Buddha the “Light of Asia” was born 2500 years ago on this day. He was born as Prince Siddhartha in LumbiniIt is also the day when Buddha was enlightened and when he attained Nirvana (Salvation). Prayers are sung and the Buddhists offer worship. In the Kathmandu valley, this festival is also known as "Swanya Punhi", or the full moon day of flowers. Various ceremonies are held at all the monasteries in Nepal to mark the day while the major celebrations are made at Swayambhunath and Bouddha, the popular stupas of Nepal. Lots of pilgrims gather at the monastery for offering prayers and thronging the shrine with musical bands. Offerings of butter, lamps, incense and rice are made to the many Buddha images there. Prayers ceremonies are held and Bajracharya priest perform ancient rituals dances. Sacred "paubha" scroll paintings and Buddha images are put on display. Special flags fly from all Buddhist households. This day is observed as a public holiday.

We all know cows are holy to the Hindus; but at the Gai Jatra annual festival in Kathmandu and neighbouring Bhaktapur you can participate in a full-on cow extravaganza whether you're Hindu or not. You may even get to be a cow (if you are a small Hindu boy with a recently-deceased relative).

This Kathmandu festival is actually an elaborate twist on the mourning ritual: cows are meant to help you get to heaven, but you have to remember to hang on to their tails as you die. If you fail in this endeavour, your surviving nearest and dearest have the chance to rectify matters by participating in Gai Jatra.

Each family that has suffered a bereavement in the past year is required to send male representatives and a cow to the procession. Adults dress up as Sadhus (Hindu holy men) and children go as their own sweet selves, unless the group is lacking its own bovine beast, in which case they get to wear a cow costume. Some participants don fanciful home-made creations to mark the "cheering up" of an ancient queen after the loss of her son.

Bhaktapur, a town 12km outside Kathmandu, has its own special variations on the capital's festivities. They go in for what's called "stick dancing" to music submitted by the bereaved families. Also on this day, thanks to a special loophole in Nepali law, caricaturists and satirists are free from prosecution for libel. We assume this is entirely unrelated to the cow parade!

It is a well-known fact that Hinduism and Buddhism are the two major religions of Nepal, each having its own rules and rituals, but Hindus and Buddhists unite to celebrate the festival of Indra Jatra in Kathmandu.
Named after Lord Indra (the King of Heaven, and God of Rain), Indra Jatra is also a festival of classical dances - so spectators are lucky enough to enjoy a huge display of colour, movement and classical music. Even if the myths and tales wrapped up in the eight-day celebration get confusing, the beautiful displays in and around Durbar Square are entrancing enough.

People from all over the Kathmandu Valley gather at the Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu. On the first day, a long wooden pole is erected in front of the ancient Royal Palace, in order to appease Lord Indra. Classical dancers also assemble at the spot, wearing different kinds of traditional masks and costumes, dancing around the courtyard to celebrate Indra's visit.

On the third day of the festival, the representation of the Goddess Kumari is taken out in a procession in a chariot. She is considered to be an incarnation of the Goddess "Taleju". Chariots carrying Kumari, and two other Hindu Gods - Ganesha and Bhairav are paraded around the city for three days. The king of Nepal, the only Hindu king in the world, also pays homage to the Kumari during this period.

The festival's many interesting dances, including the Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Dasha Avatara masked dances, are staged in Durbar Square, near the Kumari Temple.

The excitement comes to an end on the last evening when the long wooden pole erected on the first day is lowered with religious ceremonies, animal sacrifices and ritual gestures.

Dasain is without a doubt Nepal's most thrilling and memorable festival. Ten days of masked dancing, kite flying, bamboo swinging and bathing in holy rivers culminate in a final four of unrivalled spectacle.
For the first six days people concentrate on private devotions, then, on the seventh day, Fulpati, the public festivities begin. At noon a procession of government officials in full ceremonial outfits parade from Kathmandu's royal palace in Durbar Square, headed by a band. There is also the ritualistic reception at Hanuman Dhoka Gate of garlands upon garlands of sacred flowers sent from the Dorka palace.

The next, eighth day, is a sharp contrast as it ushers in Kalratri, the black night and the start of the slaughter of goats, sheep and buffalo. This really gets going on the ninth day when literally thousands of animals are sacrificed in Kot, the courtyard behind Kathmandu's Durbar Square outside the Taleju temple. This day is Hindu only (you may be relieved to know) but you won't have to go far to see people spattering their cars and vehicles with the blood of the animals in a quest to appease the wrathful Goddess Durga and prevent car crashes.

The tenth day is known as Bijaya Dashami and the mood lightens considerably as Hindus, and many Buddhists, go to their elders to receive tika, a rice immersed in red liquid and placed as a spot on their forehead. It will be hard to spot a person not sporting a red mark on this day.

In the late afternoon people regather and make their way to the temple of Nardevi two blocks away from Durbar Square. Nardevi hosts the Festival of the Sword, Khadga Jatra, which represents the victory of good over evil as it commemorates the legendary killing of a demon by the goddess Durga. Clearly inspired to virtue by their goddess, this is also a great gambling day for the Nepalis.

Although Kathmandu is the main focus of Dasain, Bhaktapur and Patan also put on a good show. In fact, wherever you are in the Kathmandu Valley you won't be able to escape knowledge of the festival and the national jubilation. Everyone seems to have a riot - bar one or two hapless flocks of sheep, and a fair number of goats and buffalo.