Nepali traditions. Archives – Himalayan Circuit

Festival in Nepal: Tihar Festival Nepal – Five-Day Festival of Lights

Posted on October 16, 2025 - by HC Team

Nepal shines in bright colors, flickering lamps, and joyful celebrations every year during Tihar, the five-day festival that honors life, light, and devotion. Known as the festival of lights, Tihar turns streets, homes, and temples into dazzling displays of marigold garlands, flickering diyos, and colorful rangoli patterns. Also, the festival blends faith, culture, and happiness, reflecting the rich traditions and heart of Nepal.

Celebrating Life and Light

Tihar, also called Deepawali, is a Hindu festival celebrated over five days, each honoring a different part of life. It allows people to show gratitude, respect, and devotion, not only to deities but also to animals and loved ones.

Famous Legends About Tihar

The Legend of Bhai Tika: Yamaraj, the god of death, once visited a sister’s home to take her brother’s life. She performed rituals, applied tika, and made offerings with devotion. Impressed by her sincerity, Yamaraj spared her brother’s life. Today, sisters continue this ritual to bless and protect their brothers.
The Legend of Laxmi Puja: Goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, visits homes that are clean and well-lit. Families light lamps, decorate with flowers, and prepare offerings to invite prosperity and remove darkness.
The Legend of Lord Rama: After Lord Rama defeated Ravana in Lanka, he returned to his kingdom, Ayodhya, along with Sita and Lakshman. The people celebrated their return by lighting rows of lamps throughout the city to welcome them and drive away darkness. This tradition of lighting lamps shows the victory of good over evil and light over darkness, which continues to inspire Tihar’s glowing celebrations.

Tihar in Today’s World

Even in today’s fast-paced world, Tihar remains very meaningful. For example, Bhai Tika teaches the value of family bonds, Laxmi Puja encourages mindfulness and gratitude, and people worship animals including crows, dogs, cows, and oxen to show respect for all living beings. Furthermore, Tihar invites people to slow down, honor relationships, and reflect on the blessings often taken for granted. These long-lasting lessons, expressed through lights, rituals, legends, and songs, keep Tihar alive and meaningful for generations.

The Days of Tihar and Their Celebrations

Kaag Tihar (Crow Day)

Tihar begins with Kaag Tihar, dedicated to crows, believed to be messengers of death. People offer sweets and food to crows to ward off bad luck and invite blessings for the year ahead. Also, this ritual reminds us to honor nature and the creatures that share our world.

Kukur Tihar (Dog Day)

Kukur Tihar celebrates dogs for their loyalty and protection. People decorate dogs with flower garlands, tika, and special treats, showing their important role in our lives. In addition, people express gratitude to these faithful companions, recognizing the bond between humans and animals.

Laxmi Puja (Goddess of Wealth)

In the evening, Laxmi Puja fills homes with light and devotion. Families worship Goddess Laxmi, clean their houses, draw colorful rangoli patterns, and prepare traditional sweets like sel roti to invite prosperity. Laxmi enters only clean and well-lit homes, teaching mindfulness and gratitude.

Govardhan Puja and Mha Puja

Govardhan Puja honors oxen for their hard work in agriculture and their role in supporting human life. Among the Newar community, Mha Puja, or self-worship, symbolizes purification, self-respect, and spiritual renewal for the coming year. The day also marks the New Year according to the lunar calendar, which this year turns 1146. The Newar people call it “Nhu Daya Bhintuna”, meaning Happy New Year in their language. These rituals remind people to respect all living beings, honor cultural heritage, and celebrate new beginnings.

Bhai Tika (Siblings’ Day)

The festival ends with Bhai Tika, celebrating the sacred bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters apply multi-colored tika on their brothers’ foreheads, offer garlands, and pray for their health and prosperity, while brothers give blessings and gifts. Furthermore, the day brings laughter, feasts, and family bonding, reinforcing love, care, and protection among siblings.

Tihar 2025 Dates

Kaag Tihar (Crow Day): 19 October
Kukur Tihar (Dog Day): 20 October
Laxmi Puja (Goddess of Wealth): 20 October
Govardhan Puja and Mha Puja: 22 October
Bhai Tika (Siblings’ Day): 23 October

Why Visit Nepal During Tihar

Experiencing Tihar in Nepal is like stepping into a living cultural masterpiece. Streets sparkle with thousands of oil lamps, neighbourhoods echo with traditional Deusi and Bhailo songs, and homes overflow with warmth, laughter, and delicious Nepali sweets.

Tihar offers a deep experience of real Nepali traditions, rituals, and faith, beautiful sights for photographers and travelers, and unique moments like seeing animal worship, colorful rangoli, and community celebrations. Also, the festival provides a moment of reflection, reminding people of gratitude, respect, and the beauty of human and animal bonds.

Even today, the Tihar Festival of Nepal invites people to slow down, honor relationships, respect nature, and reflect on the blessings often taken for granted. In addition, these long-lasting lessons, expressed through lights, rituals, legends, and songs, keep Tihar alive and magical for generations.

Although this year’s Tihar is already underway, travelers can plan ahead for Tihar 2026. Tentative dates are: Laxmi Puja – 8 November, Govardhan Puja – 10 November, and Bhai Tika – 11 November. Visiting Nepal during the Tihar festival allows people to experience the festival in its full glory, with streets illuminated, songs echoing through neighborhoods, and homes filled with warmth, light, and tradition.

Ropai Diwas: Unique festival tour of Nepal

Posted on June 25, 2024 - by HC Team

It is extremely difficult to do trekking and extreme activities during the monsoon season. However, tourists from different countries now visit Nepal to enjoy the Rice Plantation Festival (Ropai Diwas) when the monsoon rain falls.

The Ropai Diwas (festival of rice) is one of the traditional festivals of Nepal that occurs on the 15th of the Nepali month Ashad. The day is celebrated with beaten rice and yogurt (known in Nepali as Dahi Chiura).

This day holds importance for crop production in Nepal since rice is the main crop and farming is the main occupation. It is now considered a festival where people from all over Nepal plant rice, play with mud, sing, and dance in their respective fields.

Rice plantation is done mainly at the beginning of the monsoon season. However, Asar 15 is a special day and is celebrated as a festival. There is the belief that if someone touches wet mud on this day, they will be healthy, earn good omens, and get recognition.

The festival marks the beginning of the rainy season. Farmers begin planting paddy. Rice plants are planted in fields that are filled with water since rice needs a lot of water.

To encourage the nation’s rice crops to grow more efficiently, the Government of Nepal has declared the day as National Paddy Day. Many people celebrate this unique festival by playing musical instruments and singing traditional songs.

Why to Celebrate Ropai Diwas (National Paddy Day)?

paddy plantation

There is a strong connection between Ropain Diwas and people in all parts of the country and it has a profound effect on their social, cultural, and economic lives. Women and men gather in the morning to participate in a parade around their village before going on fields.

The rice plantation stands out as the perfect reflection of the weather, and the great message of happiness. It will be a pleasant experience for you to visit the muddy and wet fields and observe the rice plantations.

There is mutual work between men and women as various responsibilities are shared. Plowing and arranging drains, leveling the ground, and creating fine mud slurry for planting are the duties of the man, while the woman collects the seedlings and gives them to the fellows who are prepared for planting.

The day is celebrated by planting the allotted field, running through the muddy fields, splashing around in muddy water, and singing typical folk songs (Asare Geets) that describe the joys and hardships of farming.

Dahi-chiura: Another important norm

The custom of eating Dahi-chiura (beaten rice mixed with curd) is also observed on this day. Farmers and locals still eat this combination to mark Asar 15 even if the planting is not done during this day. Dahi-chiura is traditionally distributed by elders.

Dahi-chiura is a food that is considered important to eat on this day as it gives energy to the body. This combination provides strength, eases, and speeds up the rest of the farming process for tired farmers.

The epics of Ramayan and NepalaMahatmya of Skanda Puran relate stories about dahi-chiura eating culture. After Ravan abducted Sita, Lord Ram, Lakshman, and Hanuman went in search of her.

Upon reaching a river south of today’s Bhaktapur, they became hungry and ate Dahi-chiura on a banana leaf. Some people believe the same tradition is still followed today as eating Dahi-chiura on Asar 15.

Why should you participate in this festival?

rice plantation

Recently, the festival has been popular with tourists visiting Nepal. Visitors have been enjoying the festival. There will be many other tourists joining you in the muddy water and you will be enjoying the day with the locals and farmers.

In recent years, Ropai Jatras have been organized in various parts of Nepal, especially in and around the capital city, Kathmandu, and the popular tourist destination, Pokhara.

The Ropai festivals are celebrated in places such as Chapagaun, Sakhu, Dhapakhel, Panjauti, Thansing, Bungamati, Kavrepalanchowk, Dhikure, Machhegaun, etc.

You will be participating in activities such as racing competitions, entertainment-based games, and live Nepali Asare duet songs that will be held throughout the day.

Getting your feet into muddy, slippery fields during a full-fledged rain might not sound appealing; however, it will certainly prove to be an unforgettable experience.

It is basically a day for you to have fun; you get soaked in the rain, sow rice saplings, play with mud, and turn the field into a dance floor. You will have the opportunity to observe traditional rice farming practices, the use of mutual labor, as well as cultural demonstrations.

Nepal’s Ropain Diwas holds unique national significance among many other celebrations. By participating in such festivals, you will not only be entertained, but you will also be able to learn about the traditional way of farming.

Participating in this agro tourism experience from the Himalayan Circuit will be an unforgettable experience for you.