Festivals

His huge, terrifying mask depicting cavernous eyes, notched, saw-like teeth and protruding fangs can instill terror on the onlookers, while those long, dark-red wig and wild, gyrating movements complete the awe-inspiring countenance. Lakhey is a demon in Newari folklore. But he’s often defined as ‘the deity among the demons’.   Believed to be a carnivorous demon...Read More

Nag Panchami, the festival of snakes, isn’t for the faint of heart! This festival is all about the worship of snakes. Hindus are observing the Nag Panchami festival today as per the time-honored tradition. Nag Panchami is a festival dedicated to Nag or the serpent god and is observed on the fifth day of the...Read More

Everybody greets one another with vermillion, kids huddle over ice-cream stalls, and elders sit in small groups to chat. Every evening, hundreds of people gather in the streets of Patan (Lalitpur) to see the Rato Machhindranath chariot being pulled to its next destination. A few strong and enthusiastic attempt the pull while others just enjoy...Read More

Every spring as the dogwood and bougainvillea bloom, Kathmandu’s maidan, the ancient parade ground, echoes with the sound of hoofs. Ghode Jatra, the Horse Festival, features the army’s cavalry brigades in races, jumping, dressage, polo and more. The festival’s historic beginnings are lost in time, but legend records an origin story. A gambler named Keschandra,...Read More

On the 7th Day of the Tibetan New Year, or Losar, 73-year-old Yangzom from Lhoka was dining in a restaurant on Lhasa’s main street. It was her first time to celebrate Losar in Lhasa with two of her daughters who work there. Wearing a brown hat, Yangzom was dressed in a dark red coat and...Read More