Nepal has six seasons of weather. Do you need me to list them out? No, because Google is your friend right? Anyway, despite the fact it would appear the weather got stuck in shishir (winter) this year, we enjoy many other seasons too. I’m sure we all remember the bandh season. An annual occurrence, usually around grishma (early summer), when the temperature begins to soar, literally as well as figuratively. Then there is the wedding season, or should I say, seasons—because there are more than one in a calendar year. We are now entering the ‘traditional festival’ season. Or did it start with Shivaratri? This stretches till the monsoon hits and then reappears at Dashain, plunging us again into weeks of eating, drinking and celebrating.

 

In more recent times Nepal has managed to successfully integrate several festivals from around the world—Christmas, the Gregorian New Year, and some which are not even festivals—Valentine’s, Halloween, etc. One festival that hasn’t made it to Nepal is Easter—not entirely sure why. Bunny rabbits and chocolate eggs have overtaken the religious meaning, so what’s not to love? These ‘imported’ festivals seem to be geared more towards the young, and the young-at-heart. But it’s the restaurants, bars and hotels that really put their heart and soul into the festivities. And money into their cash registers! On the other hand, ‘traditional festival season’ brings traffic jams and delays. The roads of Kathmandu were not built for wooden chariots AND cars. Plus, the low-hanging wires were not there when the original two- or three-story high chariots came into existence. 

 

I’m usually at a loss trying to keep up with the festivals—those red days on the Nepali calendar do not really help me, a non-Nepali speaker, much. I often don’t know it is a festival until I go outside to discover the larger shops are closed and, damn it, so is the bank!

 

Then there is the addition of music, art, dance, film, and theater festivals, all designed to keep our social diary full of cool stuff. It’s easy to miss something really interesting in the flurry of ‘red calendar days’ or Facebook event invites. It seems the local communities have also discovered this is a way to bring people to their area, and teach us something about their culture. Recently there was a Kirtipur Woman’s Festival showcasing the traditional culture of that town, with particular focus on the role women play. 

 

There is an interesting photo exhibition on Panaulti (a small Newari town near Dhulikhel which should not be missed), an annual event called Echoes in the Valley, which highlights traditional music from the Kathmandu Valley—and there is so much more to see, visit and do. One begins to realize the reason behind things being a bit slow and unplanned. Why the person you want to see is not at his desk (his deity is being celebrated at home perhaps?), and the reason why art of every genre exists in abundance in Nepal. My only real complaint here is—I have to work. So I miss many of the festivities, even if I do spot them on the calendar. Like many in Kathmandu, I find the old (read festivals) and the new (read 9 to 5 jobs) do not sit well together. Traditional festivals were arranged around the agricultural seasons so as to not interfere with working the land. Who the hell invented this 9 to 5 stuff anyway?  

 

Meantime, although we are witnessing climate change ‘as it happens’, and we may lose some of the six weather seasons, let’s hope the festive seasons of Nepal continue to enlighten, entertain and ground us for many years to come. With that I’m off to the Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival. Today is a ‘traditional’ festival day after all, and my office is closed!