Holi Festival in Nepal 2023 (the festival of colors)

December 26, 2022
Ram Kumar Adhikari

Holi Festival in Nepal: Holi is a joyful festival celebrating the victory of good over evil. This festival usually falls in the month of February or March as per the English calendar and in the month of Falgun as per the Nepali Calendar. During the Holi festival, people forget everything and get together to celebrate the festival of colors, there is no caste or religion, they just want to enjoy the moment of Holi. This is how Holi brings caste and religion together in peace and harmony. It is certain that this year’s Holi festival will fall on the 8th of March 2023. Take some time out to experience the most colorful festival with the locals.

About Holi: the Festival of Colours in Nepal

Holi is the most popular spring festival celebrated in Nepal which is also called the festival of colors or the festival of peace, love and friendship. The joyous festival marks the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and the end of winter, and is a day of celebration for many people to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and mend broken relationships. This festival usually falls in the month of Falgun (as per the Nepali calendar). People of the Terai region celebrate Holi with joy and celebration a day later than people of the hilly region and urban cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Holi is also known as Fagu, which means holy red powder. It is celebrated on a full moon day, called Phagu Purnima, which involves playing with different colors. In the Terai region, it is celebrated for a week. However, it is only the last day that everyone celebrates with colors. People can be seen roaming the streets either on foot or in some vehicles, with a variety of colors smeared over their faces and body.During this festival, family members and friends get together and celebrate the occasion with great pomp. It is also an explosion of youthful enthusiasm throwing color and water balloons (sometimes with colored water) at each other.

There is a traditional belief behind celebrating Holi. The festival of Holi comes from the name of the mythological demon Holika. The myth about Holi reveals that Holika and Hiranyakashipu were sisters and brothers. Hiranyakashipu had a son named Prahlad. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. However, Hiranyakashipu was an atheist king and planned to kill his son Pralhad. He sought help from his sister Holika. But his efforts always failed as Lord Vishnu protected Prahlad.

Holika was blessed by Lord Brahma to be harmless from fire. So she planned to kill Prahlad in the fire. She jumped into the fire with Prahlad but Brahma’s blessings could only be used for good purposes. So Holika got burnt in the fire while Prahlad was saved by the grace of God. Thus, Holi is said to be celebrated to rejoice in Holika’s death.

According to another ancient legend, from the Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita, Kansa sent a female demon named Putana to kill his nephew Lord Krishna. Putna went to Vrindavan taking the form of a nurse. The child Shri Krishna grew up there. She tried to breastfeed him with her poisoned milk but the attempt failed and she died. Her body was burnt on the night of Holi. So some people consider Holi as the festival of fire.

Holi is a time of fun and frolic for all. It is the time when one forgets worldly worries and enjoys the finer things in life. So, you are highly recommended to participate in this lively color festival. That kind of laughter and comfort will surely take you back to your childhood. There is no need to worry about appearance and purity, and you can be as naughty as you want. In the meantime, you are better off wearing a white T-shirt because it looks especially beautiful after it’s been dyed. And you can also leave colored fingerprints on it as a memorial. This must be the best gift for your Nepal visit.

What to wear at Holi Festival?

01) White T-shirt, cheap pants and slippers are highly recommended. After the celebration, you can either throw them or keep them as Holi mementos.
02) It is suggested to have a raincoat for the camera. Or the easiest way is to cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
03) Facial cleansers and shampoos are essential to clean off the paint.
04) If you want to witness this colorful festival, then the tour around Kathmandu Durbar Square is the best place for photography.

Festival in Nepal, The Festival of Colours, Happy Holi, Coloured Water Festival, Spring Festival in Nepal, and Holi Festival in Nepal may bring Peace, Love, Happiness, Friendship, and prosperity to our lives.

Please feel free to contact us for more information about the festival of colors, Happy HOLI.