Festivals in Nepal
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A Lunar Calendar, Month by Month
Here is the list of 20 Festivals in Nepal
1. Dashain
Dashain, one of the most important Nepal festivals, celebrates the triumph of good over evil, symbolized by the goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura. It’s a time for family gatherings, blessings, and the exchange of tika and jamara as signs of respect. Lasting for 15 days, it involves rituals, animal sacrifices, and traditional games.
2. Tihar
Tihar, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” is celebrated over five days to honor deities, animals, and familial bonds. Each day is dedicated to a different entity, including crows, dogs, cows, and brothers. The festival also marks the worship of goddess Laxmi, where homes are lit with oil lamps and decorated with colorful rangolis.
3. Buddha Jayanti
Buddha Jayanti is a sacred day commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of Lord Buddha, especially celebrated in Lumbini, his birthplace. Devotees gather at monasteries and shrines, offering prayers, incense, and butter lamps for peace and compassion. This Nepal festival is marked with rituals, processions, and community service across Buddhist communities.
4. Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri, a prominent Nepal festival, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and attracts thousands of devotees to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. Devotees fast, meditate, and offer prayers through the night, celebrating with bonfires, traditional music, and dance. Pilgrims from Nepal and India flock to temples, where they worship and chant praises to Shiva.
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5. Gai Jatra
Gai Jatra, or the “Festival of Cows,” honors deceased loved ones, as families parade decorated cows or children in cow costumes through the streets. Primarily celebrated by the Newar community in Kathmandu Valley, it’s a blend of mourning and humor, including satire and mockery of social issues. The cows are believed to guide the spirits of the departed to the afterlife.
6. Fagun Purnima
Fagun Purnima, also known as Holi, is a colorful and joyous Nepal festival celebrating the arrival of spring. People gather in public spaces, throwing colored powders and water at each other in a playful and unifying spirit. It also commemorates the Hindu legend of Holika and the triumph of good over evil. Celebrated in March, it is a vibrant, nationwide event, especially popular among the youth.
7. Bisket Jatra
Bisket Jatra is celebrated in Bhaktapur and nearby towns, marking the Nepalese New Year with vibrant processions, chariot pulling, and festivities. The highlight is the massive tug-of-war involving large chariots representing deities Bhairab and Bhadrakali. Celebrated with rituals and feasts, this festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil.
8. Indra Jatra
Indra Jatra, celebrated in Kathmandu, honors the god Indra, the deity of rain and king of heaven, with week-long festivities and processions. A key event is the Kumari Jatra, where the living goddess Kumari is paraded through the city on a chariot. Devotees also perform masked dances, depicting Hindu legends. Falling in September, this festival is a major highlight for the Newar community.
9. Teej
Teej is a significant Nepal festival for Hindu women, observed with fasting, prayers, and gatherings, particularly dedicated to goddess Parvati for marital bliss and happiness. Women dress in red saris, participate in dances, and pray for the well-being of their families. The festivities are marked by traditional songs, fasting, and feasting, particularly at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.
10. Losar
Losar is the Tibetan New Year celebrated in Nepal by Sherpa, Tamang, and other Tibetan-origin communities. Festivities involve family gatherings, traditional dance, and rituals, including offerings to deities for good fortune in the coming year. It’s celebrated with special foods and religious ceremonies at monasteries, particularly in regions like Everest and Mustang.
11. Chhat Puja
Chhat Puja, a Nepal festival particularly celebrated in the Terai region, honors the sun god Surya, symbolizing gratitude for life and sustenance. Devotees fast and make offerings to the sun at sunrise and sunset, standing in rivers or ponds. Celebrated over four days, it includes rigorous rituals, including holy bathing, fasting, and offering arghya to the sun.
12. Basant Panchami
Basant Panchami marks the arrival of spring and is dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and music. Students and scholars celebrate by worshiping Saraswati and offering flowers, fruits, and sweets at temples and educational institutions. The festival is especially important for children, who may start their formal education on this auspicious day.
13. Maghe Sankranti
Maghe Sankranti, a harvest festival, celebrates the end of winter, where families gather to feast on seasonal delicacies like sesame sweets, yams, and lentils. Bathing in holy rivers and offering prayers is common, with rituals for health and prosperity. It’s a key celebration in Tharu and other communities, marked by traditional dance and music. The festival occurs in mid-January.
14. Rato Machhindranath Jatra
Rato Machhindranath Jatra is a rain and agriculture festival held in Patan, where a chariot carrying the deity Machhindranath is pulled through the city. Lasting several weeks, it involves rituals and the participation of both Hindu and Buddhist communities. The festival celebrates the deity’s blessing for a good harvest and sufficient rainfall.
15. Ghode Jatra
Ghode Jatra, the “Festival of Horses,” takes place in Kathmandu with parades, horse races, and military displays to ward off the spirits of evil. The event is organized by the Nepalese Army and attended by the public, with festivities at Tundikhel ground. Legend has it that the pounding of horses’ hooves keeps away a demon buried beneath the grounds. This festival falls in March or April.
16. Janai Purnima
Janai Purnima, or Raksha Bandhan, involves the renewal of the sacred thread (janai) worn by Hindu men and the tying of protective threads (rakhis) by sisters on their brothers. Pilgrims visit holy rivers for ritual baths, particularly at Gosaikunda Lake. It’s also celebrated with feasting on kwati, a soup made from nine types of beans. This festival falls in August. Dates: 9 August 2025
17. Sita Vivaha Panchami
Sita Vivaha Panchami celebrates the legendary wedding of goddess Sita and Lord Ram, especially observed in Janakpur, Sita’s birthplace. The festival includes re-enactments of their wedding, grand processions, and rituals in temples. Devotees gather to celebrate the divine love and marital harmony of the couple. This event falls in late November or early December. Dates: November - December 2025
18. Yomari Punhi
Yomari Punhi is a Newar festival marking the end of the rice harvest, celebrated by making Yomari, a sweet dumpling filled with molasses and sesame seeds. This Nepal festival is dedicated to Annapurna, the goddess of grains, symbolizing gratitude for a good harvest. Families prepare and share Yomari, and it’s especially popular in Kathmandu Valley. The festival typically occurs in December.
19. Mani Rimdu
Mani Rimdu is a Sherpa festival celebrated in the Everest region, particularly at Tengboche Monastery, with masked dances, prayers, and blessings. The festival lasts for several days, marking the victory of Buddhism over the Bon religion and invoking blessings for peace. Devotees gather for elaborate rituals and cultural performances, making it a key Buddhist celebration in Nepal.
20. Chaite Dashain
Chaite Dashain is a smaller spring celebration of the main Dashain festival, honoring goddess Durga’s victory over evil forces. Devotees perform rituals and animal sacrifices, symbolizing protection and the goddess’s blessings. It’s celebrated with family gatherings and prayers, especially in rural areas. This festival falls in March or April. Dates: March - April 2025
The thing to understand about Nepali festivals is that almost none of them fall on a fixed date. They follow the Bikram Sambat and Nepal Sambat lunar calendars, so a festival that was in mid-October one year can be in early October the next, and it is worth checking the current year's calendar before booking. The heaviest cluster is autumn. Dashain runs for fifteen days in September or October and effectively shuts the country, with offices, banks and many shops closed and buses full for a week either side. Tihar follows two weeks later and is the gentler one, five nights of oil lamps, marigolds and the dog and crow days. Winter brings Losar in the Tibetan and Sherpa communities, Maghe Sankranti in January, and Maha Shivaratri at Pashupatinath in February or March, followed by Holi. Spring and summer are quieter, with Buddha Jayanti in May and the Kathmandu chariot festivals of Rato Machhindranath and Indra Jatra spanning the monsoon. If you are timing a trip around one, see temples in Nepal and cities in Nepal for where to be, and monasteries in Nepal for the Buddhist calendar.
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FAQs on Festivals in Nepal
What is the biggest festival in Nepal?
Dashain, a fifteen-day festival in September or October marking Durga's victory over Mahishasura. It is the longest holiday of the year, families travel home across the country, and much of Nepal closes for the main days around Vijaya Dashami.
Do Nepali festival dates change every year?
Yes. They follow lunar calendars rather than the Gregorian one, so most shift by up to a few weeks year to year. Check the current Nepali calendar before planning around a specific festival, and expect the official public holidays to be announced only a few months ahead.
Which month has the most festivals?
October and November, which cover Dashain, Tihar and Chhath in most years. That is also peak trekking season, so flights, buses and hotels are at their fullest and prices at their highest.
Will festivals disrupt travel plans in Nepal?
Dashain can. Long-distance buses book out, domestic flights fill, and shops, banks and government offices close for several days. Tihar is less disruptive. Everything else on this list is a normal working period with celebrations layered on top.
Which festivals are best to watch as a visitor?
Indra Jatra and Bisket Jatra for the chariot processions and masked dances, Tihar for the lamps and decorated streets, and Mani Rimdu at Tengboche in the Everest region for the masked dances at the monastery, which is the one worth timing a trek around.
Can visitors take part rather than just watch?
Often, yes. Holi and Fagun Purnima are participatory by nature, and families are frequently happy to include guests at Tihar. At temple festivals, watch first and follow what others are doing. Ask before photographing rituals and stay outside areas marked for worshippers only.
