Nepali Happy New Year celebration in Kathmandu

About Nepali Happy New Year celebration, Happy new year in the Nepali Language, Happy new year wishes in the Nepali Language.

All about the Nepali happy new year celebration in Kathmandu. The first day of each Nepali month called ‘Sakranti’. It is regarded as a sacred day and is celebrated in one way or another. But, the 1st day of Baisakh which is the New Year Day.

According to the Vikramaditya calendar, hast its special significance. This day is known as ‘Mesh Sakranti’. According to our astrology, there are 12 ‘Rashi’ (Zodiac sign) corresponding to 12 months in a year. The first Rashi is Mesh (Aquarius). It is believed that the Sun enters into Mesh Rashi on this day.

All offices, schools, colleges are closed on this day. President of Nepal gives his/her best wishes and greetings to all the people through radio and television. The practice of saying “Happy New Year” has become common nowadays.

Early in the morning people take a bath in rivers, streams or ponds. They visit temples and worship Gods and Goddesses. Some people do fasting and observe ‘Satyanarayan Puja’ in the evening. Following western style, some people in the town areas rejoice this day by eating delicious food, giving a party, going for a picnic, etc.

Nepali New Year celebration in Kathmandu

In Kathmandu valley, particularly among the Newar community, people take special food prepared with dried pieces of radish, peas, Neem leaves and flour of rice. They call it ‘Kwati’. This food is bitter in taste as it contains Neem. For this reason, some people also call this festival a ‘Tito (Bitter) Sakranti’.

On this day ‘Bisketjatra’ celebrated In Bhaktapur. In Tokha (small town of the northern part of Kathmandu), a stream flows which known as ‘Sapan Tirtha’.

In ancient times, a person who was suffering from leprosy saw in his dream that if he could take a bath in this stream on 1st of Baisakh, he would be released from his disease. He followed the instruction received in his dream. Then and there, his leprosy had gone, and he became a normal man. Since then, the practice of taking a bath in this stream on the 1 st of Baisakh has been followed. There is a crowd of people in Tokha on this day to take a bath in the Sapan Tirtha.