Indra Jatra festival in Nepal

Indra Jatra festival in Nepal

Indra is Lord of Rain and the king of Heaven. Jatra is procession. Indra Jatra is celebration of God Indra’s Day.  Indra Jatra is festival of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.  Some believes Indra Jatra is thanking day to lord Indra for the rain. According to others, the festival is celebrated in the honor of Bahirab, who is Shiva’s manifestation and is believed to destroy evil.

Indra-jatra-festival-nepal

Indra Jatra begins every year from the day of the Bhadra Dwadasi to Ashwin Krishna Chaturdasi. It is an eight day long festival.

The festival begins with the carnival-like erection of The Linga (Yasingh), a ceremonial pole, accompanied by the rare display of the deity Akash Bhairab, represented by a massive mask spouting Jaad and raksi (Nepali local liquors). Households throughout Kathmandu (especially Newars) display images and sculptures of Indra and Bhairab at this time of year. This thirty-six feet long wooden pole (The Linga (Yasingh)) is chosen with great care from the Nala forest in Kavre district east of Kathmandu.

Indra Jatra Festival

According to traditional beliefs, Indra had received this flag from Lord Vishnu for protection.

Finally, the Kumari (living goddess), leaves the seclusion of her temple in a palanquin and leads a procession through the streets of Kathmandu to thank Indra the rain god. The main attraction of the festival is the procession of chariots and masked dancers representing deities and demons. Indra is called Yanya in Newari. Jaad (Nepali local liquor) flows from the Bahirab statue, which is remarkable to look at in Hanuman Dhoka.

Indra Jatra Festival The procession consists of: •    Majipa Lakhey •    Pulukishi •    Sawan Bhaku •    Ganesh (Chariot) •    Kumar (Chariot) •    Kumari (Chariot)

Besides these, there are various dances held on the open stages of the city called dabu. There is display of Swet Bhairava as well as various deities of the city.

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Gai Jatra Festival

Gai Jatra Festival People who lost their family members last year marked Gai Jatra on Monday by taking out processions led by cow’s effigies in the streets of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur to pay tribute to the departed souls. The government had declared a public holiday in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur on Monday. Gaijatra-Festival-in-Nepal Customarily, photos and names of the deceased family members are hung around the toy cows made of bamboo and colourful clothes, and followed by kids wearing moustache and dressed like ascetics from each household that lost a member. A traditional Lakhe dance also accompanies the march on the streets during the unique festival which means the procession (Jatra) of cows (Gai).Previously, real cows used to lead processions by marching around the city. The cow, considered a holy animal in Hindu religion, is believed to help the souls of the dead kin cross the eternal river, facilitating their passage to heaven. The festival has been celebrated since the medieval period. It is believed that the culture of celebrating Gai Jatra started when the then King Pratap Malla lost his son and the queen was overwhelmed by grief. The king then decided that every family which lost a member in the past year would take part in Gai Jatra so that the queen would realise she was not alone to be struck by the tragedy. Gai Jatra is also celebrated with great fanfare as the festival of satire and comedy, with leading personalities of the country being lampooned by making them the subject of ridicule and laughter. PRO_Ktm_Gaijatra-2 Actor and comedian Haribansha Acharya, however, said that it will be quite monotonous to just poke fun at a few. “We give first priority to humour and entertainment whenever we perform stage shows during Gai Jatra. Of course, we make fun of people from various backgrounds, but that is only secondary, “said Acharya. The actor finished a ‘MaHa Jatra’ comedy show in Kathmandu, Pokhara and a few other cities in the run up to the Gai Jatra festival. Acharya added that such satires should never be angry outbursts pointed at someone, something which he has been seeing in the country of late. “Satire should be done for laughter, but not at the expense of anyone specific. So, Gai Jatra should not be used to vent your anger at anyone, even if they be politicians or any other person whom people want to ridicule,” He further said that Gai Jatra should also have an underlying message against social anomalies. “We need more humour and laughter in a country like ours going through so much stress,” the popular comedian said. Landmark Forest Landmark Pokhara Creative Adventure Nepal Landmark Kathmandu Contact Us: E-mail: sales@samratnepal.com Phone: +977 – 9851030564 Location: Gairidhara, Kathmandu, Nepal. Website: www.samratnepal.com

Nepal in Lonely Planet’s ‘Best to Travel in 2017’ list

Mount Everest - Top of the World

Mount Everest – Top of the World

Popular travel guidebook Lonely Planet has included Nepal in its ‘Best to Travel in 2017’ list.

Nepal has been placed in the fifth position in the list of top ten countries to travel in 2017.

Even natural disasters can’t keep Nepal down for long. The 2015 earthquakes caused devastation, but what is most striking from a traveler’s perspective is not how much was lost but how much remains. Landmark temples crumbled, but others came through with just the odd tile out of place, and whole swathes of the country escaped serious damage, including most of the popular trekking trails, said Lonely Planet.

Yak Long-haired Himalayan Bovine

Yak Long-haired Himalayan Bovine

Nepal has all the skills required to repair monuments and infrastructure, but what it does need is income. By visiting Nepal now and supporting local culture and people, you could help a nation rebuild and bounce back even stronger, it added.

Canada, Colombia, Finland and Dominica are ahead of Nepal in the list. Similarly, Bermuda, Mongolia, Oman, Myanmar and Ethiopia trail Nepal in the annual list.

Similarly, Nepal has also topped the list of ‘Best Value Destinations’. According to the list, Nepal is at the top of the list of 10 places which the travel guidebook says offer best value for the ‘travel bargains for the budget-conscious’.

Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath Temple

Noting that Nepal is bouncing back from earthquakes and fuel strike that made getting round the country tough, Lonely Planet writes ‘Nepal remains a fabulous choice for budget-conscious travelers, who can access the best of its world-famous trekking routes and underrated wildlife for well south of US$ 50 a day ‘.

“Visitor numbers are slowly recovering and the time is ripe to get back to Nepal’s mighty mountains; wherever you go, you’ll receive a warm welcome, as your visit brings much-needed income to communities getting back on their feet, added the publication.

Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu Valley

According to Lonely Planet, its staffers come up with hundreds of places that are ‘buzzing right now, offer new things for travelers to see or do, or are criminally overlooked and underrated.’ “Amid fierce debate, the list is whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 10 countries, 10 regions and 10 cities that travelers must visit in the year ahead,” said the Lonely Planet about the process of picking up recommendations. “Each destination is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’ factor. We don’t just report on the trends, we set them – helping you get there before the crowds do,” it added.

Source: Myrepublica

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WORLD TOURISM DAY CELEBRATIONS 2016 !

WORLD TOURISM DAY CELEBRATIONS 2016 !

WORLD TOURISM DAY 2016

The travel trade sector is all set to observe the 37th World Tourism Day in Nepal.

NATTA has the opportunity to be in the Committee of World Tourism Day Celebration – 2016 chaired by MOCTCA. NATTA has been obliged in several tasks assigned by the committee.

NATTA Secretary Mr. Sudhir Kumar Upadhyay has been representing NATTA in MOCTCA meetings. And in todays meeting held at NTB chaired by Tourism Secretary Mr. Shanker Pd. Adhikari, NATTA Secretary Mr. Upadhyay elaborated NATTAs Cycle Rally and Blood Donation programs taking place on Saturday & Sunday to mark WTD -2016. Secy. Mr. Adhikari praised NATTA on organizing Cycle Rally & Blood Donation programs. Mr. Upadhyay was accompanied by NATTA Executive Mr. Ram Kumar Barakoti.

world-tourism-day

WORLD TOURISM DAY CELEBRATIONS 2016 !!!

All agencies were requested to display banner of Tourism Day on their organizations and offer gifts or additional privileges to their clients who will be traveling to Nepal on the World Tourism Day.

Source: NATTA


27 September is World Tourism Day! Tourism for All!

Accessible Tourism for all is about the creation of environments that can cater for the needs of all of us, whether we are traveling or staying at home. May that be due to a disability, even temporary, families with small children, or the ageing population, at some point in our lives, sooner or later, we all benefit of universal accessibility in tourism.

world-tourism-day-2016

World Tourism Day 2016 !!!

Which is why, we want to call upon the right for all of the worlds citizens to experience the incredible diversity of our planet and the beauty of the world we live in. On this years World Tourism Day help us spread the word of both the importance and immense benefits universal accessibility has and can bring to society at large.

world-tourism-day 2016 !!!

WORLD TOURISM DAY 2016 !!!

Ever since its inception, World Tourism Day is celebrated on 27 September to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. As the official day set aside in the United Nations Calendar the celebration seeks to highlight tourisms potential to contribute to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing some of the most pressing challenges society is faced with today.

Source: UNWTO

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Chandragiri Cable Car Service Opens

Chandragiri Hills on Monday officially opened the Chandragiri Cable Car service to the general public amid a Vedic ceremony.

Chandragiri Cable Car

Chandragiri Cable Car

Locals of Chandragiri Municipality in Kathmandu and Chitlang and Fakhel VDCs in Makwanpur were among the invitees to the ceremony conducted by the companys directors and promoters. A total of 10,641 visitors from Chandragiri, Chitlang and Fakhel and other guests enjoyed the free ride on the Chandragiri Cable Car and visited the temple on the hilltop. A two-way trip on the cable car from Thankot to the top of Chandragiri Hill costs Rs700.

Chandragiri Temple

Chandragiri Temple

More than 10,000 passengers rode the cable car on inauguration day, Chandragiri Hills said in a statement, adding that the company expected to carry 10,000 passengers daily in the days to come.

Source: The Kathmandu Post

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Tourists visiting Fewa Festival to get 20 percent discount on accommodation

Tourists visiting Fewa Festival to get 20 percent discount on accommodation

Tourists visiting Fewa Festival to be organized on the occasion of Nepali New Year 2073 will get 20 percent discount on accommodation.

Organizing a press meet on Monday, the Western Regional Hotel Association said that the discount will be provided to tourists visiting the Lake City during the 13th Fewa New Year Festival.

Fewa-New-Year-Festival-2072

13 Fewa New Year Festival 2073

We have aimed to attract some 25,000 tourists during the festival,  said Chairman of Western Regional Hotel Association. The organizers claimed that some 200,000 locals will visit the festival.

The festival will be organized at the banks of Fewa Lake from April 10-14 with an aim to attract internal and foreign tourists.The festival will showcase stalls of local agricultural and industrial products, food stalls and cultural shows.

Festival coordinator Bikal Tulachan hoped that the festival will help to revive tourism in Pokhara that has been hit-hard due to last years earthquake.

Source: My Republica

Hotel Landmark Pokhara and Landmark Forest Park Chitwan

Hotel Landmark Pokhara and Landmark Forest Park Chitwan

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