Festivals of Nepal

Dashain falls in September or October (Ashwin month in the Nepali Bikram Sambat calendar). The exact dates shift each year because the festival follows the lunar calendar - it begins on the first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin and concludes on the full moon (Purnima) fifteen days later. The most important day - Vijaya Dashami - is the tenth day of the festival.

Dashain (Vijaya Dashami) is Nepal's most important and longest festival, spanning fifteen days. It is a national holiday during which schools, government offices and most businesses close for ten to fifteen days. The whole country comes to a standstill as families reunite, elders bestow tika and jamara blessings on younger members, and temples perform rituals to the goddess Durga.

Tihar is Nepal's version of the Diwali (Deepawali) festival celebrated across South Asia. While both centre on oil lamps and the worship of Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, Tihar has unique Nepali elements: five days dedicated sequentially to crows (Kaag Tihar), dogs (Kukur Tihar), cows (Gai Tihar), oxen (Goru Tihar) and brothers (Bhai Tika). The final day - Bhai Tika - is a distinctively Nepali tradition in which sisters apply a seven-coloured tika to their brothers' foreheads.

Nepal has more than 35 public holidays each year - among the highest in the world - reflecting its extraordinary religious diversity. The holidays span Hindu, Buddhist, Newari and indigenous traditions. The exact number can vary slightly each year as some festival dates are declared by the government based on the lunar calendar.

Indra Jatra is Kathmandu's largest street festival, celebrated in August or September (Bhadra month) for eight days. It features the chariot procession of the Living Goddess Kumari and the boy deities Ganesh and Kumar through the old streets of Kathmandu, the unveiling of the giant White Bhairab mask, and masked dances. The festival honours Indra, the king of heaven and god of rain, and marks the end of the rice-planting season.

Losar is the Tibetan Buddhist New Year ('lo' = year, 'sar' = new) and is celebrated by Nepal's Sherpa, Tamang, Gurung and Tibetan-heritage communities. Three related celebrations occur in quick succession: Tamu Lhosar (Gurung New Year, December–January), Sonam Lhosar (Tamang New Year, January–February) and Gyalpo Losar (Tibetan/Sherpa New Year, February). Monasteries hold elaborate cham (masked dance) ceremonies, and families feast on khapse pastries and chang barley beer.