Gai jatra

Gai jatraGai Jatra festival, the procession of cows, generally falls in the month of Bhadra, which correspond to English calendar months of  August/September. 
This year Gai Jatra is on August 30, 2015. That is on Bhadra 13, 2072 BS. 
The festival of cows is one of the most popular festivals in Nepal. It is said people in ancient time started worshiping Yamaraj,"the god of death" on this day. However, the modern form of celebration of Gai Jatra came into existence in the medieval period of Nepal during the reign of Malla Kings. The present form of Gai Jatra with humorous acts, parody, comedy and was started by then King of Kathmandu Pratap Malla. He made Rani Pokhari (Pond) in the heart of Kathmandu and build a temple in the middle of the same pond. However, the modern form of celebration of Gai Jatra came into existence in the medieval period of Nepal during the reign of Malla Kings. The present form of Gai Jatra with humorous acts, parody, comedy and was started by then King of Kathmandu Pratap Malla. He made Rani Pokhari (Pond) in the heart of Kathmandu and build a temple in the middle of the same pond.The Taha-Macha symbolize dead people and is decorated with their possessions and photograph. The chariot has a framework of bamboo which is wrapped with cotton cloth usually Hakupatasi (a black traditional sari type female cloth) for women and simple sari type cloth for men. The Taha-Machas are brought out from different toles of Bhaktapur, but peculiarly, the Taha-Machas of Lakolachhen are guided by one large one that has the bamboo framework but is covered in straws. This is known as Bhailya Dya: (Bhairab) and is succeeded by Ajima (Bhadrakali) made at Khala (Ajima Dyo:Chhen)Many local musicians, and a cultural dance calledGhinta Ghisi follow in the wake of a chariot. Men are also seen wearing women's dress: Hakupatasi. People dress up funnily. There is face painting and masks are common. Children even dress up as Gods and join the parade.The Ghinta Ghisi dance is celebrated for almost a week, starting from the day of Gaijatra to Krishna Janmashtami. The dance is done in a long queen with two persons in a row hitting each other's sticks. Many cultural shows are performed, and the festival is even participated in by many nearby villages. All peoples are faint to this day.

Rakshya bandan

Rakshya bandanRaksha Bandhan' is a famous festival of Hindus. It is also called the festival of 'Rakhi'. It falls on Purnima or full moon day in the month of Shravan according to Hindu Calendar. It is celebrated across all over India. 

'Raksha' means protection and 'Bandhan' means bound. Thus 'Raksha Bandhan' means the 'Bond of Protection'. On this day, Sisters tie a special band on their brothers' wrist as a mark of affection. This thread is called the 'Rakhi'. The brothers in return takes a lifelong vow to protect their sisters. On the day of Raksha Bandhan, brothers and sisters reaffirm their pious bonds of affection. Of special significance to married women, Raksha Bandhan is rooted in the practice of territorial exogamy, in which a bride marries out of her natal village or town, and her parents, by custom, do not visit her in her married home.In rural north India, where territorial exogamy is strongly prevalent, large numbers of married Hindu women travel back to their parents' homes every year for the ceremony.^[27][28] Their brothers, who typically live with the parents or nearby, sometimes travel to their sisters' married home to escort them back. Many younger married women arrive a few weeks earlier at their natal homes and stay until the ceremony.The brothers serve as lifelong intermediaries between their sisters' married- and parental homes, as well as potential stewards of their security.Among women and men who are not blood relatives, there is also a transformed tradition of voluntary kin relations, achieved through the tying of rakhi amulets, which have cut across caste and class lines,and Hindu and Muslim divisions.In some communities or contexts, other figures, such as a matriarch, or a person in authority, can be included in the ceremony in ritual acknowledgement of their benefaction.Raksha Bandhan is also celebrated by Hindu communities in other parts of the world. Although rooted in Hindu culture, the festival has no traditional prayers unambiguously associated with it. The religious myths claimed for it are disputed, and the historical stories associated with it considered apocryphal by some historians.

Janai Purnima

Janai Purnima

Janai Purnima is a Hindu festival celebrated all over the country, with family get togethers and feasts of Kwati or sprout lentils. This day is also a harbinger of rejuvenation with Hindu men renewing their ‪Janai and people flocking to Shiva temples in different parts of the country. It is a big day to observe the Shaman culture.

On  this day Shamans of the valley and around Nepal gather to perform their ancient rites in places like the Kumbeshwar in Patan, Gosaikunda in Langtang and Charikot in Dolakha. International counterparts trained by Nepali Shamans also make it a point to visit their sacred sites on this occasion.