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)

The Buddhist festival of lights commemorating the victory of Buddha over Mara (vice)
Venue : Patan
Date : The 2 nd day of dark Bhadra (Mid. Aug.)

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 8 th of dark Bhadra (Aug)

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)

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 2 nd to the 5th of bright Bhadra (Aug)

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)