Nepal is a very culturally diversed country with 125 ethnic groups and more than 123 spoken languages.

2. Where is it?

3. Name: Federal Republic of Nepal
Official language: Nepali (नेपाली)
Provinces: 7
Capital: Kathmandu
Area: 147,181 sq. km (56,827 sq. mi)
(Oregon State is 69% bigger
than Nepal)
Population: 30.03 million (census 2021)
Currency: Rupees

4. National symbols of Nepal
National flower: Rhododendron
National logo
National flag National bird: Lophophorus
National color: Crimson National animal: Cow

5.  8 out of 14 eight-thousanders including Mt. Everest.
 Land of temples: more than 10,000 temples.

6.  Culturally very diversed country: 125 ethnic groups and 123 different languages.
 Land of festivals: at least one part of the country celebrating a festival almost every day of the year

7. Major festivals:
• Mother’s day
• Buddha Jayanti
• Janai Purnima (Rakshaya Bandhan)
• Shree Krishna Janma Asthami
• Father’s day
• Saune Sangrati
• Teej
• Indra Jatra
• Dashain
• Tihar
• Mage Sangrati
• Shree Panchami
• Maha Shivaratri
• Holi (Fagu Furnima)
• Ghode Jatra
• Shree Ram Nawami
• Chaite Dashain
• Guru Purnima
• Lhosar
• Rato Machindranath Jatra
• Sita biwaha Panchani

8. Dashain:
• Longest and most auspicious
• 15 days celebration during the bright lunar fortnight
ending on the day of full moon (later September and early
October)
• Preparation: home is cleansed and beautifully decorated,
painted as an invitation to the mother goddess.

9. Dashain (cont….):
• Goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped
• Celebration glorifies the triumph of good over evil.
Shailaputri
“Daughter of
Mountain"
Brahmacharini
"Mother of devotion and
penance"
Chandraghanta
"Destroyer of demons"
Kushmanda
"Goddess of The
Cosmic Egg"
Skandamata
"Goddess of
motherhood and
children"
Katyayani
"Goddess of
Power"
Kalaratri
"Goddess of
Auspiciousness
and Courage"
Mahagauri
"Goddess of Beauty
and Women"
Siddhidhatri
"Goddess of
Supernatural Powers
or Siddhis"
Navadurga - The nine
goddesses worshipped in
Navaratri (first nine days).

10. Dashain (cont….):
• First day: Ghatasthapana –pot establishing
(kalash) and putting keep Jamara
• Tenth day: Dashami – main day of the
festival,
 Take tika and jamara from our elders
and receive their blessing.
• Reunion of distant and nearby relatives
Kalash – holy water vessel
Jamara – sacred yellow grass
from wheat or corn
Tika – a mixture of rice,
yogurt and red color
(simrik)

11. Tihar (Festival of lights):
• Most dazzling of all Hindu festivals.
• Worship Goddess Laxmi – Goddess of wealth.
• Falls on 22nd day from the 10th day of Dashain.
• Worship different animals.

12. Tihar (cont….):
• Last day is the main day - Bhai Tika
• Play “Deusi-bhailo”

13. Chhath puja:
• Four-day festivals falls in month of October-November.
• People gathered at a pond/river to worship ‘Surya’ the Sun and his sister
‘Chhathi Maiya.’
• To show gratitude and thankfulness for bestowing the bounties of life
on earth.
• Rituals include holy
bathing, fasting and abstaining from
drinking water, standing in water, and
offering prasad and arghya to the
setting and rising earth.
• most eco-friendly religious festivals
in the World.

14. Two unique culture of Nepal:
 Kumari (living goddess)
• 32 attributes of perfection
 Mha puja - "worship of the self," and it celebrates the spirit within oneself.

15. Biggest street festival of Nepal (Indra Jatra):
• Eight-day celebration – collection of few celebrations