Major Festival in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet

Nepalese have diverse beliefs and ethnic backgrounds. Most of the festivals celebrated in Nepal have religious connotation and some are based on important events from ancient mythology and epic literature. Festivals also offer visitors a valuable opportunity not only for having fun but gaining insight into various aspects of Nepalese culture.
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.  Some of the major and interesting festivals are presented below:

Losar: 8 February 2016
The Sherpas most impressively observe this festival in the month of January - February. They organize folk songs and dances on this occasion. These dances can be seen in Kathmandu, Helambu and other northern regions of Nepal and also at Bouddhanath in Kathmandu.

Maha Shivaratri: 17 Feruary 2016
Shivaratri or the Night of Lord Shiva is observed. It is celebrated in honor of Lord Shiva. A great religious fair tales place in the Pashupatinath Temple and thousands of people from all over Nepal and India flock the temple to worship Lord Shiva.

It is said about Nepal that every other structure is a holy shrine every other day of festival. Well if the number of annual festival. Both religious and national, is any indication, the saying couldn't be more true Festival is an essential part of Nepalese life that garner emend us local participant. Festival also offers visitors valuable opportunity not only for having fun but gaining insight into various aspects of Nepalese culture.

Tsechu Festival (Paro, Bhutan) -  20-24 March, 2016
The Paro Tsechu Festival is a Buddhist dance festival and one of the major annual events of Bhutan. The festival holds religious significance and is held to commemorate Guru Rinpoche, who brought tantric Buddhism, also known as Tibetan Buddhism, in Bhutan. The Paro Tsechu Festival is a wonderful time to visit Bhutan, experience its ancient culture, and get enthralled in the celebrations. The festival comes alive with vibrant colours, music, dances and drama as people gather to enjoy the masked dances, and other sacred rituals.  

Dumji Festival(In Junbesi-our home town) – 03-07 April, 2016
The Dumji Festival is a very special festival in the Solukhumbu area.  It is celebrated in the month of April every year.   During the celebrating, there is dancing, drinking and merry making in addition to the more serious rituals and dances performed by the monks.   

Buddha Jayanti – 22 April, 2016
Also known as “Buddha Purnima” or simply as “Buddha’s Birthday”, Buddha Jayanti honours Lord Buddha and is one of the most sacred days of the year in Nepal. Calculated by the lunar calendar, the Lord Buddha’s birthday falls on the full moon of the fourth lunar month and is a day of great celebrations. Buddhists from all over the world travel to Kathmandu to attend the festival which includes ceremonies, prayer meetings and meditation sessions.

Tiji Festival (Buddhist) – 03-05 May, 2016

Tiji is three days long annual festival celebrated at Lo Manthang in front of King’s palace, still the Kingship and walled Kingdom is being practice there. Tiji festival in Lo Manthang is one of the most well-known and revered festival. It is a time of celebration and religious pilgrimage for the people of Lo. The festival initially began as a religious ceremony, to ward off obstacles and suffering that might befall the country.
Saga Dawa Festival (Darchen, Tibet) – 21 May, 2016
The biggest festival in Ngari area. Many Tibetans all over the Ngari region come to join this festival. Many rituals like Buddhism, Bon and Hinduism will be taking place around Tarboche. The Saga Dawa Festival honors the life of Buddha Shakyamuni, and the main point of the festival is to pray for the long life of all the gurus, for the spreading of teachings of Buddha, and for the happiness of all the sentient beings. This festival also offers a great opportunity for photo shootings. Spend the night in a guest house in Darchen.

Tsechu Festival (Thimphu, Bhutan) – 11-13 October, 2016

One of the biggest festivals in the country is the Thimphu Tshechu. This festival is held in the capital city for three days. The Tshechu is witnessed by thousands of people, both local and tourists. The actual Tshechu is preceded by days and nights of prayer and rituals to invoke the gods. Mask dances like the Guru Tshengye (Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche), Shaw Shachi (Dance of the Stags) and many more are performed

Dashain – 8-11 October, 2016
The longest Hindu festival of Nepal, Traditionally celebrated for two full weeks with the animal sacrifice to Durga the Universal Mother Goddess. The great harvest festival of Nepal, Dasain is a time of family reunion, the exchange of gifts and blessings, profuse pujas, ritual bathing and animal sacrifices. Dasain honors the goddess Durga, who was created out of the shakti energy of all the gods, armed with weapons from each of them. Goddess Durga, sumbolizing valor and prowess, is worshipped and offered animal sacrifices for the devotees' progress prosperity.  
Manirimdu Festival (Chewang, Nepal) – October 27-29, 2016
Mani Rimdu is a re-creation of legendary events; the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet by the great saint Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). Through the dances, symbolic demons are conquered, dispelled, or converted to Dharma Protectors, as positive forces clash with those of chaos. The dances convey Buddhist teaching on many levels from the simplest to the most profound.   

Deepawali (Tihar) 28 October-01 November,  2016
The 5 day long festival of lights, honoring Yama, God of Death. 1 st day is to worship a crow informant of Yama. 2 nd day is dogs day, dog is the agent of Yama. 3 rd day is the day to worship Laxmi the goddess of wealth. 4 th day is the self-respect day also a day for draught animal, oxen. 5 th day is the brothers day. This festival is a time of lights and tinsel decorations, fancy sweets and juicy fruits.