Haritalika Teej 2011| Festival of Women in Nepal

Haritalika Teej is one of the most important fasting festival for Hindu women. On the occasion of the Teej, women starve themselves for the whole day by singing and dancing near the temple of Lord Shiva making wishes the long life by the married women. While the unmarried women observe the fasting wishing to have a handsome husband and happy married life.
There is one ancient belief about the Teej that once Goddess Parvati had set intense austerities to get Lord Shiva as her husband and was also successful to make him her husband. And people believe that one who worships Lord Shiva and Parvati on the day, will receive bless from Goddess to make their married life more peaceful.
This year Teej is going to be celebrated on 31st August 2011.

Indra Jatra | Kumari - Virgin Goddess festival

Exactly a month after the Gai Jatra, is yet another important and colorful festival during which the main attraction is Kumari or the Living Goddess, an institution unique to only Nepal in the world. This festival takes place towards the end of September or early October when the monsoon have folded up. It is a week long festival. It may be described as a thanks giving week as people during this period worship Lord Indra, the God of rain, for having vanquished "VRITA"who had wrought havoc over the Valley by causing drought upon the land, and blessed the Kingdom with life giving water.
As per the legend, Lord Vishnu was pleased with Lord Indra's efforts and presented him with the "INDRA DWAJ"_A LONG POLE COVERED WITH SCENTED PINE BOUGHES. Though this festival is being observed in Nepal for centuries, it was only in 1756 A.D., during the reign of King Jay a Prakash Malla, that the concept of "Virgin Goddess" as well as the "Rath Yatra" (cart festival) was introduced.
It is said that a girl of "Bare" caste was said to have got possessed by the "Goddess Kumari". During this trance in which she was, she said that she was "the protector of Nepal Valley" This little girl was then hailed as LIVING GODDESS KUMARI"and people started worshiping ner. Ever since she has been worshiped. A beautiful house vith golden windows was specially built for her and that became her abode.

Gai Jatra - The Cow's Precession [FESTIVAL]

This festival of Gai Jatra is a sombre one. It expresses the wish of the surviving members of a deceased that

his heavenward journey should be smooth. To achieve this they take the help of a cow which is worshiped as a holy animal by the devout Hindus.
As per the age old tradition, any family who has lost his near or a dear in the preceding year has to participate in a procession through the Kathmandu Streets leading a cow.
Practical a religion as Hinduism is there is always an alternative to anything which may be difficult to procure. In this case, if a cow is not available then a young boy dressed up as cow is substituted. The belief is that by doing this the cow will assist the deceased relatives' heavenward journey.

Teej - Women's Festival of Hindus

In every Hindu festival or a religious ceremony a women is an equal participant as a man. There is one festival 

which is purely and exclusively for women. This is the "TEEJ" festival when women have the whole stage to themselves and menfolk, and children are shooed away. It is the wish of every woman in the world to have the best possible life partner. In the Hindu society, this wish takes on religious overtones and women not only pray to have best life partner but also fast and pray for the longevity and prosperity of their husband once they are married.

There is a legend surrounding this festival. In the mythological past Parbati, the daughter of Himalaya Parbat, hence the name Parbati, fell for Lord Shiva who, among gods, is also referred to as divine ascetic.

Happy !!! New Year | New Year 2068 B.S starts from today

New Era for the Bikram Sambat starts from today. This era is one of the national Era of Nepal and most of the people and institutions follow its calender. All the national days and most festivals relay on Bikram Sambat.All In this calender, there are 12 month and the counting of the days is based on the movement of Sun. Another national Era of Nepal is Nepal Sambat.

| Basanta Panchami | | Shri Panchami | | Saraswoti Puja |

Basanta Panchami is also known as Shri Panchami or Saraswoti Puja which is very special for students and  celebrated to show the respect to the Goddess Saraswoti,  the goddess of knowledge and learning. On this day students take bath early in the morning, wear clean clothes, worship their books and visit temples of goddess Saraswoti with worship materials. There is a belief that worshipping the goddess on this day broadens up the knowledge horizon and studies will progress further fruitfully. Parents who have toddlers at home take them to temples and make them write on the walls of the temple.

Loshar

Sherpas and Tibetans welcome their New Year with feasts, family visits and dancing. Families done their finest clothes and jewellery and exchange gifts. Buddhist monks offer prayers for good health and prosperity, and perform dances at the monasteries. People wear new clothes and finest jewelries and exchange gifts during the festival. Colorful prayer flags decorate streets and rooftops; the colors seem especially brilliant at the Bouddha and Swayambhu stupas. Crowds of celebrants at Bouddha bring in the New Year by throwing tsampa (roasted barley flour) into the air.

This Year it lies on 16th January.

Maghe Sankranti

According to the astrological belief, in the month of Magh(tenth month in Nepali Calender) the sun enters the southern hemisphere, and the days begin to grow longer and warmer. Lord vishnu the Preserver is thanked for his efforts. On Maghe Sankranti (the first day of Magh) people take an early morning bath in a holy river, visit the shrines of Vishnu, and present flowers, incense and food to him. They read the Bhagwad Gita, also known as The Song of the Gods, apply mustard oil over their bodies, and enjoy feast of rice cooked with lentiles, yams or tarul-a must-and til ko laddu, sweets made of seasame and jaggery (sugarcane paste).