Hindu-Buddhist Festivals of Nepal

Hindu-Buddhist Festivals of Nepal documents a vibrant spectrum of the lucent moments of festivity and fraternity in the lives of the Nepalese people. Not a day passes in Nepal without observing some festival. Considering festivals as great unifying factor in a culturally diverse Nepal, Dr. Jha explores the origin and evolution of the festivals and points out a syncretisation of Hinduism and Buddhism in the celebration of these festivals. Employing Nepalese folklore, historical chronicles, mythological tales, popular legends and personal experiences from the day-to-day involvement in the Nepalese society, Dr. Jha narrates the awe-inspiring accounts of the festivals of Nepal where gods and demons interact with humans in their daily drudge to make them aware of the celestial and ‘just’ sources of existence. The book includes not just major Nepalese festivals celebrated in the Kathmandu valley like Ghode Jatra, Machchendranath Jatra, Ghantakarna, Gai Jatra and National festivals like Nepalese New Year, Mata Tirtha Day Buddha Jayanti, Nag Panchami, Janai Purnima, Teej, Vijaya Dashmi and Tihar, it also focuses on the festivals like Chhatha and Shree Panchami celebrated with special reverence in the Nepal Terai. Dr. Hemanta K. Jha’s Festivals of Nepal comes at a time when the traditional ritualised mode of Nepalese life is under the lethal threat of senseless modernisation and globalisation.