Basant Panchami announces the advent of the spring season in Nepal and is celebrated in February. On this day a religious function known as Basanta Shrawan is held at the court-yard of Hanuman Dhoka Palace. On this occasion Geet Govinda (Verses written by Poet Jaya Dev) is recited by the royal priest and hyms are sung by a concert of musician in accompaniment with musical instruments. His Majesty the King graces the function. It is the day consecrated to honour Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of learning, throughout Nepal.

Saraswati shrines all over the Kingdom are filled with the crowd of school children and other students on this day. Goddess Saraswati reigns over the realm of speech, letters, arts and sciences, and all her tools are worshipped accordingly, pens, ink, books, pencils, and spinning wheels. Around the city are seen numerous wedding processions. Saraswati temples at Swayambhu and Neel Saraswati at Gairidhara are worth visiting during the morning.rganises a show in which volleys of gunfire are sounded. The ceremony is witnessed by His Majesty the King and is celebrated in February.

Tihar

This festival is also known as the festival of lights and is celebrated after Dashain. It is celebrated between October to November. The earlier festival mood helped on by the turn of a genial weather continues to glow the mind of the Nepalese during this festival also. The festivity lasts for five days and is marked by worship to different animals such as the crow, the dog and the cow on different days.

Perhaps the most endearing sight of this festival is presented by the illumination of the entire town with rows of tiny flickering lamps at the duskbreak on the day of Laxmi Puja. In the evening of this day, the goddess of wealth, Laxmi, is worshipped at every household and it is in her welcome that myriads of lamps are burnt. On the last day, sisters show their affection towards their brothers with the performance of a puja and feed them with delectable food. They pray for their brother's long life to Yama, the Hindu god of death.

Teej

Teej or Rishi Panchami or Haritalika is purely a women's festival. These two days follow in close succession and are the days of observing religious fast for womenfolks of Nepal. On the day of Teej all the women observe fasting for twenty four hours for the longetivity of their husbands' life and go to visit the shrine of Pashupati and offer worship to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati later in the evening.

The Panchami is mainly devoted to cleaning the body by taking ritual bath in rivers for any sin or impurity the women folks may have committed during the past year. On this day women worship the seven Rishis in reminiscene of a high ascetic tradition of Hinduism and a notion of purity of descent in their lineage from the ancestral Rishis. All women whose husbands are alive are seen wearing red garments invariable and decked in all sorts of jewellery on these two days.