Nepal is a land of festivals rich in cultural heritage. The series of Nepalese festivals begin with Gunla Parva. A period of thirty days in the months of Srawan and Bhadra is observed by Buddhists as a sacred month dedicated to Lord Buddha known as Gunla Parva. The month of Shrawan falls in rainy seasons so there are calamities of floods and other epidemics.

To remain safe from these natural calamities, Nepalese resort to religious performance. During this time the entire society is at leisure, which is used for merry-making, aesthetic entertainment and rejoicing. Buddhist tradition also has had an equally important to the making Nepalese culture rich.

Gunla Parva

During the auspicious month of Gunla, Buddhist devotees visit religious places and are engaged in various rituals.

Hindus are also accompanied to participate in these festivals. The word Gunla also has a special meaning, 'Gun' means hill and 'la' means month in the Newari language. Nepal is full of hills and mountains area. Nepalese people do religious activities in hills and mountains. On that occasion, many devotees visit the holy places chanting songs with musical instruments like 'Gunla baja' and 'Dhabaja'.

A focal point is a religious place called the Swoyambhunath in Kathmandu temple which is situated on a hill. In Lalitpur, the local people visit Hiranya Mahivahar other Vihars and temples. During this sacred month, devout Buddhist priests recite Pragya Paramita, Pancharakchhya and Namasangiti a precious Buddhist manuscript. Buddhists spend the month in prayer and fasting.

Nag Panchami

Nepalese people have great respect for Nag serpent as the giver of rain.

Hindus and Buddhists worshipped Nag in Nag Panchami as a serpent god. Snakes dwell in the corners of the garden and courtyard, in the drain and near water spout and pool spring sand stream. Nag Panchami is observed on the fifth day of the bright half of the Nepali month of Shrawan as per the lunar calendar. Early in the morning, devotees purify their bodies by bathing and clean the house.

Then they paste an image of the Nag above the main door of the house and offer worship in a traditional fashion. The Nag is taken as the god of water and rain and it is believed that the place where the Nag deity resides is bestowed with wealth, prosperity and security from various calamities as it provides protection from thunder-bolt, lightning and fire as well as attacks from snakes and scorpions. People make an offering of green

grass(dubo), milk, and grains red vermillion powder and yoghurt with rice (akchhyata) to the Nag deity. Various ancient Hindu scriptures like Garuda Puran, Skanda Puran, Narad Puran, Bhabisya Puran and Baraha Puran mentioned the worship of Nag Panchami.

The world is full of serpents as Shesa Nag, Kali Nag, Basuki Nag, Takchhyaka Nag, Apa Nag, Barun Nag, Pashu Nag, Karkotaka Nag, Ananta Nag, and Shoma Nag. Many gods and goddesses are adorned, with different serpents as ornaments and weapons (ayudha)in their hands. In Mahayana Buddhism among five Dhyani Buddhas, Akchhyovya Buddha is adorned with snakes in Dhyani Mudra.

On the occasion of Nag Panchami special religious fairs take place at Nag Pokhari in Naxal and also Taudaha to the South of Kathmandu.

Janai Purnima and Gai Jatra

Janai Purnima is a Nepalese festival that appears in the scene on the full moon day of Shrawan. This festival is celebrated by all Nepali people.

It is also known as the festival Rakchhya bandan, Gunpunhi, Kwantipunhi, Rishi-tarpani which is common festivals of Hindus and Buddhists. On this day one can see several Hindus going to the Buddhist temples and Buddhists to the Hindu temples.

'Bahi dyo Bwoyegu' literally meaning 'to display the gods' is a demonstration of various decorated images of the Buddhist deities in monastery courtyards (Baha and Bahi) of the Kathmandu Valley. Groups of devotees visited by their traditional musical instrument bands to view the exhibits.

Rakchhyabandan is the day when Hindus change the Janai sacred thread binding one's wrist and men wear the changing Janai sacred thread in chests. Janai also represents the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. The other meaning of Janai string symbolises the three basic qualities of Nature known as Rajasic (kingly), Tamasic (arrogant), and Satwic (virtuous).

On this precious occasion, devotees go to the pilgrimage and take purification baths in the holy rivers and sacred lakes like Gosain Kunda. There will be a great fete in Kumbeswari pond to receive homage from devotees.

One of the important celebrations of this Purnima is well known as Gunpunhi. On this occasion Newar community celebrate this festival in nine days with different activities. They worshipped all the gods and prepared Kwanti soup as their favourite food which is made with nine kinds of lentils. Newar farmers observe this festival as offering rice to frogs in gratitude for a good rain which is called 'Byanja nakegu'.

Of the many most festival typical festivals, one is the Gai Jatra or festival of Cows celebrated by Hindus of Nepal which is most important in the Newar community. It takes place on the first of the dark half of Bhadra. On this occasion, a religious musical procession is taken out in which little boys dress as holy men with peculiar headdresses, wear a mask or paint their faces and stylized cows go round throughout three cities of the

Kathmandu valley, especially temple areas. This festival is known as 'Sayawonegu' and 'Saparu' in the Newari community.

The cow in the Hindu religion is considered a divine bridge to cross the river Baiterni (mythical river agony).

The sacred animal cow helps the departed souls in their journey into the after-world. Seven days of various types of entertainment are on display during this occasion.

Gai Jatra festival is not only celebrated in Kathmandu valley but now a day is observed in most of the districts where Newars are inhabited. In Bhaktapur, it is quite different to other parts, where tall bamboo poles topped with horns fashioned with straw and attached with the photos of dead people are carried around the city in the memory of the deceased family.

This procession is known as 'Ghintan Kisi'. Similarly, on the third day in Patan, the festival starts from many Vihars and the procession goes to all Buddhist religious sites.

The festival is known as the 'Mataya' light which is celebrated in the holy month of Gunla. It is the symbol of Buddha who came to Nepal in the form of light or flame or it commemorates the victory over the Maras (disturbances).

The festival is mostly participated by those who have had their family members pass away the same year. The people of Patan needed to participate in the Mataya procession at least once in their lifetimes. The Mataya festival is started by king Gunakamdev.

Krishnasthami

The seventh day of the dark lunar fortnight is Krishna's birthday. On this occasion, people celebrate the birthday of Krishna by decorating their houses and streets with a picture of Krishna and Gopini. Most people believe that Krishna was born on the earth to save men's souls as a direct incarnation of Lord Krishna, who together with Shiva and Brahma completes the Hindu Trinity.

Thousands of pilgrim men and women from far away gather around the chief temple Krishna Mandir at Patan.

Images of Lord Krishna are also carried around the main city in a procession marched by joyous crowds with musical bands in the town.

Panchadana

Panchadana is the sacred festival of the Buddhist Newar community in the Kathmandu valley. The first annual or regular Pachadana is celebrated every year in Srawana Sukla Ashtami and Bhadra Sukla Triyodasi The first annual Panchadana was observed a fortnight earlier on the eighth of Srawan Sukla Ashtami in Patan area. Similarly, the ceremony of Panchadana is celebrated in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Banepa, Panauti, and Kirtipur on Bhadra Krishna Trayodasi.

Dana is an act of giving with a pure mind with the sole aim of helping those whose needs are greater than ours expecting anything in return like praise, fame, favour, recognition, prestige, merit, or even heaven after death. In Panchadana mainly five things rice pudding, lentils, salt, sugar and health goods, juice, milk, are offered to Dipankar Tathagata, and Buddhist Sangha Bajracharya and Shakyas. Bajracharya and Shakya are considered Vajrayana monks because they obtain monastic intuition and traditionally accept alms from the devotees (laity).

They received Dana charity as Panchadana. On this occasion male Bajracharyas and Shakyas march to the houses of Buddhists to get ceremonial alms begging in their laity singing hymns (danagatha) in honour of the Buddha. Buddhist believe that offering Panchadana to monks and priests will bring public welfare, health, long life, and peace. On a holy day, Buddhist antiques are displayed and gigantic effigies of Dipankar are exhibited around the town. So Panchadana is generally regarded as a charity giving ceremony.

Kushe Aunsi (Father's Day)

On the new moon day of the fifth month of the Nepali calendar, Bhadra is celebrated as father's day. This is a special day dedicated to one's father, alive or dead. This day is popularly known as looking at the father's face (Babuko mukha herane). It is also called Gokarne aunsi.

On the auspicious of father's day sons and daughters observe the ritual and offer food, sweetmeats and other gifts to their fathers. After offering the gifts they express their respect to their father bowing to touch their feet with their forehead. In the Newari society, a newly married daughter has to visit her birth home to perform this ritual in an elaborate manner. She has to bring enough ingredients to please their father.

The people whose father had died will visit Gokarna, the bank of the river Bagmati. They have a ritual bath and offer alms of rice, pulses and coins in the name of their departed fathers.

In Nepal, festivals are enough to prove this state of happy harmony. Every festival is an occasion for high spirited revelry for all, irrespective of whether they are Hindus o Buddhists.

(Bajracharya is former associate professor at TU)