Festivals in Nepal
Nepal has a full calendar in terms of festivals. The fact that there are two New Year celebrations (Buddhist Losar and Hindu Bikram) says it all: Nepal does not miss an opportunity to celebrate a festival. Both Buddhist and Hindu gods are honored. Not only within the temple walls but also on the streets. Not only with gentle prayers, but also with bombastic singing, dancing and outward show. Monks who usually retreat to their temples now dance masked through the streets.
During the festival Teej, women dress in their most beautiful saris. Holi is the famous festival where you can dance yourself through the streets. Armed with a bag of dye so that, like the Nepalese, you can colorfully coat everyone who crosses your path with powder. Gods guarantee some great celebrations that are not to be missed. The streets of Bhaktapur are almost too narrow when the gods Bhairab and Bhadrakali are carried through town on floats during Bisket Jatra (April). Sometimes they pause for a moment, then the people pour in from all sides and the statues are covered in flowers, rice, coins and red dye. Small offerings in the hope of a prosperous year.
Larger sacrifices are made during Dashain (September - October) where bulls, goats and pigs are sacrificed. You can celebrate this family festival even without a Nepali family. In Kathmandu and Bhaktapur the streets are stage for masked dancers and squares a stage for rituals. This is also the case during harvest festival Indra Jatra (September). In Durbar Square, monks wearing terrifying masks gather around the Kumari. The girl designated as a living goddess by priests until her first menstruation. Her feet must not touch the ground, and so she is carried through the city on a throne.