Festivities

Nepal NOW

Ah festivals! Such vibrant colours, such energy, such camaraderie and solidarity!

Only in a country like Nepal, enriched by its diverse ethnicities and culture, can the true meaning of festivals be realized. A secular nation may it be, religion plays no less of a diminished role in its social fabric and taking the various ethnicities with their own distinct cultures into account, the annual calendar is punctuated by no less than 50 major festivals throughout the year.

So when you think Nepal, think of not just the lofty mountains but also the festivals.

Come witness the celebrations, the festivities, the revelries – the myriad threads that intertwine faith, tradition, history, myths, arts and expression.

The pillars may well have crumpled, deities lost in the rubble… but the Nepali spirit lives on and so does its appetite for festive celebrations!

Case in point; take the Rato Macchindranath Jatra halted three days into its procession around the city due to the April quake. Four months on, the chariot procession restarted after the astrologers conferred and agreed on an auspicious date, the 4th of September to be exact and thousands took to the streets to take part in the celebrations. This festival will eventually conclude with a Bhote Jatra, where on the final day, the bejeweled Bhoto will be displayed to the public from the chariot and needless to say, thousands more will flock to the streets of Patan, to pay their respects to the “Rain God”.

Likewise, Indra Jatra, the recently concluded 8 day festival observed in honor of Indra, God of the Heavens and Bhairab, the destroyer of evils, saw thousands take to the Basantapur Durbar Square to take part in the ceremonial erection of the Linga, a 36 foot long pole, chosen with the utmost care from the Nala forest. A procession of chariots and masked dancers representing various deities and demons were the highlight of the festival. It festivities finally concluded on the 27th of September with the Kumari Jatra, where Kumari the “living goddess” left the seclusion of her temple in a palanquin for a procession through the city.

The same Basantapur Durbar Square which four months ago was the subject of intense international media scrutiny, for the April earthquake had left it bereft of the much beloved centuries old temples that once populated the square. Sure, the scaffoldings around the damaged structures glaringly visible were painful reminders of what we lost, but even that could not dampen the celebratory mood of the crowd in attendance.

This is Nepal now. Still celebrating, still joyful, still spellbinding. Come experience our infectious zeal and enthusiasm for life. The rubbles have been cleared, roads opened and normalcy restored.

Let it be known. We are open for business.