Nepali New Year (Bisket)

Venue : Bhaktapur
Date : The 1 st day of the 1 st month of the year Baishakh
(mid Apr)

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

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

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

Rath Jatra 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 1 st day of bright fortnight of Baishakh (May/Jun)

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 14 th day of dark Shrawan. (Jul/Aug)

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