Holi “Festival of colors”

Holi-“Festival of colors”, it is among one of the most significant festivals in Hinduism, is mostly celebrated at Nepal, India and other Indian migrant communities around the world. However, as for the best place to experience Holi-Kathmandu, Nepal will never let you down!!

 

The origin of Holi Festival can be outlined back to the “Mahabharata”, Indian famous lengthy. According to the legend, King Hiranyakashipu was so conceited and didn’t allow people to devotion Lord Vishnu. Though, Prince Prahlada was a passionate follower of Vishnu and amenably divergent his father. This infuriated Hiranyakashipu. Since then, the king ordered his sister Holika to blister the prince on the full moon night. Underneath the blessing of God Vishnu, Prahlada was unharmed while Holika was burned into ashes. When the prince walked out of the fire, people sprinkled him with colorful water to prompt the admiration of goodness and detestation of evil.

 

In Nepal the Holi festival actually takes place over several days. Some parroting as many days as fifteen. However for most people they will only poster the concluding few days running up to the main day itself. Up in the distant villages arrangements are made, cooked food and numerous rituals performed in the weeks beforehand.

People organize lots of programs on the occasion of holi-festival of colors in very well-known places of Kathmandu, Nepal like Basantapur, Thamel, and Tudikhel and so on. You will see the smiling and happy face around you on this day. Holi is the festival for sharing the love and happiness too.

 


As you can visualize it’s a huge thrill for children as they prepare buckets of color and fill up balloons and bags of little water missiles. Many even purchasing giant water pistols to let loose on their neighbors. Young and old enjoy the radiantly colored festival as they wash away the winter and celebrate the incoming spring. Generally, I’ve never seen so many happy smiles at any other festival.

We Leaf Holidays wish you have a very enjoyable holi, may your life be fulfilled with all the colors of Happiness!!

Democracy Day

Democracy Day – “Rashtriya Prajatantra Diwas” is celebrated every year on Falgun 7th. It is a public holiday in Nepal. This day is celebrated in Nepal to memorialize the day when Nepalese were unconfined from the commands of 104-year-long Rana dictatorship on February 18, 1951.

The People of Nepal practiced a life full of dreams while under the ruling power of the Ranas. The Ranas had taken away a lot of opportunities away from the people while the members of their family were relishing the luxury and profusion that they had from the highest office. Irregularities such as corruption, discernment and ferocious behaviors have ruled the country during this period of Nepali history.

Nepal’s peace-loving demonstrations have been foundational the track for supportable peace and ending the despotic monarchy within the nation. The historic 19-day-lengthy peoples’ strike that initiated on April 6, 2006, has obliged King Gyanendra to extract from his character as a complete monarchy. The influential restoration of the June 2002 melted parliament and assignment of government powers, finished, to a point, the King’s unlawful and demanding regime. However, the scuffle goes on to addition unqualified democracy and eradicate the residue autocratic basics within the government and for the duration of the nation, even as King Gyanendra continues to protect his February 1st, 2005 tyrannical move and position the Shah Dynasty because the customer of the country, carnages continue to be applied by means of the safety forces, and human rights abuses and the usage of excessive drive towards peaceable demonstrators goes on. The regal tackle that restored parliament entirely disregards the person’s aspirations and the minimal demand of the Seven Political celebration Alliance (SPA) that comprise the announcement of an unconditional constituent assembly election and maintainable peace.

The newest and extreme demonstrations that headed to the present political difficulty were generated from specialists, workers, peasants, women, more than a few religious and ethnic companies, and so on; almost always traditional Nepalese got here out in multitudes to protest the King and ensure that they have got a democratic and free future. Hundreds of countless numbers of typical humans have joined in peaceful demonstrations towards the King’s authoritarian regime and now to foyer the SPA to be certain their position in choosing the future political process of the nation. The agreement of ending the King’s authoritarian regime through peaceful action was made up our minds after continuous dialogue between the SPA and the CPN-Maoists as put forth within the 12-point figuring out. The working out presents opportunities to deliver the Maoists into mainstream politics and lays out their dedication to a multiparty procedure, human rights, rule of legislation, press freedom, etc.

The day is observed all through the country with a number of special programs. Each year a special program with military parade is shown by the Nepal Army at Tundikhel. A number of luminaries like the President (the King, before the monarchy was obliterated), Prime Minister, Speaker of the House attend the function. The people also rejoice this day offering prayers to give respect and honor to the heroes of Democracy. Most government organizations and independent groups hold several activities and rallies all over the country as well. Part of the tradition also is that the people light their home and formations with lights and hold fireworks exhibitions during the night of the celebration.

Kumari- The Living Goddess

“KUMARI” is also known as the Living Goddess, Nepal is the tradition of adoring fledgling pre-pubescent girls as appearances of the heavenly female energy or Devi in Hindu spiritual traditions. The word Kumari is imitative from the Sanskrit Kaumarya which means “princess”.

Kumari is also the living virgin goddess; she used to be the tutelary goddess in the Malla Era. The Shah who dominated Malla too kept the tradition of Kumari. Kumari is the human form of Goddess Taleju, the characteristic of Shakti for supremacy and defense.

There was single one Malla kingdom in the Kathmandu valley lead from Bhaktapur in the early days. In the fifteen century, during the supremacy of the king Yaksha Malla, he divided his kingdom to his sons and within the span of hundred years they became totally separate kingdoms. Then, the temples of Talejus’ were built in Kathmandu and Patan as well.

The creation of the Taleju trendy in the three monarchies has presented the three living Kumari’s in the three cities of Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Patan. The utmost prevalent and powerful Kumari is of Kathmandu the Royal Kumari.

Kumari is believed to be the living embodiment of the goddess Taleju also known as Durga. This endures till after menstruation when the goddess Taleju divests her body. Disease and loss of blood due to wound can also cruel the goddess verdures the girl’s body. The Newar Shakya and Bajracharya caste are Buddhists. The girl who is going to be carefully chosen as the Goddess Kumari is born in a Buddhist family and converts a Hindu divinity. So, Nepal is reflected to be the tender point of Buddhism and Hinduism.

LOSHAR

“LOSHAR” is the New Year (change of the year) of the Tibetan’s and Sherpa’s of Nepal which drops in February. Loshar is People celebrate in three different ways on three distinct day’s .So; there are three types of Lhosar – Tamu Lhosar, Sonam Lhosar and Gyalpo Lhosar. The Buddhists monasteries in Kathmandu like Swambhunath and Boudhanatha are adorned with eye holding colorful devotions flag carting the mass.

In the course of this festive season people perform their traditional dance and welcome the New Year with feasts and family meetings. The dances are generally seen in Khumbu, Helambu and Boudhanath in Kathmandu. Government of Nepal has started giving public holiday in these days from 2057 since Nepal is multi ethnic, multi religious and multi-cultural country. Rendering to the Buddhist tradition Gyalpo Loshar, Tamu and Sonam Loshar are not celebrated as New Year but just festivals of farmers. Among these the main Lhosar is Gyalpo Lhosar produced by Manjushree. Lots of people are dressed in an extensive variation of stunning tradition costumes sometime varied with western dresses.

The celebration of Losar antedates Buddhism in Tibet and can be sketched back to the pre-Buddhist Bön age. In this initial Bön custom, every season a spiritual ceremony was detained, in which people offered large amounts of exasperate to placate the local spirits, divinities and guardians. This religious festival later changed into an annual Buddhist festival which is assumed to have invented during the reign of PudeGungyal, the ninth King of Tibet.

The festival is said to have initiated when an old woman named Belma announced the dimension of time based on the phases of the moon. The rituals which were introduced to celebrate these new proficiencies can be renowned as predecessors of the Loshar festival. Later when the essentials of astrology, built on the five elements, were introduced in Tibet, this farmer’s festival became what we now call the Loshar or New Year’s festival.

Interesting Facts About Nepal

Nepal is a country of breathtaking splendor and variety of cultures like no other place on earth. Truthfully “the roof of the world”, Nepal is a beautiful country with never ending spectacular landscapes, compelling mountains and mesmerizing lakes.

Nepal is one of the supreme countries with extensive panorama of development in technology and tourism segments with varied diversity of flora and fauna in the country. It is a miniature landlocked country inserted between two giant neighbors- China and India, is a country sacred with many phenomena. It is like a paragon box, best of things handpicked by the goddess herself and enclosed within its borders. Not only flora, but the artificial structures and beliefs and tradition of people here also make for something humorous. Following are some of those interesting facts about Nepal.

 

• Major Part of Himalayas is In Nepal

• Nepal was never under any foreign Assault

• Nepal is the only country with a non-rectangular flag

• Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha

• The only living goddess in the world called Kumari can be found in Nepal

• Nepal Gurkhas have been part of the British Army Since 1816

• Nepal Holds a Number of Records Which Makes a High Profile for this Small Country

• Not a single drop of blood has ever been shed in Nepal in the name of religious and ethnic riot

• Nepal has over 80 ethnic groups and 123 Languages

• Nepal boasts few of the world’s most popular trekking trails such as Annapurna Circuit trekking and Everest Base Camp Trek.

• Nepal is one of the best arenas for Extreme & Adventure Sport tourism such as mountaineering, cannoning, paragliding, mountain biking, kayaking, rafting, bungee jumping, high altitude marathon etc.

• Nepal has more than 360 species of Orchid which constitutes over 2% of the world’s orchids.

• Nepal has 8 % of the total species of birds found in the world.

• Some of the highest permanent human habitat exists in Himalayan region of Nepal.

Late Elizabeth Hawley

Elizabeth Hawley, a leading chronicler of expeditions on Himalayan peaks in Nepal, died on Friday-Jan 27, 2018 in Kathmandu. She was 94.

Born in the United States, former journalist Hawley had lived alone in Nepal since 1960 and had become an unofficial negotiator of climbing-related disputes. Over the years, she became a highly-respected chronicler of mountain climbing in the Himalayan nation, which is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest.

Late Elizabeth Hawley is well-known as a record keeper of mountaineering activities in the world. By personality, she had an ironic and self-critical humor. In her journalism, she reported only for fact and left the opinion making to others.

Honors have been pouring in from the climbing community. Her expiry has flickered tributes and reminiscences on social media—with many inadequate to share their recollections and times spent with the legend- Late Elizabeth Hawley. The government entitled a mountain in the north-west Peak Hawley in 2014 in her honour.

 

                                       Elizabeth Hawley (November 9, 1923 – January 26, 2018)

Leaf Holiday’s Family heartfelt condolences to the Respected-Late “Elizabeth Hawley”.

Maha-Shivaratri

Shivaratri is feted on the 6th night of the dark falgun (Feb or March) every year. On the fortunate day, believers perceive fast and retain vigil all night. Maha-Shivaratri grades the night when Lord Shiva achieved the ′Tandava′. Shivaratri is also rumored  that on this day Lord Shiva was wedded to Parvati Ma. On this day Shiva supporters perceive fast and negotiation fruits, flowers and bel verdures on Shiva Linga.

Maha Shivaratri is a widespread Hindu festival. It is renowned every year in admiration of the Lord Shiva. Shivaratri is considered especially favorable for women. Married women pray for the well-being of their husbands and sons. And it is said believed that unmarried women pray for an ideal husband like Lord Shiva.

There is many fabulous myths connected with this day. Rendering to a prevalent fairytale, when a tracker could not find anything to slay for his food in a forest, he waited on the branch of a Wood apple tree. In order to fascinate deer, he started flinging the leaves of the tree on the ground, oblivious that there was a Shiva Lingam below the tree. Delighted with the Wood apple leaves and the persistence of the hunter, it is alleged that Lord Shiva appeared in front of the hunter and blessed him with wisdom. From that day onwards, the predator stopped eating meat.

Maha Shivratri is a Hindu festival which is renowned by people succeeding Hinduism in India. People habitually fast on the night of Shivratri and sing chants and tributes in the name of Lord Shiva. Hindu temples through the country are ornamented with lights and vibrant adornments and people can be seen proposing night long devotions to Shiva Lingam. Wood apple leaves, cold water and milk are accessible to the Shiva Lingam on this day as they are whispered to be Lord Shiva’s beloved.

Shivaratri is the day of one of the chief festivals in Hinduism—Maha Shivaratri—the night of Lord Shiva, god of both foundation and destruction. So, celebrate safely don’t get in trouble & don’t be the reason of other’s  trouble .

Best Regards from Leaf Holidays Treks and Expeditions Family!!

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