Kathmandu Valley''s Major Festivals
Most of the festivals are reckoned by the lunar calendar, so check locally for exact dates. MAGH (Jan-Feb) Magh Sankranti The first day of Magh (Jan 14 or 15), marked by ritual bathing at Patan's Sankhamul Ghat and at Sankhu. FAAGUN (Feb-March) Losar Tibetan New Year, the new moon of February, celebrated at Boudha with processions, horn-blowing and tsampa -throwing on the big third day. Shiva Raatri On the full moon of Faagun, the Pashupatinath mela (fair) attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims and holy men, while children everywhere collect money for bonfires on "Shiva's Night". CHAITRA (March-April) Balaju Jaatra Ritual bathing at the Balaju Water Garden on the day of the full moon. BAISAAKH (April-May) Bisket Bhaktapur's celebration of Nepali New Year (April 13 or 14). Thimi and Bode have their own idiosyncratic festivities. Buddha Jayanti The anniversary of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, celebrated at Boudha. Machhendranath Raath Jaatra An amazing, uniquely Newar extravaganza in which an immense chariot is pulled through old Patan in stages over a period of several weeks. ASAAR (June-July) Dalai Lama's Birthday Observed informally at Boudha (July 6). SAAUN (July-Aug) Janai Purnima The annual changing of the sacred thread worn by high-caste Hindu men, involving bathing and splashing at Patan's Kumbeshwar Mahadev on the day of the full moon. BHADAU (Aug-Sept) Krishna Jayanti Krishna's birthday, marked by an all-night vigil at Patan's Krishna Mandir on the seventh day after the full moon. Gokarna Aunsi Nepali "Father's Day", observed at Gokarneswar with bathing and offerings on the day of the new moon. Tij A day of ritual bathing for women on the third day after the new moon, mainly at Pashupatinath. KHATTIK (Oct-Nov) Haribondhini Ekadashi Bathing and puja on the eleventh day after the new moon. The main action takes place at the Vishnu sites of Budhanilkantha, Sesh Narayan, Bishanku Narayan and Changu Narayan. MANGSIR (Nov-Dec) Indrayani Jaatra Deities are paraded through Kirtipur on palanquins on the day of the new moon. Bala Chaturdashi All-night vigil at Pashupatinath on the night of the new moon, involving candles and ritual seed-offerings to dead relatives.
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