Festival And Events Information
Nepal is not only the land of mountains; it is also the land of festivals. More than 50 festivals and events are celebrated in Nepal every year. While the national festivals have fixed dates, astronomers set the religious festivals following the lunar calendar. The best part about the festivals in Nepal is that all the events are celebrated with the same enthusiasm and galore. This is the way it was hundreds of years ago when people had no other means of entertainment.
The Indian calendar is a long procession of festivals; if you can find yourself in the right place at the right time. It is possible to go through your visit with a festival each day. The harvest festivals of the south, the immersion of Ganesh in Bombay, the Car Festival of Puri, snake-boat races in Kerala, Republic Day in Delhi… every region, every religion has something to celebrate. Below is a selection of the major ones, but there are countless others; inquire at local Government of India Tourist Offices for details.
In Tibet, there are many festivals throughout the year that attract the faithful as well as curious onlookers. Dancing monks can be seen in the Year-End Festival (February-March) held to dispel the evil of the old year and auspiciously usher in the new one; Losar (New Year Festival) is a colorful week of activities (February-March), including Tibetan drama, pilgrims making incense offerings and Tibetans dressed in their finest crowding the streets; cham dancing and chang drinking are the order of the day at the Tsurphu Festival (May-June) — the highlight is the dance of the Karmapa.
