Happy Kukur Puja!

  Hinduism’s second most beloved festival – Tihar – is in its second day, celebrating Kukur Puja, during which furry friends are garlanded with flowers, given tika, and offered special treats. Dogs have long been seen as man’s faithful companion, and so this holiday honors and worships them. Devotees take holy baths and light yamadeep… Continue reading Happy Kukur Puja!

Celebrating Bhai Tika!

Wishing all brothers and sisters a very happy, auspicious, and wonderful Bhai Tika! Sisters offer tika to their brothers and wish them a long life, health, and prosperity. In a special ceremony, they are garlanded and given sweets, walnuts, breads, and spices. The brothers, in turn, offer tika to their sisters and give them gifts.… Continue reading Celebrating Bhai Tika!

Buddha Jayanti

Kathmandu celebrated Buddha Jayanti at a freshly cleaned and painted Swayambhunath. Honoring the 2561st anniversary of the birthday of Lord Buddha, the day included special events for worship and prayer, social programs, and other festivities, including a beautiful night illumination. See more at https://goo.gl/pCNyh4  

Sheshnarayan Temple

Pharping lies in a beautiful green area beyond Chobar, and is highly sacred to Tibetan Buddhists and Hindus alike. There you will find Sheshnarayan, one of the four most revered temples of Narayan, or Vishnu, in Nepal. The area is steeped in a blend of religion and lore where caves and cliffs form the backdrop… Continue reading Sheshnarayan Temple

Happy Teej!

Red sari-clad women are thronging Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu today to celebrate Teej through prayer, offerings, music, and dance. Teej is the beautiful festival in which women pray and make offerings to Lord Shiva for the their husband’s longevity, prosperity, and happiness. For unmarried women, it is hoped that this worship will lead to a… Continue reading Happy Teej!

Happy Buddha Jayanti!

Today we celebrate Buddha Jayanti. Celebrations were inaugurated in Lumbini, Nepal, birthplace of Lord Buddha, and the occasion was marked by the attendance of over 350 monks from 28 countries. Butter lamps were lit to commemorate the day. Followers of the Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana sects also recited sermons of Lord Buddha.