Most popularly celebrated by Hindus, Nepalis belonging to other religions also celebrate Holi.

The festival begins with the Nepali culture of installing Chir, a traditional bamboo pole decorated with strips of colorful cloths, in Basantpur a week before the festival arrives. Then the actual celebrations begin across the country and last for almost a week.

The celebrations offering traditional prayers, playing with colors and water, singing, dancing, playing music, along with exchanging joy, delicious foods, among others with family and friends. Gujiya, Thandai, Bhalla, Kanji Wada and Dahi are some of the dishes made during Holi.

While hilly regions of the country begin the celebrations with the installation of Chir, Terai region celebrates the occasion a day after celebrations in hilly areas of the country.

Holi marks the beginning of spring season and arrives at a time when the agricultural fields are on pace for a better harvest. Burning of Chir marks the conclusion of the Holi festival in Nepal.

Preparations Ready

To ensure public safety and an undisturbed festive environment, the Metropolitan Police Range of Kathmandu is deploying 1,500 police security across the Kathmandu Valley.

Besides 106 police teams, 20 mobile teams are also planned to avoid discrepancies in law and order situation during the celebrations, says SSP Bishow Raj Pokharel, Chief, MPR.

All Set for Holi Celebrations!

“I can’t wait to go to Gokarna Forest Resort for ‘Colors Republic’ where there will be colours, music, dance and a lot of other actives,” says Kavita Gautam of Biratnagar.

Best part of Holi can be witnessed at Durbar Square and in the streets of Thamel.

Though usually celebrated in the month of March, the actual date of the Holi festival varies every year and is indicated by the appearing of the full moon before the spring equinox.

The Legend Behind ‘Holi’

The emergence of Holi festival dates back to the Krutayuga period during the times of demon-king Hiranyakasap.

As part of his efforts to kill his god-loving son Prahlada, Hiranyakasap places Prahlada on the lap of his demon-sister Holika and plans to put Prahlada under fire along with Holika, as Holika has the boon of fighting away fire. However, the situation happens otherwise. Due to Prahlada’s devotion to Lord Vishnu, Holika turns into ashes completely and Prahlada comes out safe.

So, the festival of Holi is celebrated marking the victory of Prahlada over Holika. A night before ‘Holi’ day, public light bonfires across the streets indicating the death of Holika.

President Bhandari Extends Holi Greetings

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended her greetings to the Nepali citizens on the occasion of  Holi or Fagu Poornima.

In a message of best wishes extended today, President Bhandari expressed that the festival of colors may encourage social harmony, national unity, tolerance, fraternity and solidarity among all the Nepalis of different cultures.

Likewise, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has also offered his best wishes of peace, prosperity, mutual trust and a higher degree of social values to all the Nepalis on this occasion.

Impact of ‘Coronavirus’ on Holi

Holi in Nepal is celebrated with great fervor across the country annually. However, 2020 Holi celebrations are slightly different from the way it’s celebrated so far.

The coronavirus outbreak has taken a toll on the 2020 Holi celebrations.

As the coronavirus has spread across the world affecting around 109 countries, the Nepali Government has banned the mass gatherings and celebrations on the occasion of Holi.

The government has suspended the Holi celebrations in Thamel, Kathmandu Durbar Square and other most visited places during the festival.

This time, it will be “Safe Holi Year 2020”.

The government’s strong response comes on the heels of the WHO’s statement that Nepal is at high risk of the new virus.

So far, Nepal has no case of coronavirus infection, and even the 4 suspected cases tested negative. But the government has been implementing stringent measures as the country lacks the minimum healthcare facilities and procedures to combat the coronavirus infection if it enters the nation.

The novel virus has infected around 110,087 people globally and killed 3,830.

Nepali Sansar wishes you ‘Safe Holi Year 2020’!

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The celebrations are planned on a grand scale beginning with the traditional #bullfight, as every year. Marking the festival day, the country is going to see exciting bullfighting events across different areas.

The bullfighting event will be seen in Nuwakot and Dhading districts, adjoining the Kathmandu valley, as the major highlight of the #MagheSankranti2020 celebrations in Nepal.

Hundreds of public are going to be seen in Taruka village of Nuwakot district to watch the joyful event.

The local sport has its origin in Taruka village and has been played since some 200 years ago in the 19^th century.

Bullfight in Nepal is different from those in other parts of the world! #NepaliBullFight event includes both bulls and oxen, where they will be fighting continuously for nearly an hour period.

Ethnic appearances by the women of Tharu and Magar communities are going to be other highlights of the day.

‘Maghe Sankranti’ – The Auspicious Day

Maghe Sankranti, which falls on the first day of the Nepali month of Magh as per the lunar calendar, marks the transition of Sun into the Hindu zodiac sign called Makara (Capricorn), putting an end to winter and welcoming the other seasons of the year followed by summer.

As per the tradition, Nepali Hindus visit various holy shrines and rivers to observe traditional pujas and Makar Snan (holy river bath) at the confluence of major rivers on this auspicious day.

While the confluence of the holy Kali Gandaki and Trishuli rivers in Devghat hold great significance, devotees also take holy dips at various other rivers such as Dolalghat, Devghat, Ridi, Triveni and Baraha Kshetra, among others across the country.

A large number of people from Sunsari, Ilam, Morang, Saptari, Siraha, and Jhapa districts and a good number of people from various places of India gathered at Kankai River for Makar Snan, the tradition that is observed every year.

Culture and Tradition for Wellbeing

Marking the celebration as the start of New Year, Nepal’s Tharu community people will visit the Kathmandu Valley’s open ground Tundikhel (to commemorate Maghe Sankranti, the community’s biggest festival).

Meanwhile, the Newar Community also celebrates the festival as Ghyo Chaku Sanlhu with delicious dishes like ghee, chaku and remembering their beloved and departed souls.

As per the tradition, the elders apply a little amount of oil to the younger ones who then proceed for holy dip in sacred rivers. It is believed that sharing and eating ghee and chaku, vegetables and yam and sesame seed candy on the festival day adds to a healthy life.

Another special delicious item, a mixture of black gram and rice with hot spices and ghee, called Khichadi is also served on this auspicious festival day. On the occasion, national leaders President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli extended their best wishes to the global Nepali community.

Grand Celebrations

In 2019, a three-day-long fair was held in Gulmi at the pilgrimage site of Ridi of Ruru area at a place, a
tri-junction of Gulmi, Syangja and Palpa districts.

Meanwhile, another big religious fair was also celebrated in Devghat of Chitwan district with thousands of participants gathering at Devghat Dham for taking holy dip and observing the festival rituals.

Tharu community people also gathered at Tundikhel on a larger scale to mark the festival celebrations. Dressed in cultural attire, the community performed various cultural and religious dance shows at the event.

A Special Attraction

The traditional bullfight is one most famous animal sports event played as part of the Maghe Sankranti celebrations across Nepal and India. Commemorating the start of Magh and holy Sankranti festival, traditional bullfight sports event will be held across Nepal on January 15, 2020.

While Magh is also celebrated as the feast of molasses, Nepal’s mountainous district Nuwakot looks at it in a different way.

Marking the start of the Magh, the country observes the annual bullfighting event, a traditional animal sport that dates back to more than 225 years.

“This is the tradition which we (farmers) have continued for years. We have been herding the bulls and the government has been giving allowance to buy the tractors. However, we are not getting any sort of help or aid despite preserving the tradition for long,” says Bhoj Bahadur Bhandari, a participant of this traditional bull sport.

This annual bull-taming festival in Nepal is similar to that of the most-famous Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu of India and the Spanish Bullfight.

Apart from being a tradition, this unique bullfighting event is also adding to the promotion of Nepal tourism.

NepaliSansar team wishes all “Very Happy Maghe Sankranti”.

The post ‘Maghe Sankranti 2020’ in Nepal: Bullfight, Mass Gathering, More! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Nepal welcomes new year based on its Vedic calendar i.e. Bikram Sambat. Also celebrated as ‘Mesh Sankranti’ or ‘Baisakh Sankranti’, the Nepal New Year is marked when the Sun enters into Aries from Pisces as per the Vedic astrology.

Top government officials, diplomats and other higher officials extended their warm wishes to the citizens, while the public celebrated in their own way through exchange of greetings and sweets.

Like every year, 2076 BS also presents a list of important festivals like Dashain, Tihar, Teej, Chhath, Lhosar, Eid, among others celebrated round the year.

‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’

In a special address to the nation, President Bidya Devi Bhandari wished peace and prosperity to all Nepalis around the world.

“I am hopeful that international communities who love Nepal will cooperate to help us realize the motto of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’,” President Bidya Devi Bhandari said calling on the global Nepali community.

The President reiterated the government’s strong commitment to achieving the goal of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’.

Stating that 2075 BS has been successful for the nation in formulating new laws and strengthening working institutions, she said 2076 BS will help further in achieving sustainable peace and prosperity.

In his address, Vice-president Pun also expressed a strong hope that the country is making positive strides under the ‘Prosperous Nepal: Happy Nepali’ campaign.

Stating that 2075 BS formed a strong foundation for development, Pun said the country will see a further economic and social transformation in 2076 BS.

“We all should be faithful and work for the greater good of the country and national unity by introspecting our weakness of the past,” said the former Nepali King Gyanendra Shah wishing the public on New Year 2076 BS.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli

Marking the occasion, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli launched a special program to ensure social security for all senior Nepali citizens through health and insurance coverage.

“This government is sincere for the well-being of the senior citizens. I assure that the government would increase the social security allowances to senior citizens through the upcoming fiscal year budget,” said Oli, speaking at the program held to launch a national campaign for health insurance cover and opening of bank accounts for all Nepalis.

Stating that the government is committed to health insurance to all senior citizens, Oli added, “in the next couple of years, entire Nepal will be completely healthy. We are working towards this end.”

As part of the event, Oli distributed health insurance cards to some senior citizens.

Nepal New Year At a Glance

New Year is a public holiday in Nepal and holds high religious significance.

The country has 60 different ethnic groups and celebrates 9 different New Year days. But the Bikram Sambat New Year is officially considered as the ‘National New Year’ as a symbol of unity among the different linguistic, cultural and historically diverse communities of the country.

On the New Year Day, public visit temples to observe special prayers and make special offerings to the god.

Special processions are usually held across Kathmandu and other major cities with decorated arches and banners, public dressed in traditional clothing and some playing drums and cultural musical instruments.

A special program at Bhaktapur stands as the highlight of New Year Celebrations, where the chariot of Lord Bhairab is pulled by dozens of public as a tug of war among the pulling sides. Similar events can be seen in Timi or Bode.

Nepal New Year 2076 BS Celebrations

Arrival of the new year brought a joyful environment across the nation with a wide variety of programs held across the nation and hundreds flocking to tourism destinations to celebrate the holiday time.

Besides, there were also notable rush in business and sales across the country.

Here are some highlights of Nepali New Year 2076 Day:

Hundreds Visit Chitwan

Chitwan witnessed the delight of the Nepal 2076 New Year celebrations with hundreds of public, from different parts of the nation, arriving at the tourism destination.

With the New Year falling on the weekend, Chitwan’s special attraction i.e. elephant rides took the center stage for hundreds of tourists.

April 13, 2019 alone saw more than 500 elephant ride bookings.

“Normally, we get around 150 people a day but the number surges drastically during Dashain and Tihar as well as the New Year,” says Ruman Chaudhary, a staff of United Elephant Cooperatives.

Besides elephant rides, many took their short trips to the Chitwan National Park, nearby community forest, boat rides alongside the Rapti River and jeep ride around the conservation area.

“Both the weekend and New Year occurred at same time which also contributed to the surge in number of tourists,” said Ram Mani Khanal, General Secretary of the association.

Hotels around the area were fully booked and due to sudden rise in tourists, “some hotel owners had to turn back guests, citing the lack of rooms,” said Suman Ghimire, president of Regional Hotel Association, Sauraha.

Rush in Stock Market

The arrival of 2076 BS brought a new rush in the country’s stock market, pushing the Nepal Stock Exchange (NSE) 18.82 points further.

With the reported rise in investor buying, NSE closed at 1,184.02 points last week. Investor confidence cited the possibility of further market expansion in Q4 of the current fiscal year.

The rise also reflected in average daily turnover hitting the NPR 598.58 million mark from previous’ NPR 417.92 million.

“Most of the investors believe that there will be an ease in liquidity with the banks as the government offices typically speed up public spending with the arriving fiscal year end. Similarly, the investors might have been lured by the possibility that listed companies will announce fresh dividend at the start of the new fiscal year,” says a local stock broker.

A Grand Way in Colorado

The local Nepali community of Boulder City (northern Colorado) celebrated Nepali New Year in their unique way.

Boulder has been observing the Nepal New Year day as a ‘holiday’ or ‘Nepal Day’ every year since 2004.

On the arrival day of 2076 BS, Nepalis in the city organized a parade through downtown Boulder.

“We’re welcoming the whole year,” said Binaya Dhakal, General Secretary of the Rocky Mountain Friends of Nepal, the event sponsor.

Marking the day, the local Nepali community gathered at bandshell in Central Park in different attires to celebrate the joy.

“We like to remember our culture and teach our kids our culture,” said Dol Bhattarai, a resident of Arvada.

We want to show our pride to be Nepali. We’re all connected. It’s peace and love,” says another Nepali Sarita Shrestha, who left the country in 1988 for education in Boulder.

“It was great to experience the culture in Nepal, and the people are amazing. I’m just happy to be here to support the people here in the Colorado community,” says another participant part of celebrations.

The history of Nepali settlers in Colorado dates back to 1970s, the year that marked the arrival of Nepali immigrants to the region. Adding to that, the US Government called for resettlement of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese from refugee camps starting 2008.

The US 2010 Census recorded around 2,751 Nepali immigrants in Colorado.

List not exhaustive, the Nepal New Year 2076 BS has seen a wide range of celebrations all across locally and globally.

Nepali Sansar Wishes You the Prosperous New Year 2076 BS!

The post Nepal New Year 2076 BS Arrives, Calls for ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The country is celebrating the festival on April 05, 2019 on a grand scale with a wide variety of events planned in the Kathmandu Valley.

On the occasion, horse parade or Aswa Yatra is organized at Tundikhel grounds, every year.

Besides the horse parade at Tundikhel, various other special events are held marking the day in the presence of top government officials.

Nepali Army also perform special activities and perform their skills as paratroopers drop down from planes flying close overhead.

Another key event part of the tradition is held at Bal Kumari in Patan, where a horse will be fed alcoholic spirits until its fully intoxicated and a Newari person (in traditional attire) equally drunk rides on it.

Then people start shouting around enraging the horse until it starts moving wildly.

Exciting? Direct visuals will be much more exciting!

Legend About Ghode Jatra

According to local legend, the festival has its origin in centuries-old history and was first observed celebrating the death of demon Tundi.

People believe that the demon lived on a meadow, which is today Tundikhel, threatening public life in Kathmandu, mostly the children.

Finally, the day came for the demon’s demise. Elated at this, public rejoiced by dancing on his body and riding horses.

That’s where the custom of horse parade began backed by a strong public belief that the horse parade at Tundikhel will keep the demon’s spirit away.

It is strongly believed that faster the horses run, the quicker the demon’s spirit will move away!

Another local legend says the festival also marks the beginning of New Year. The festival is celebrated on the Krishna Aunsi day (as per the lunar calendar) exactly before the Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, marking the start of the New Year.

The horse parade is organized as a grand welcome to the New Year.

Exactly a day before Ghode Jatra on Pichas Chaturdarshi (as per lunar calendar), Nepali Army Cavalry team also performs different artistic stunts riding on their horses.

As per English calendar, the festival falls in the mid of mid-March or early April, every year.

The post Nepal Celebrates Ghode Jatra, The ‘Horse Racing Festival’ appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Now, it’s the Nepal Festival 2018 time for the community, the event scheduled to be held in Aotea Square on November 17, 2018 under the theme ‘One Country, Many Stories’.

The event is going to speak the highlights of Nepal’s rich culture, heritage, customs & traditions, music, dance and ethnic attires, food and many more.

As every year, the Nepali community is planning the festival on a grand scale making it the first big outdoor event and more charming than previous editions.

“In the last few years, we have seen a spike in the number of visitors to the event and not just the Nepalese community but the Kiwi, Maori, Chinese and extended Indian community which led us to think and plan for a bigger venue,” says Dinesh Khadka, President of New Zealand Nepal Society.

More than 10,000 people are going to be participate in the event.

The event will begin with a cultural parade from Aotea Square to Customs Street, wherein, the performers in traditional Nepali attire, playing the Nepali folk and other instruments with variety posters invite the locals to the event.

The parade is followed by a main event.

“Every country has its story- in the form of art, food and culture and those are the three aspects of our country that we are trying to portray to the New Zealanders and that is the main essence of the Nepal Festival,” says Prayash Chhetri, Joint Secretary of New Zealand Nepal Society.

As a highlight, the event is going to feature a special performance by Nepal’s renowned international troupe Kutumba.

Around 50 dignitaries including Mayor Phil Goff, Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa, Members of Parliament and Auckland Police District Commander Karyn Malthus, among others are going to attend the event.

The post NZ Nepali Community Welcomes Nepal Festival 2018 appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Nepal’s Gaijatra 2018 or the ‘cow festival 2018’ began on August 27, 2018 on a grand scale and is being celebrated across three cities of the Kathmandu Valley and other key regions of the country.

Following Nepal’s vedic calendar, the festival began on the first day of the waning moon in the month of ‘Bhadra’ (Nepali month).

As the festival arrived, all sections of society roam around the city in the guise of cows and lunatics, in traditional attire to commemorate those who passed away in the past one year.

As part of the procession on this auspicious day, public offer fruits, bread, beaten rice, curd and money to the participating members and cows in the name of their deceased family members.

The cow is highly regarded in this festival owing to a strong belief that the deceased cross a legendary river after their death safely only by holding a cow’s tail.

The festival has been under practice since ages and is believed to have started during the reign of King Pratap Malla. King Malla, in a move to console his wife who was crying at her son’s demise, ordered his populace to organize humor and satirical programmes in various comic postures.

Since then, the festival has been continuing as a means to public in presenting their views on the contemporary social issues in the form of comic postures and attires.

The festival is majorly observed by the Newari community of Nepal and will last for a week period.

The post Week-long ‘Gaijatra’ All the Way in Nepal! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

You do not have to think much because life’s most beautiful lies in the daily, ordinary and in the simplest of things that exist around us and so is the case with Nepal!

Nepal finds pride in its rich heritage and culture brought down through years which is represented through art and every piece of handicraft it creates.

Nepali market streets present a wide variety of handicrafts that speak volumes of Nepali artisans’ craftsmanship, thus attracting tourists, art enthusiasts and people who’d love to adorn their homes with these handicrafts. With a wide range of specialization using different elements, Nepalese handicrafts are sure to catch your eyes.

With allo products, dhaka, pashmina, paubha, silver jewelry, wood carving, metal utensil, paper, macrame’ metal statues, and many more Nepal’s arts caters to the interests of a diverse population.

Allo

In a world that buys what it gets and has hardly any time to keep up with traditional old times and at the least, stay connected with nature. Nepal makes it a reality as evident in its wide range of eco-friendly products such as fiber-made Allo. Found in the forests of Nepal, the Allo or Sisnu grows at an altitude of 1200 to 3000m. The fibres of this plant are spun to produce jackets, porter’s headbands or straps, fishing nets, ropes, bags, sacks, mats and blankets in the remote villages, especially in Kulung Rai of Nepal. These items are marketed in Kathmandu and are also exported to countries like USA and Japan.

Dhaka

Originated in Bengal, the art of Dhaka weaving is actively practised in the Palpa region of Kathmandu and in Tehrathum, in the eastern hills of the Himalayas. Since many years, Dhaka craftsmen from the eastern and western development regions from Nepal weave pure cotton with specifically created wooden handloom to produce a vibrant variety of saris, shirts, shawls, handkerchiefs and more.

Dhaka clothing is outlined by geometrical print and vibrant coloring. Men from the Chhetri community mostly wear clothing with Dhaka print (Daura Surwal) on their wedding day. The usage of Dhaka has become very significant in recent times, for example, the Dhaka caps or topis are worn for religious ceremonies with regards to births and deaths. The traditional Dhaka Daura Surwal is also donned by the Newars while performing funeral rites.

Pashmina

So, what is Pashmina? Now, we’ve heard this word in a song, in poetry and in some literature too. Well, Pashmina is the fur of the Himalayan goats known as Chyangras. Nepal is famous for Chyangra Pashmina manufacturing and is recognized and registered among the 47 countries with a Trade Mark of Pashminas of Nepal. As per 2000-2001 statistics, Pashmina contributed to 18.4% of the total overseas exports.

Paubha 

Kathmandu is known as the land of temples and is home to one of the most talented artisans and craftsmen of Nepal.

The natives of Kathmandu, the Newars have strong religious beliefs which are reflected in their paintings called Paubha/Thangka. Paubha is a painting done on cloth using paint that includes gold, lapis-lazuly or mercury-oxide.

The entire history and the lives of deities are depicted on this piece of cloth. This tradition dates to 1365 AD when the Vasudhara Mandala was first discovered.

Silver Jewelry

The art of silver jewelry making in Nepal dates to the 6 ^th century. Skilled silversmiths from the Shakya, Bajracharya and Sunar families have maintained the art of creating silver jewelry in Nepal. Patan or Lalitpur is among the three historical cities of the Kathmandu valley that have one of the most reputed and fine silversmiths in Nepal. These artisans keep up with changing trends by creating silver jewelry with westernized designs. Nepali silver jewelry is of high demand in the West and has contributed to about 13.25% of Nepali handicraft exports last year.

Wood Carving

Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur are home to the specialists of wood carvings. The Newars, a multi-talented people, have been following the practice since the 12th century. The range of woodwork done by the craftsmen include wooden statues, doors, sculptures and other artistic crafts. The historical carvings in the Kathmandu valley are a visual treat.

Metal Utensil

Nepali holds an expertise in metal crafting. The crafts are produced totally by hand with traditional technologies like hand hammering and hand casting. These metal crafts are produced by household units clustered around the city of Lalitpur (Patan). The art of metal crafts includes statues of popular motifs of Hinduism and Buddhism and utensils for regular use. The metal statues of Nepal are very popular among other metal crafts.

Long Live Traditional Art!

Most of the handicraft practices in Nepal have been passed on from generations to generations. But the younger generations are beginning to shift their focus to other kinds of jobs to sustain family life.

Also, to keep up with the changing trends and bring in innovation, Nepal has put its footsteps into contemporary art and handicraft. Some of its modern art include floor covering, modern painting, patina products, felt crafts, puzzle toys, macramé leather handbags and more.

The Nepali handicrafts industry not only practices and preserves age-old tradition and culture in the country but also is a driving force in eliminating poverty by creating innumerable job opportunities, especially for women. Production associations and groups like the Shree Mahila Utthan Pashmina Udhyog in Kathmandu have a group of about 30 employees out of which 50% are women.

At present, Nepal’s handicrafts are among the largest exported items of the country and more than 20 handicraft products are being exported to about 85 countries across the world.

The largest being the USA which has a hold on about 25% of the handicrafts totally exported. Other major countries include Britain, India, Canada, Germany, Japan, Italy, France, Australia, Netherlands, and China. This creative industry is home to about 916,852 citizens of the country, with the country’s capital Kathmandu, recording an employment rate of 89,548 in this sector. With the rise in the sale of handicrafts being sold online these days, the purchase of Nepali handicrafts is seeing a high.

Long live Nepali handicrafts, keep treating your creative eye with some beautifully-crafted pieces of art!

The post Nepali Handicrafts – Tradition Alive! More of Art and Creative Vision appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Bisket Jatra

Four days prior to the arrival of new year began Bhaktapur’s week-long Bisket Jatra on April 9, 2018, marking the start of the solar Nava Barsha (New Year).

This is the only Nepali festival that does not follow the lunar-based Nepali calendar and is majorly celebrated across Bhaktapur and parts of the Kathmandu Valley.

In Bhaktapur, the festival begins with a special tantric ritual in the Bhairab temple in Taumadhi Tole of Bhaktapur.

Then, the main deities (Bhairav and Bhadrakali) are placed on large chariots and pulled through huge crowds across the eastern and western parts of the town before finally taking them down the steep road leading to the river. Here, a 25-m-long lingam (vertical pole) is erected as part of the ritual.

On the following day, the pole is pulled down and crashed marking the arrival of the new year.

Thimi and Balakhu also celebrate Bisket Jatra along with other festivals such as Jibro Chhedne Jatra and Sindhoor Jatra, respectively.

Whereas, the festival began on April 14, 2018 in Tokha of northern Kathmandu on the first day of New Year 2075, Baishak-1. Here, it’s a four-day event and witnesses a similar procession of carrying deities on the chariots or carts. However, the deities are Goddess Ganesha and Kumari here that are taking through the town before erecting a wooden pole (Lingo) near a Ganesh temple of Thanelachhi Chok.

Various deities are worshipped as part of the festival and the rituals are meant to ensure protection of public from evil spells.

Also see: Bisket Jatra Live

Sindhur Jatra

This is another important Nepali festival celebrated on the second day of the arrival of Nepali new year in the month of Baishak.

This is a colourful festival celebrated with orange-colored powder or vermillion and marks the arrival of spring season.

The festival celebrations include playing of Dhimey (traditional Newari musical instrument) along with dancing and walking with oil lamp. The lighting of the lamp marks the beginning of the new year.

As part of the festival tradition, locals also carry 32 khats (palanquins) across the streets of Layeku in Madhyapur Thimi. A special khat carrying the idol of Lord Ganesh comes from the village of Nagadish.

The streets are filled with colors and the public enjoyment reaches peaks when khats come closer at a point as the public throw sindhur or vermillion on each other.

The tradition also involves a tongue-boring ritual as part of Sindhur Jatra.

The post A Glance at Nepal’s New Year Festivals: Bisket Jatra and Sindhur Festival appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Interview by Sai Nikesh D

Nepal has come a long way in development. As a nation sharing borders with the world’s two major economies, Nepal has been striving to become a developing country and grow further to achieve the developed country status.  As a process, the Government of Nepal has been actively participating in various global and local level platforms promoting country’s strengths and potential to development, and is sincerely aiming to see the benefits as part of its UN 2030 Agenda.

Continuing with a wide coverage on Nepal and its developments over a period, Nepali Sansar, as a Nepal-focused media house, got a chance to get in touch with Dr.Ek Raj Ojha, Senior Sustainable Development Consultant from Nepal, for a better understanding of the country’s progress towards its set goals.

Dr. Ojha, with his sound expertise in working with national and international level organizations like ADB, UN and government departments in sustainable development and planning, policy framework, among other key aspects of development and planning, shared a valuable information in this regard, helping us portray a complete picture of Nepal and its developmental path over a period and towards future.

Following are a few excerpts of Nepali Sansar Bureau’s detailed interaction with Dr. Ojha:

The post Dr Ek Raj Ojha appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The festival that begins with the start of full moon in the month of Poush, the ninth month according to Nepali calendar, commenced on January 03, 2018 this year.

As part of the tradition, devotees take dips in holy waters during the festival as a tribute to Goddess Swasthani.

Marking the commencement of the festival, a large number of Hindu devotees thronged at Hanumante River in Bhaktapur on January 03, 2018.

As part of a special custom, young boys dressed in traditional attire take part in a long procession around the town with oil lamps on head, hands and shoulders.

Devotees also recite holy scriptures and also sing songs dedicated to Hindu deities Shiva and Swasthani.

As part of the rituals, women pray for the longevity of their husbands by observing fasts all through the month. ‘

The 30-day-long fast is called Brata in Newari and Nepali languages, and only involves a combination of grains used for the festival.

Finally, the festival concludes with the Ashwamegha Yagya, where devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva throughout the night.

On this special day, offerings such as sweets and flowers, among others are presented in 108 pieces and distributed among male members of the family or immersed in holy waters.

Also known as the Swasthani Brata Katha festival, the festival usually falls during January-February and ends on the full moon day.

This month-long annual Nepali festival is dedicated to Lord Madhav Narayan or Goddess Shree Swasthani.

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