The 10 Major Festivals in South Asia

Nepal is distinctly known as the world of colorful vibrant festivals. Most of the festivals celebrated in Nepal have religious connotations and some are based on important events from ancient mythology and epic literature.
Nepalese have diverse beliefs and ethnic backgrounds. Despite these facts, all unite in the celebration of the year’s major festivals. Festivals such as Dashain and Tihar are of national significance; such as Bisket Jatra or Rato Machchhendranath Jatra, belong to the traditions of the old Valley towns, and still others, such as Chait, are observed only by a particular ethnic community.
The vivid cultural diversity of Nepal can be observed in the difference in different festival celebrations. Here they are depicted as the 10 major festivals in Nepal.

10 Major Festivals in South Asia

1. Gai Jatra
   Gai Jatra is one of the most popular festivals generally celebrated in between August-September. Even though Gai Jatra has the presence throughout the country, it has most strongholds in the Newari community of Kathmandu valley. This festival has its roots in the belief that the god of death, Yamaraj, must be feared and hence worshiped.

1. Dashain and Tihar

The biggest and most popular festivals based on religion are Dashain and Tihar in Nepal. Dashain, a celebration of Goddess Durga’s victory over evil Mahisashur, has symbolic meaning deeply rooted in Nepalese society. Tihar, a celebration of light and color dedicated to Goddess Laxmi, unfolds social joy throughout the nation.

1. Buddha Jayanti
   Buddha Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birthday of the Lord Buddha which dates back in about 543 BC. It falls on the full moon night of either May or June. The peace lover and Buddhist communities like to make their pilgrimage at Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini of Nepal in this auspicious day.

1. Janai Purnima
   Janai Purnima keeps the sacred meaning in the Hindu community of Nepal. On this same day Rakshya Bandhan is also celebrated where every Hindu ties a sacred thread. Janai Purnima maintains the holy significance whereas Rakshya Bandhan makes stronger the love and respect in between and among sisters and brothers

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1. Teej
   Teej is a celebration of fasting in which women pray for marital bliss, well being of their spouse and children and purification of their own body and soul. It takes place in August and September. In the present context, the festival has a connotation with the rights of women.

1. Shree Krishna Janmashtami

Shree Krishna Janmashtami marks the celebration of the birth of Lord Sri Krishna. Lord Krishna is regarded as the 8th avatar or ‘incarnation’ of Lord Vishnu. It falls in August and September. This festival is hugely celebrated throughout the country.

1. Fagun Purnima(Holi)
   Fagun Purnima, allegedly named after the mythical demoness Holika, is a day when the feast of colors is celebrated. The ancient Holi festival falls in late February or in early March. It has a growing popularity among Nepalese even today and it is amazingly celebrated throughout the nation.

1. Maghe Sankranti
   Maghe Sankranti is the harbinger of the holy month usually in the mid of January. The festival hopes to bring the end of the cold season and expect to come of warmer weather and better days of health and fortune.

1. Indra Jatra
   Indra Jatra falls in August and September. Both Hindus and Buddhists unite to celebrate the festival with great enthusiasm. Indra Jatra has a historic significance in Nepal as well.

1. Chhat puja
   Chhath is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival historically native to the Indian subcontinent, more specifically, the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, and the Madhesh region of Nepal. The Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun and Shashthi Devi (Chhathi Maiya) in order to thank them for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. This festival is observed by Nepalese and Indian people, along with their diaspora.
   The festival does not involve idolatry and is dedicated to worship the Chhathi Maiya (Shashthi Mata) and sun God Surya along with his consorts Usha and Pratyusha Vedic Goddess of Dawn and Dusk respectively. It is believed that the main sources of Sun's powers are his wife Usha and Pratyusha. In Chhath, there is combined worship of both the powers along with the Sun. In the morning, worship of the first ray (Usha) of the Sun and the last ray (Pratyusha) of the Sun in the evening are offered to both of them. And the rituals are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. They include holy bathing, fasting, and abstaining from drinking water (Vratta), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prasad (prayer offerings) and arghya to the setting and rising sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they head for the river banks.

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