Festival of Nepal..Mother's Day (Mata Tirtha Puja)

Mata Tirtha Snan (Mother's Day) 

This is one of the widely celebrated festivals that falls on the first month, Baisakh (April/May), of the Nepali Year.It is also called Mata Tirtha Aunsi as it falls on a new moon night.

The Nepalese people have always been family oriented. They take great pride in their ancient tradition of closely-knit family unit. This sort of kinship is not only the result of religious teachings, but also due to various festivals and ceremonies, which brings the family together and strengthens the family ties in the Nepalese society.

Such is the festival of "Mata Tritha Puja" which in English is "Mother's day" . This festival falls on the last day of the dark fortnight of April or early May. It is a day when one shows appreciation and gratitude to his/her mother for her unconditional love and undying support.

On this day, each house bustles with activities and everyone, regardless of age, participates. There aren't much religious ceremonies but the fact that it is a day for mothers, calls for celebrations for she is the one who keeps the family together through ups and downs in life. Even the small children dig into their savings to buy gifts for their mothers. Sons and daughters living separately, come with presents and delicacies to spend time with their mother. It is a day of reunion for married daughters with their mothers. The entire day is filled with festivities and merry making.

Those who don't have a mother pay obeisance to Mata Tirtha, which is a sacred site of pilgrimage and holy bathing. It lies six miles south - west of central Katmandu, consisting of two pools-the larger for bathing and the smaller is famous as the place where one "looks upon one's mother's face".

Legends reveal that in the ancient times the region was ruled by a cowherd king. One of his cowherds was so depressed by his mother's death that he went to pray and make offerings at a water storage pond in the forest on this day. Miraculously his mother's face appeared and her hand accepted the offerings. Thus its called Mata Tirtha, where many hope to see their mother's face. Alot of folklores are attached to this site, some of which are tragic. But whatever it maybe, people still believe that paying homage to this site will bring peace to their mother's departed soul. So for this reason people come from distant places, on this day, to show their reverance.

Thus, Mata Tirtha holds a very profound meaning in each person's life. For a mother, is a figure present in everyone's life. This day gives each child a chance to show the depth of his/her feelings for her.

Article by Padmakshi Rana

Source:http: //www .nepalhomepage .com

Buddha Jayanti / Buddha Purnima

Buddha Jayanti or also known as Buddha Purnima is the most sacred festivals of Buddhist. Buddha Purnima (Buddha Birthday) is celebrated in remembrance Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. This day is the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. It falls on the full moon of the fourth lunar month (month of Vaisakh) i.e. April or May. This day commemorates three important events of Buddha's life

- His birth in 623 BC.
- His enlightment i.e. attainment of supreme wisdom, in 588 BC.
- His attainment of Nirvana i.e. the complete extinction of his self at the age of 80.

This day is a thrice blessed day. Lord Buddha is considered the ninth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu (Preserver in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer). Gautam Buddha "lived and died in about the fifth century before the Christian era". Buddha means "enlightened one" - someone who is completely freefrom all faults and mental obstructions.

Gautam Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world-view. The teachings of the Buddha are solely to liberate human beings from the misery and sufferings of life. 

According to the Buddhism, sorrow and desire are the main cause of all the evil and suffering of this world. Lord Buddha advocated the Eightfold Path consisting of precepts like right conduct, right motive, right speech, right effort, right resolve, right livelihood, right attention and right meditation to gain mastery over suffering. It is only after following this path one can reach the ultimate aim of Nirvana. Nirvana is the transcendental state of complete liberation. Gautama Buddha was born in Nepal and lived and taught in northern Inda in the 6th Century B.C.

Buddha travelled far and wide teaching hundreds of followers. Even after death his disciples continued to spread his teachings. 

Rich and poor alike were attracted by the simplicity of Buddha’s teaching and his emphasis on complete equality of all, a notion antithetical to the existing Hindu caste system. The Mauryan Emperor Ashoka espoused the Buddhist religion in the 3rd century B.C. and helped in spreading it far and wide.LUMBINI is the birth place of Buddha and apart from that Sarnath and Bodhgaya (in India) are two of the most important pilgrimage centres for the Buddhists. 

Though Buddhism originated in India and the religion has gained tremendous popularity throughout the Far East in Asia, there are very few practising Buddhists in the country. The number of Buddhists in the world ranges "from less than two hundred million, to more than five hundred million, with the lower number closer to reality." 

Chaite Dashai And Ram Nawami

Chaite Dashai and Ram Nawami are two different festivals followed by one after another. Both the festivals are associated with the great Hindu epic Ramayana. Ram Nawami is the birth day of Ram, the hero of the epic. Chaite Dashai is the day when Ram killed Rawan, the powerful king of Lanka.

Chaite Dashai is celebrated more enthusiastically by tribal casts, while Ram Nawami is celebrated by the devotees of Ram. People sacrifice animals to Goddess Durga on Chaite Dashai. Ram Nawami is celebrated by keeping fast and worshiping Ram with flowers and religious songs.

           

On the occasion of Fhaite Dasai and Ram Nawami a fair is held near the temple of Ban Devi, the Goddess of Forest. It is a nice picnic spot in the mid of a dense pine forest. By the side of the temple there is a rest house.

           

Chaite Dashai is official holiday. It occurs in the month of March of April. This is the last festival of the year.

                                                   source:ma-palpali.com

LOSAR - FESTIVALS OF NEPAL

Every year certain cultures celebrate the heralding of the New Year according to their own calendars which they have been using for centuries. In Tibet, the New Year is known as ' Losar ' and it is celebrated for a period of fifteen days. However, Tibet is not the only place where these celebrations are enjoyed. Many people also celebrate Losar in Nepal .

Losar, also known as Lhochaar in Nepal, is celebrated mainly by the Gurung people who are found throughout Nepal, including in Kathmandu . The celebration predates Buddhism in Tibet when Tibetans practiced the Bon faith. As part of this religion , a large spiritual ceremony was held every winter. During this time the people would offer large quantities of incense to local deities in order to appease them. After the introduction of Buddhism to the Tibetan people, this festival evolved into an annual Buddhist festival. The festival was said to have been started when an elderly woman introduced the concept of measuring time based on the different phases of the moon. The festival started during the flowering of the apricot trees in a particular region during the autumn months and over time this came to be known as the 'farmers festival'. Later, when the people began to understand astrology, they were able to more accurately measure dates for the festival and it came to be known as Losar.

Today you will find that Losar in Nepal and Tibet is based on the Tibetan calendar. The calendar features twelve lunar months. It is interesting to note that while the majority of followers of the Tibetan Buddhist faith celebrate Losar on the first day of the first month, Tibetan monks in monasteries begin their celebrations on the 29th day of the 12th month. On this day the monks do a special ritual, after which they make a special noodle called Guthuk from nine different ingredients. During this time the monks also give each other balls of dough in which different objects are placed. These various object are said to be light-hearted comments on the recipient's personality. Then efforts go into preparing for the upcoming Tibetan New Year celebrations.

Today you will find that not everyone in Nepal celebrates Losar, despite the fact that many people living in the country are Buddhist. However, those that don't will usually celebrate the Nepali New Year which falls within a similar time frame. Participants of the celebration usually calculate their age according to the Lho on the Tibetan Calendar. Therefore it is important for them to accurately keep this ancient religious ceremony.

tamu culture

                                                                            Source: magical-Nepal.com

Top Ten Places to Visit in Nepal

By Jonathan Williams

Are you ready for some high altitude adventure with in a soul-warming environment? Then pack your bags and experience some of the most majestic peaks, most exhilarating torrents and wonderful people Nepal has to offer. Here are some places you may want to visit when go.

1.) Katmandu

Find your inner peace in the streets of Nepal's capital and cultural center. You can walk on the streets of this once inaccessible city and experience the culture, the people, the history, and the faith Nepal had embraced, imbibed, and relived for centuries. Katmandu is also one of the Nepal's starting points in activities like trekking, rafting and other sports.

2.) Royal Chitwan National Park

If you want to experience some jungle adventure with the elephants and ravaging rapids, you may want to stop by Nepal's Royal Chitwan Park. Covering some 932 sq kilometers, this national park serves as a home for 450 species of birds, 45 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 43 species of mammals. One can also enjoy guided jungle walks, terai culture, wild life breeding project, and safari drives inside 4WD cars.

3.) Nagarkot

Located 32 kilometers east of Katmandu, Nagarkot is a great place to visit if you want to see how beautiful and majestic the Himalayan Mountain range can be. A lookout tower in Nagarkot, for one, enables visitor to have a 360-degree scenic view of the Katmandu valley and Himalayan Mountain peaks. Drive up the city, book for a hotel, wake up early, and experience a different kind of sunrise with cool winds blowing every word away.

4.) Pokhara

Located some 200 kilometers west of Kathmandu, this enchanting city is the rally point for trekking and rafting destination. Pokhara offers perfect scenery and gripping natural beauty not only for those who looks for fun but also for those seeking solace. Be it the preview of the Himalayan Mountain range, a row in Phewa Lake, a trek beside Seti Gandaki River and Devi's Fall, or a peek to the Mahendra Cave, a trip to Pokhara is a experience worth the journey.

5.) Pashupatinath Temple

Four kilometers east of Katmandu lies a temple of immeasurable sacredness for Hindu people - the Pashupatinath. Hindu believes that dying and being cremated in Pashupatinath and having one's ashes scattered in Bagmati River will give a Hindu salvation and release from the cycles of birth and rebirth. Have a peek of Hindus life, death and tradition by visiting this holy ground.

6.) Patan

Art lovers and enthusiasts should always put a stop in Patan in their Nepalese trip itinerary. Patan is the oldest city in the Ksthmandu valley and is the home for Nepalese architecture, arts, traditions, and crafts drawing mainly from religious customs. Walk around the city and feel as if you're walking inside an open museum.

7.) Wildlife Reserve of Koshi Tappu

Sprawling some 175 km2 near the River of Sapta-Koshi in Eastern Nepal, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is the best place to watch native and migratory birds in action. Thousands of birds converge in this area, especially during the months of January, February and March. The trip which normally includes jungle walks, jeep drives, and boat rides, coupled with treks to Bhutan and Sikkim or rafting trip in Sunkosi will make any Nepalese trip an unforgettable experience.

8.) Lumbini

Lumbini is the perfect place to go to if you are into cultural, archaeological and religious treasures. With the number of stupa, meditation grounds temples, courtyards and more, a walk in Lumbini is a walk with Buddha. Enter the birthplace of one of the greatest man of world religions - Siddharta Gautama, founder of Buddhism - and be captivated by its serene environment and meditate and reflect with its outmost tranquility and peaceful atmosphere.

9.) Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur is an ancient town east of Katmandu in the Katmandu Valley. Experience Nepalese life as it happens in this city by enjoying the scenery in Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Potter's square. Make your trip complete with a taste of Khopa Dhau, Bhaktapur's home-made curd.

10.) Royal Bardia National Park

Located in Western Terai, Royal Bardia National Park is the largest park in the region with 968 km2. It serves as a sanctuary for tigers, small and large mammals, deer, reptiles, birds, and a herd of the last known elephants in captivity. Enjoy wildlife as it happens along with short rafting in Karnali and Bheri as well as trekking to Dolpo and Rara lake.

Jonathan Williams is the travel writer for Destination Guide TV - the place to share travel videos [http://www.destinationguide.tv]. Visit [http://www.destinationguide.tv/nepal] to view or share Nepal travel videos [http://www.destinationguide.tv/nepal].                                               Source: eZineArticles

Home - We Love Gurung

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The best time to come to Nepal

                                                                                     Source: Visitnepal.com
climate
Nepal's climate varies with its topography and altitude. It ranges from the tropical to the arctic. The low-land Terai region with its maximum altitude to approximately 305m, which lies in the tropical southern part of the country, for instance, has a hot and humid climate that can rise above 45 Degree Celsius (113 Degree Fahrenheit) during summer. The mid-land regions are pleasant almost all the year round, although winter nights are cool. The northern mountain region, around an altitude above 3,300m has an alpine climate with considerably lower temperature in winter as can be expected.

seasons

Nepal has four climatic seasons.

Spring (between March – May): The temperature is mildly warm in low lands while moderate in higher altitudes with plenty of opportunities to have tryst with the mountain views. It is also the time for flowers to blossom and the national flower of Nepal – rhododendron sweeps the ascending altitudes with its magnanimous color and beauty.

Summer (between June – August): This is also the monsoon season in Nepal. The weather is hot and wet at times. It rains almost everyday with occasional thunderstorms in the evening. The rain spreads the pleasantness around with lush green vegetation.

Autumn (between September – November): This is the best tourist season in Nepal with the summer gone by and the winter to set in. The weather is highly pleasant so are the mountain views. This is the peak season for trekking as mountain views are guaranteed so better book your flight in advance. This is also the season of festivities as Nepal celebrates the biggest Hindu festivals Dashain followed by Tihar.

Winter (between December – February): The weather is cool and the sky is clear with occasional snowfalls at higher elevations. This season is good for trekking in lower elevations. The morning and night is cold and the days are warm when sunny.

temperature & rainfall 

Nepal is the country of extremes. The low-land plains of the Terai can have tropical temperatures and also the mosquitoes. The Himalayas can get to sub-zero temperatures, but the sun blaze can bring some warmth during the day, even in the mountains. The temperature of Kathmandu goes below 1 Degree Celsius (34 Degree Fahrenheit) in winter and rises to an average of 25 Degree Celsius (77 Degree Fahrenheit) in summer.

The average temperature in Kathmandu during the four seasons:

* Spring season ranges between 16-23 Degree Celsius (61-73 Degree Fahrenheit)
* Summer season ranges between 23-25 Degree Celsius (73-77 Degree Fahrenheit)
* Autumn season ranges between 15-24 Degree Celsius (59-75 Degree Fahrenheit)
* Winter season ranges between 9-12 Degree Celsius (48-54 Degree Fahrenheit)

During the rainy monsoon season between June to August, it rains to an average between 200-375 millimeters in Kathmandu. There is occasional rainfall during the other seasons too. In an average, 1300 millimeters of rain falls in Kathmandu every year.

Travel Tips: Monsoon in Nepal is not the typical monsoon of Asia. Rains usually occur during the night-time leaving the sky clean and clear by the morning making the Himalayan view even more dramatic. Some parts of the Himalayas in Manang, Mustang and Dolpo are in rain-shadow areas; the mountains are high enough to block the clouds. Tibet's high travel season also corresponds to Nepal's monsoon.