Hindu Festivals in Nepal

Nepal's calendar is built around its Hindu festivals, a year-long cycle of fasts, full moons, chariot processions and family rituals rooted in the worship of Durga, Shiva, Vishnu, Laxmi and the sun. This hub bundles our deep-dive guides to the country's great Hindu festivals so you can plan a trip around them — and understand what you are watching when you arrive. For the wider picture, including Buddhist and Newar celebrations, see our full festival calendar of Nepal.

The short answer

The two unmissable festivals are Dashain (Sep–Oct) and Tihar (Oct–Nov), the festival of lights. For atmosphere, time a visit for Maha Shivaratri at Pashupatinath (Feb–Mar), the women's festival of Teej (Aug–Sep), or Chhath on the riverbanks of the Terai. Because they follow the lunar calendar, dates shift each year — always check current dates.

Nepal's Hindu festival year

The Hindu festival year roughly follows the seasons. The monsoon and late summer bring snake worship, the sacred-thread full moon and Krishna's birthday. Autumn is the heartland, with the back-to-back giants of Dashain, Tihar and Chhath. Winter and early spring turn quieter and more devotional, with the month-long Swasthani fast, Shiva's great night, and Kathmandu's white-chariot jatra. Read on for short guides to each, grouped by season.

Monsoon and late summer (Jul–Sep)

Naag Panchami

Naag Panchami honours the serpent deities (nagas), believed to control rain and guard water and the home. Families paste images of snakes above their doorways and offer milk and prayers for protection. It falls in the monsoon month of Shrawan — check current dates.

Janai Purnima

Janai Purnima is the sacred-thread full moon, when Hindu men renew the janai worn across the chest and people of all faiths tie a protective raksha bandhan thread on the wrist. Pilgrims trek to the high alpine lake of Gosaikunda for a holy bath. It falls on the Shrawan full moon.

Krishna Janmashtami

Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna with night-long singing, fasting and worship. The focus in the valley is the exquisite stone Krishna Mandir on Patan Durbar Square, which fills with devotees and oil lamps. It usually falls in August–September.

Teej

Teej is the great women's festival, when women dress in red saris and gold, gather to sing and dance, and keep a day-long fast dedicated to Shiva for the well-being of their husbands and families. Crowds throng Pashupatinath. It falls in August–September.

Autumn: Dashain, Tihar and Chhath (Sep–Nov)

Dashain

Dashain is Nepal's biggest festival, a 15-day celebration of the goddess Durga's victory over evil. Families reunite, animals are sacrificed, kites fly and elders place the red tika and jamara on younger relatives' foreheads. Expect closed offices and packed transport. It falls in September–October.

Tihar (Deepawali)

Tihar, the five-day festival of lights, honours Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, alongside crows, dogs (Kukur Tihar) and cows. Homes glow with oil lamps and rangoli, and the festival closes with Bhai Tika, when sisters bless their brothers. It follows Dashain in October–November.

Chhath Parva

Chhath Parva is a demanding four-day rite of thanksgiving to the sun god, Surya, strongest in the Terai and around Janakpur. Devotees stand in rivers and ponds at dawn and dusk offering prayers and fruit. It falls just after Tihar.

Winter and spring (Jan–Apr)

Swasthani Brata Katha

Swasthani Brata Katha is a month-long fast and daily recitation of the Swasthani holy text, centred on goddess Swasthani and Lord Shiva. Devotees, many of them women, gather along the Salinadi River at Sankhu. It runs through January–February.

Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivaratri, the "great night of Shiva", brings hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and ash-smeared sadhus to the Pashupatinath temple for night-long worship, bonfires and bhajan. It falls in February–March and is one of the most atmospheric events to witness.

Seto Machindranath Jatra

Seto Machindranath Jatra sees the white image of Seto Machindranath pulled through the old streets of Kathmandu on a towering wooden chariot over several days — a spectacular blend of Hindu and Newar Buddhist devotion. It usually falls in spring.

When to go

To catch the most festivals at once, travel in autumn (late September to November), when Dashain, Tihar and Chhath fall in quick succession — though banks, shops and transport are heavily affected, so book ahead. For sheer spectacle without the closures, time a trip to Maha Shivaratri in February–March. Whatever your dates, line them up with our best time to visit Nepal guide, and read up on Hinduism in Nepal and the Hindu temples where these festivals come alive. Because every festival here follows the lunar calendar, always confirm the current dates before you commit.