Festivals | Namaste Bhaktapur

Calendar of Festivals, Events & Activities

NAME OF FESTIVAL	DATE	VENUE	DESCRIPTION
New Year (BIsket Jatra)	13th April	Bhaktapur	Bhairav & Bhadrakali’s chariots are pulled, celebrate festival all around the Bhaktapur for 9 long days.
Ram Nawami	13th April	All over the kingdom	Main Character of Ramayan – Lord Ram is worshipped espescially at Janakpur.
Bal Kumari Jatra	14th April	Thimi	Traditional colorful festival/Toungur pearching eve.
Matatirtha Aunsi (Mother’s Day)	19th April	Matatritha near Thankot	Take ritual bath at Matatirtha whose mother have died last very year. While living mothers are worshipped offering sweets and gifts.
Rato Machhendranath Temple	23rd April	Lalitpur	Chariot of Lord Machhendranath is pulled through the street of Patan till Jawalkhel and ends the festival with Bhoto (waist coat) Jatra.
Buddha Jayanti	4th May	All over the kingdom	People pray and worship at Buddhist monasteries especially at Boudhanath and Swaymbhunath.
Sithinakha or Kumari Sarstha	25th May	All over the valley	A day to clean the wells and beginning of the rainy season.
Harisayani Ekadashi	28th June	All over the kingdom	Holiest Ekadashi of the year, worship of Lord Vishnu – the preserver – sacrifices and public sale of meat is prohibited.
Teachers’ worship day	2nd July	All over the kingdom
Ghanta Karna	15th July	All Newar Settlement	Festival to celebrate the death of demon; Huge statue of straw demons are burned in all the toles of Bhaktapur.
Gunla	17th July – 15th August	Kathmandu Valley	Budhhist holy month – All the Buddhist shrine become centers for varieties of religious activities all through month.
Naga Panchami	20th August	All over the kingdom	Day to worship the Naga (Scared Snakes) to protect from water calamities flood.
Rachhya Bandhan / Janai Purnima	30th August
Kumbeswor Mela/Sringa Veri Jatra		Lalitpur, Banglamukhi	Traditional Musical instruments are decorated and performed.
Cows’ festival (Gai Jatra)	31st August	Bhaktapur	Colorful and Satirical festival – Gai Jatra carnival is paraded around the town.
Matya	1st September	Lalitpur	Buddhist festival of light to honour the victory of Buddha over vice.
Shree KrishnaAastami	6th September	All over the kingdom	Lord Krishna’s birthday – main character of Hindu epic Mahabharat / Krishna Mandir of Patan Durbar Square is the focus point.
Pancha Dan		All over the valley especially – Swambhunath	Buddhist priest chants cymas while women, waiting in front of their houses give the priests rice and grains as they surpass.
Gokarana Aunsi (Nepalese Father’s day)	14th September	All over the kingdom	People whose father have died take ritual bath at Gokarna while living fathers are offered with sweets and ifts by their children.
Teej	17th September	All over the kingdom	A holy day for woman, women pray to Shiva fasting 24 hours for the well being of their husband and unmarried in a hope of finding husband.
Rishi Panchami	19th September
Indra Jatra	27th September	Kathmandu Valley	Chairot of Kumari along with Ganesh and Bhairav is pulled in downtown Kathmandu.
Bala Chaturdasi	11th December	Pashupatinath Temple	Taking holy bath in Bagmati River pilgrimage follows the Mrisgasthali forest scattering varieties of seeds remembering of Balla of dead.
Gathasthapana	15th October	All over the kingdom	Begining of biggest festival and good season, baley seeds are planted and Kalash put in the prayer room to start festival.
Phulpati	20th October	All over the kingdom	7th day of the festival. Religious items and flowers are brought from Gorkha Durbar for Hanuman Dhoka Parade.
Maha Aastami	21st October	All over the kingdom	Small children are worshipped as Ganesh, Kumar and Kumari.
Maha Nawami	22nd October	All over the kingdom	Worship Durga and Kali sacrificing male animals at Taleju
Dashami	23rd October	All over the kingdom	Main day of Dashain; Worship Nava Durga at Brahmani Temple of Bhaktapur; Put Tika, bless from elders.
Tihar or Dipawali	12th -15th October	All over the kingdom	Five day long festival of light, honoring Yama, God of Death.
Chatt Parba (Terai)	18th November		One of the most important festival of Terai, worshipping of Sun, taking holy dip in the rivers of pond.
Haribodhani Ekadasi	22nd November
Mahalaxmi village pooja for Goddess of Wealth and Harvest
Gujeswori Jatra, worship of the Goddess	7th December
Indraiani Puja and Nhaya Gaya Jatra festival
Yomari Puni or Dhanya Purni	26th December	Newari Settlement	Celebrated after rice harvest; praying for the greatfulness of mother Earth and preparing rice cakes.
Maha Shiva Rat ri	8th March	All over the kingdom, especially at Pashupatinath	Pay homage to Shiva, stay unsleep for whole night in all toles and square.
Bisket Jatra	9th April	Bhaktapur	Cultural festival of Bhaktapur celebrated erecting lingum and pulling the idols of Bhairav and Matrika around town.
World Tourism Day	27th September	All over the kingdom	International Inviters are felicitated with various detivities.
Maghe Sankranti	14th January	All over the kingdom	People take holy bath in river and eat sweetened seasame balls vain tuber
Tribeni Mela	8th February	Salinadi River	Worship of God Shiva and Parvati and fasting for a month with religious activities at the banks of the Salinadi river, Sankhu.
Nava Durga Dance		Bhaktapur and Nearby villages	Dance of Asta Matrika or Eight mother goddess with TripuraSundari is performed.
Basnata Panchami (Sakwgo estival)	13th February,	All over the kingdom	King receives Tika at Hanuman Dhoka and School children worship goddess of wisdom, music – Saraswati
Tibetain New year (Lhosar)	8th March	Sherpa and Lama community
Fagu Purnima (HOLI)	25th March	All over the kingdom	Colorful festival; playing with colors for fun and frolic.
Ghode Jatra	8th April	Kathmandu	Worship Mapa Deyo and Nepalese Army perform horsemanship and gymnastic at Tundhikhel.
Chaite Dashain / Seto Machhindranath Jatra		Kathmandu	Chariot of Machhindranath is pulled through the streets fo Kathmandu and worship to God of rain.