Festivals & events
28 celebrations through the year — pick a day to see what's on.
- Prithvi Jayanti (11 January · All regions · National) — Celebrates the birthday of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of modern Nepal. A national holiday marked by parades, cultural programs,…
- Makar Mela (14 January · Chitwan, Narayanghat · Central Terai) — A sacred bathing festival celebrated at the confluence of rivers, particularly significant in Chitwan District. Thousands gather for ritual…
- Basanta Panchami (All February · Kathmandu Valley, nationwide · Kathmandu Valley) — Celebrates the arrival of spring with kite flying, yellow attire, and visits to temples dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge. S…
- Shivaratri (All February · Kathmandu, nationwide · Kathmandu Valley) — A major Hindu festival honoring Lord Shiva with night-long vigils, rituals, and gatherings at temples. Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu be…
- Holi (All March · Nationwide · Kathmandu Valley) — The Festival of Colors celebrates the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil with colorful powder, water balloons, and bonfire…
- Ghatasthapana (All September · Nationwide · Kathmandu Valley) — Marks the beginning of Dashain festival with the planting of barley seeds in sacred soil. Families prepare for the major autumn celebration…
- Dashain (All September · Nationwide · National) — Nepal's longest and most important festival celebrating the victory of Goddess Durga over buffalo demon Mahishasur. Features animal sacrifi…
- Teej (All August · Nationwide · Kathmandu Valley) — A colorful women-centric festival where married women celebrate marital bliss and unmarried girls pray for suitable husbands. Features fast…
- Tihar (Diwali) (All October · Nationwide · National) — The Festival of Lights celebrates the victory of light over darkness with oil lamps, fireworks, and rangoli designs lasting five days. Each…
- Govardhan Puja (All October · Terai regions, Chitwan · Central Terai) — Part of Tihar festival, celebrates Krishna lifting the Govardhan mountain with cow dung mounds and ritual worship. Particularly significant…
- Bhai Tika (All October · Nationwide · Kathmandu Valley) — The final day of Tihar celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters with sacred marks and blessings. A deeply emotional family ritual…
- Indra Jatra (All September · Kathmandu Valley · Kathmandu Valley) — An eight-day festival honoring the god of rain and showcasing the living goddess Kumari on a chariot through Kathmandu streets. Features ma…
- Rato Machhindranath Jatra (All April · Lalitpur, Kathmandu Valley · Kathmandu Valley) — A month-long chariot festival in Lalitpur honoring the deity Machhindranath, believed to bring rain and prosperity. The massive wooden char…
- Bisket Jatra (All April · Bhaktapur · Central Highlands) — Bhaktapur's New Year festival celebrated with a massive chariot procession and tug-of-war between neighborhoods. Marks the Nepali New Year…
- Gai Jatra (All August · Kathmandu Valley · Kathmandu Valley) — The Festival of Cows celebrates departed souls with processions of cows or children dressed as cows. Families observe mourning while commun…
- Janai Purnima (All July · Gosaikunda, high mountain regions · High Himalaya) — Sacred thread festival where Hindu men change their sacred threads and pilgrims visit holy sites. Particularly significant at high-altitude…
- Rato Machhindranath Jatra (Bhoto Jatra) (All April · Jalwalakhel, Lalitpur · Kathmandu Valley) — Display of the sacred Bhoto (vest) to thousands at Jawalakhel during the chariot festival season. A mystical ritual believed to bring prosp…
- Chaite Dashain (All March · Central and Western Terai · Central Terai) — A spring version of Dashain celebrated in terai regions with similar rituals honoring Goddess Durga. Less prominent than autumn Dashain but…
- Nag Panchami (All July · Eastern and Central Terai · Eastern Terai) — Festival honoring serpent gods with ritual offerings and prayers for protection. Particularly important in terai regions where snake encoun…
- Janakpur Vivaha Mandap Festival (All November · Janakpur · Eastern Terai) — Celebrates the marriage of Lord Ram and Sita at Janakpur, believed to be Sita's birthplace. Features grand processions, theatrical performa…
- Vivaha Mandap (All November · Janakpur · Eastern Terai) — Traditional ceremony marking the sacred marriage of Ram and Sita in Janakpur with religious processions and cultural performances. Thousand…
- Mani Rimdu (All October · Tengboche Monastery, Khumbu · High Himalaya) — A Buddhist festival celebrated by Sherpa communities in the Everest region featuring masked dances and religious ceremonies. Held at Tengbo…
- Lha Phewa Festival (All November · Khumbu region, Namche Bazaar · High Himalaya) — A Sherpa festival in the Everest region honoring the mountain gods with prayers and traditional ceremonies. Marks the end of the climbing s…
- Kumari Jatra (All September · Kathmandu · Kathmandu Valley) — Part of Indra Jatra, the living goddess Kumari is displayed on an ornate chariot pulled through Kathmandu's streets. A sacred tradition dat…
- Constitution Day (20 September · All regions · National) — National holiday commemorating the adoption of Nepal's federal democratic constitution in 2015. Celebrated with flag hoisting ceremonies an…
- Gorkha Sainik Divas (9 November · All regions · National) — Honors the service of Gurkha soldiers in the British and Indian armies. A national holiday celebrated with parades and tributes to fallen s…
- Laxmi Puja (All October · Nationwide · Kathmandu Valley) — Part of Tihar, this is the most important day dedicated to the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Homes are illuminated with oil lamps and d…
- Kathmandu Valley Festival (All December · Kathmandu Valley · Kathmandu Valley) — A month-long celebration showcasing Kathmandu Valley's art, culture, and heritage through music, dance, exhibitions, and food. Attracts art…