Ghantakarna was a fiendish, bloodthirsty, sex-crazy demon who wore bells on his ears. 'Ghantakarna' means 'bell ears' so he wouldn't hear Vishnu's name and lose any of his evil powers. During one of his orgies he was enraged to find a frog miming his every move. Chasing the frog, who was in fact a God in disguise, the ogre fell into a well where the people killed him. The festival celebrates his death and is the first spectacle since the transplanting work was done. Children in the morning set up toll gates along the roads by holding a string across to stop pedestrians and demand jagaa (toll). The money is supposed to pay for Ghantakarna's funeral, for he was such a miser of a demon he didn't leave anything for his family. In the afternoon various neighborhoods erect bamboo effigies of the demon. The structures stand at roadsides and junctions, and are outfitted with horrific demon masks and oversized sexual origins. In mid-afternoon in Kathmandu low caste boys and men roam the streets with lewd symbols painted on their bodies. They beg alms from all passers-by (you'll be cursed for refusing) while others taunt them the whole route. Around sunset the effigies come down (except Naradebi tole's) and are dragged to the holy river, accompanied by jeering kids singing obscenities. The beggars of the day ride the bundles until there's a mere chance to escape. The demon's remains are all thrown in the river. The events are nearly identical in the Newar towns and villages, although Bhaktapur burn five demons together at Salan Ganesh Temple around 8:00 p.m. In Kathmandu at midnight the Swet Kali quartet – Bhairab, Swet Kali, Barahi and Kumari – cut done the Nardebi tole demon and others come to drag it away. Fighting evil spirits and demon's in general is the main theme behind all the festival's rituals. This is a 'chaturdashi' – a major dark moon and from now until Dashain every chaturdashi a major demon perishes. In the afternoon peddlers hawk special iron rings to ward off the evil this day. House owners pound an iron nail into the threshold of the entrance. After dark, housewives leave strange offerings of rice husks and buffalo entrails at roadsides for the witches of the nights. And at the various piths and secluded shrines in the Valley, the night is considered especially auspicious for the practice of black magic.

This is a special Buddhist festival lasting for one month. It lies between the bright half of Shrawan and the dark half of Bhadra. They call it the "Holy Buddhist Month" rather. Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur, Swoyamvu and Adinath are the focal points of grand worship this occasion. Public rituals including classical band music and signing of hymns take place early in the morning throughout the entire month. The display of divine images, particularly the ones of the Dipankar Buddha, is displayed in all the 'bahals' of the Valley. Gunla is precisely the sacred month of the Newar Buddhist, a time of special prayer and worship exercises. The month includes events like Pancha Daan – the Five Offerings rite, Bahi Dyo Boyegu – the Exhibition of the Gods, and Mata-Yaa. Unrelated festivals occur throughout the month as well. It is a month of light field work while significantly many of the pujas require extremely long walks. The Great Stupa of Swayambhunath, illuminated every night this month, is the major center of daily worship for Kathmandu Newars. Patan Buddhists journey to Chobahal and its Adinath Lokeshwor Temple. Devotees begin walking from the city around 2-3:00 a.m., many leaving small oil lamps on the trails and roads to either hill. Women at home fashion votive images from rice flour as well as alluvial black clay each morning, accumulating them throughout the month. First week it's Namo Buddha, past Dhulikhel, second week Sankhu's Khadgayogini Temple (many also detour to Champak Narayan Temple on return), third week Swayambhunath walk, done on the full-moon light (though some folks ride buses to and fro), the other hikes are all on Wednesdays. On the 8th day of the bright moon Patan Buddhists hold the Panch Daan rites, reenacting the days when monks lived solely off the alms of the people. In important bahals in the morning, the Golden Temple (Hiranya-Barna Mahabihar) for one, a high-priest in ceremonials grab asset to receive the Five Offerings – unhusked rice, polished rice, lentil seeds, wheat and salt. From the 12the day of the bright moon the Exhibition of the Godly statues begins. Buddhists bihars in Patan, Bhaktapur and the central part of old Kathmandu display their various religious treasures. These may be bronze images, old Buddhas (some wooden), thangkas, gifts from the faithful (including the clothes they intend to wear in Heaven) and painted narratives scrolls. The latter are mounted on the walls of the bahal and are good specimens of a little-known art form. The best in Patan are found at Guita Bahal, in the eastern quarter, while in Kathmandu two festivals stories are subjects – at Itum Bahal it's the Guru Mapa tale and at Thamels' Thabahil it's the saga of Chakandyo. The exhibition runs through the second day of the dark moon. In Kathmandu, Kathesimbhu (Shreegha) and the bahals on the Kumari's Mata-Ya route are the most interesting. In Patan the Golden Temple's collection is the easiest to view, but many bahals hold exhibitions and it can be quite a walk of discovery searching them out. On the 13th day of the dark moon Kathmandu Buddhists stage their own Panch Daan, decorating bahals with Buddha portraits and adoring stupas. Sometimes the ceremonials are very elaborately staged and even include khat processions to and from Swayambhunath. On the last morning of Gunla Newar women gather up all their homemade votive images and ritually immerse them in the sacred river. The following day group of devotees come to Swayambhunath Hill for an all-day picnic.

It is a single day celebration which eventually falls on the 5th of bright Shrawan. Kathmandu Valley is the focal point of the short festival with a follow-up of several domestic rituals. This day honors the Naags, the Serpent-Gods, who in Nepal are associated with the natural rainfalls. The festival strictly honors an ancient victory of a King, who was also a Tantric master over the Naags, who had been withholding the rains. The king forced their submission by casting magic spells over them. Worship of the Naags on this day, a compromise the conqueror graciously bestowed, insures there will be no more droughts ever after. The custom is said to have originated during the 1st century, under the Thakuri dynasty. Nepalese purchase Naag portraits from the street stalls the day before and on the morning of Naag Panchami attach these over their doorways. They then perform a small puja and leave a food offering in the yards and paddies for the snakes.

It is a single festival which falls on the 2nd of dark Bhadra. This is a unique type of celebration as it is found to be practiced in Patan alone. This is the Buddhist Festival of Lights in sincere honor of the dead, the many easy analogous to Gai Jatra. It also honors Buddha's victory over the tempter Maar. Some Patan Buddhists reenact the latter by dressing up in weird outfits to represent the distractions and temptations Mar sent in vain against the meditating Buddha. Others dress in a neighborhood uniform of the day, with different toles employing different colors or dresses. The processionists carry lighted candles or tapers for the dead and are supposed to make the feruling course at as fast a pace as possible, for the more suffering they endure today, the less the souls of their dead will suffer in the afterlife. Patan's procession begins early morning, for there are over a hundred stupas and chaityas on the long course. Joining the yatra for a time is a good way to see the inside of the old city. The lengthy route the maze of Patan alleys holds up vehicular and even pedestrian traffic but is worth it for the costumes. Participants carry buckets of rice to toss as offering along the way. Most continue until dark. The Patan Kumari makes a rare appearance this morning for about an hour and a half in the Bihar in Gabahal, near her home. She stays until about 9:30. Simultaneously the Kathmandu Buddhist Newars stage their own procession, without costumes but with musicians, to old bahals in the city, especially those with special exhibitions. Since this the last day for Bahidyo Boyegu, many Newars bring their family members to these bahals today. Around 4 p.m. the Living Goddess Kumari is taken out in a khat for a couple of hours to see the exhibitions as Itum Bahal of Kilagal, Bhagwan Bahal of Thabahil and two bahals in Jayatha, located between Thamel and Ason Tole. The rest of the evening groups sing at dharmashalas till the rest of the day.

This is a single day festival falling on the last day (new moon) of dark Bhadra. It is a happy occasion for citizens whose paternal parents still live and a melancholy occasion for individuals whose paternal parents have entered life eternal. It is Nepalese Father's Day. Living fathers are honored at home; deceased ones at the Shiva Temple at Gokarna village as a public ritual. Just north of the Royal Forest, Gokarna lies in a lovely setting near a peculiar kink in the Bagmati River where the river briefly flows north. The site was once home to the ancient Kirat Dynasty 2000 years ago. Its holy power is such that once Rawan, the demon king of Ceylon in the Ramayana, came here to perform austerities to earn boons from Lord Shiva enough to make him temporarily invincible. Nepalese begin journeying to the temple from early morning. Upon arrival they perform the sharaddha ceremony for their dead ones. Afterwards families gather for picnics on the surrounding hills. Many Tamangs come from nearby hill villages for this mela, and can be printed bright sarees and large, disc-like ear pendants.

It is a three day female ceremony carried out from the 3rd to the 5th of bright Bhadra. The main areas of Hindu worship include Debpatan and Teku. The mela is virtually attached with bathing rituals. Teej is a women's festival, in which the upper caste Hindu ladies reenact the myth of Parbati's faithful fast for Lord Shiva. In the perpetual struggled between the Gods and demons, the alter were gaining the upper hand as Shiva, grieving over the tragic death of his consort, was deep in mediation. To raise a proper champion to deal with the demons, the Gods had Shiva's wife reborn as the beautiful Parbati, whom her parents sent to seduce Shiva. But her beauty failed to move him, so to win his love she fasted until she had all but wasted away. Shiva then took notice of her, in love and married her. Their union produced the Warrior-God Kumar, who beat the demons. Brahman and Chhetriya women prepare for the fast by consuming a huge meal the night before, gorging themselves until midnight. Then the fast begins. In the morning, dressed in their best (usually red wedding saarees), they visit the Pashupatinath Temple, perform pujas and bathe or dip in the sacred Bagmati. The ghats are jammed by about nine. Afterwards groups of women proceed to several adjacent temple plazas and open fields where individuals dance, greatly encouraged by men with musical accompaniment, in a replay of Parbati's dance before Shiva. Shy because other than at wedding upper-caste women are not supposed to dance, they try to seclude themselves as much as possible when they do so, though some of the older ones are less inhibited. Many of the women stay the night at the Pashupatinath Temple premises. The queen of Nepal comes to perform her rites in the early evening. Women break their fast next day ceremonially at home, by washing their husband's feet and drinking the liquid. On the morning of the third day, Rishi Panchami, women take to riversides to undergo long and elaborate washing rituals, designed to purity them from the accidental sin of touching a man while menstruating. They follow this with a puja to Arundhati, the faithful spouse, the only one of the Seven Rishi's wives who was not sexually tempted by the handsome sight of Lord Shiva when the God was testing the sage's composure. Afterwards many women go for the afternoon to the Shiva temple at Teku, in the southern part of the city, where crowds quickly surround the ladies willing to dance again.

This is a one day ceremony conducted on the 4th of bright Bhadra. It is indeed a pomp occasion of Kahtmandu Valley. According to the domestic ritual, the elephant headed son of Shiva is highly honored today. The Newars tell their children of how Brahma honored Ganesh which greatly pleased him, but the action was criticized as vulgar by the Moon-Goddess. The enraged Ganesh thereupon cursed her so that anyone who looked at her would become a thief. In view of the chaos this would cause, Brahma and others beseeched Ganesh to pardon her. The God relented, but with the stipulation that the curse would still hold on this particular night. Newars therefore makes sure they are locked inside by dark with no chance to see the moon at all. Devotees line up at Ganesh temples to leave offerings in the morning. By dark they are all home, except perhaps, for thieves as the night is considered most auspicious for thieves and success tonight guarantees a good career in robbery.

This festival season lasts for eight days (occasionally seven) from the 12th of bright Bhadra to the 4th of dark Ashwin. This urban ritual takes place in the old town of Kantipur only. It is composed of a chariot festival, masked dances, and many more. As the most spectacular festival in Nepal, Indra Jatra combines a festival in honor of the Kingly god of Heaven, celebrating ironically, his capture on earth with a festival in honor of the Chaste Virgin Living Goddess – the Kumari. It includes the most important rituals of the year when the Monarch of Nepal pays homage o Kumari and the little Newar Girl-Goddess gives him her blessing and sanctions his rule another prosperous year. Although parts of the festival originated in the 10th century under King Gun Kam Deb, and the Kumari cult predates the Mallas, the events were given their current shape during the reign of Jaya Prakash Malla in the mid-18th century only. He is also credited with instituting the drawing of the chariots and the story told most often of why goes like this: "The Malla dynasty's family deity was the Goddess Taleju Bhawani, a form of Durga, who used to play dice with King Jaya Prakash. But one day the king had erotic thoughts about her which she divined and at once vanished. She reappeared to him later in an overwhelming dream in which She warned him his days were numbered and said She would incarnate herself from now on in the form of a pre-menstrual girl of the Newar Buddhist Shakya caste. The humbled king, to placate the Goddess and prolong his reign, patronized Kumari and began the custom of seeking her blessing during Indra Jatra." Some year later Prithvi Narayan Shah's Gorkhali troops entered the Valley and on the Kumari Jatra day marched on to the Royal Palace. King Jaya Prakash Malla fled to Patan, as his troops were all drunk for the chariot-pulling procession and in no condition to fight. The Gorkhali king calmly took the Malla King's palace on the platform, announced that the festival could continue, and the non-pulsed Kumari simply placed the tika on the new king's forehead. Prithvi Narayan Shah- the Great went on to prove the Goddess correct and soon took over all of the Valley and much beyond, laying the stable foundations of modern Nepal. The present King descends from the man regarded as the Father of the Nation. Indra Jatra itself celebrates the myth of the God's capture. Indra had come down from paradise to Kathmandu to gather flowers for his mother's Teej rites when outraged locals, mistaking him for a thief, caught and bound him. Indra's mother, who eventually showed up to see what was keeping her son, discovered him bound and caged, with his arms outstretched at the top of Maru Tole. When She revealed her true identity to the town folks, the startled Nepalese prostrated themselves, released Indra and instituted a festival in his honor. Pleased, the God's mother in return bestowed upon the Valley the morning fog and promised to lead all the souls of the departed to the celestial region with her. Various rites associated with Indra Jatra festival suggest celebration of a historical victory of the ancient indigenous. Valley people over the Aryan invaders whose king styled himself Indra, the way Dorijan Greek invaders of Mycenae called themselves Zeus Heracles. The invading king was apparently captured and put on public display. The festival's welter of activity includes the very old Tantric demon dances, in connection with the evil spirits presumed on the loose during this critical juncture in the planting cycle when there must be enough rain to keep the rice nourished, yet enough sunlight to ripen the plants. Preliminaries begin several days earlier with the selection of a special tree from the Sallaghari forestation, several kilometers east of Bhaktapur, to be the ceremonial festival pole. Six days before Indra Jatra Bhaktapur men drag the pole – a stripped 50' feet pipe trunk to Thimi and the next day Thimi men lift it to Tundikhel. Kathmandu men then tote the pole to Hanuman Dhoka the next day. Men of the Manandhar caste (the oil-pressers) have the honor of raising the pole, which officially inaugurated Indra Jatra. This takes place between 9 and 11 and is prepared by a performance of masked Debi dancers. The exiting pole-raising takes about an hour usually. Meanwhile the lattice on the huge, nearby White Bhairab is lifted. Men clean and repaint the image, which will be on display for the duration of the festival. Other special images go up around Kasthmandap, Indra Chowk, Durbar Square, Kilagal Tole and Nardebi Tole. Various old Bhairab masks predominate, besides the Indra masterpiece at Maru Tole, but there are also fine and rare bronzes at the Durbar Square. By late afternoon some of the week's masked dancers begin arriving. These performances last until late evening and take place at different spots throughout the city. All come at least once to Hanuman Dhoka, for shows at two separate sites. The fierce, red masked performer in the gold gown is the Lakha dancer, a demon who must not meet the Dahini dancer, who makes one procession only on the first of the chariot nights, lest they meet and fight to death. The longmaned, blue-masked demon is Sawo Bhaku, a form of Bhairab, accompanied by two fierce companions. If this dancer sees any hanging sarees or umbrellas on his route he will, it is said, tear them to utter pieces. The wildly swaying elephant is Indra's mount, looking for his divine master Indra. Some call this elephant 'Pulun Kishi' whilst others call it 'Tanan Kishi.' Various group dancers, including the talented Bhaktapur troupes, reenact old Nepalese folk drams, some costumed as deities, others as princes or even animals. On the steps of the Bishnu Temple next to Kumari House, players stage a pageant of the ten avatars of Bishnu. This commences from 8:00 in the evening on chariot nights, after the vehicles are back. On the first night only, Newar Buddhists follow a special processional route along the ancient boundaries of the city, past innumerable stupas and shrines freshly painted, illuminated and decorated for the night. The yatra is in honor of those who have perished during the year and takes about three interesting hours to complete. Dances and pageant presentation progress the second afternoon and evening, but it is the third day that is the biggest, for on this afternoon Kumari and her tow companions Bhairab and Ganesh are drawn in chariots through the southern part of the city. Since His Majesty the King of Nepal attends as well multitudes begin occupying the Durbar Square temple steps from mid-morning. It is useless to try to stand too close to the chariots by the old palace grandstand, for the police from mid-afternoon continually push the crowds back. Best views are from the steps, which hill women begin filling early. Around 4:00 in the afternoon the action starts, with dignitaries arriving to watch from the grandstand called the Gddi Baithak. Eventually the King comes in his limousine, mounts the stand and the performances begin. When the Lakhe dancer, Indra's elephant and Sawo Bhaku have all concluded their acts, Ganesh and Bhairab – two small boys from Kumari's caste specially chosen for the week – are carried to their chariots. Kumari walks on a white cloth to hers, calmly stepping through the hysterical crowd, and is seated inside. The smaller vehicles lead, preceded by the military escort – a trop of guards in 18th century Gorkha uniforms – and Newa high-priests costumed to represent the Five Buddhas. After the chariots pass by the grandstand for the King's salute, the sovereign departs and the vehicles turn south for a 2-3 hour ride down Chikan Mughal, around Jya Bahal and back to Kumari House. Upon their return rice-beer begins flowing from a tube in the mouth of the White Bhairab at Hanuman Dhoka. Devotees scramble for a drink while masked dancers take turns performing in the courtyard. The action around Hanuman Dhoka lasts another hour or two. This evening from sunset, a long procession behind a masked man representing the Goddess Dagini emerges from a certain bahal at Maru Tole and winds its way through the ancient city. Participants carry lighted tapers or oil lamps mounted in khats, in honor of their dead. Thankot several kilometers south-west, arriving for sacred bathing at dawn. The rite reenacts the conclusion of the Indra Jatra myth. When Indra's mother set out to lead the souls to heaven She had them cling to her gown behind her. But as She ascended from Indra Lake the gown snapped and most unfortunately the souls all tumbled into the water. On the afternoon of the fourth day, a full-moon day, Kumari and her two companions are again taken for chariot rides. The King does not witness this day, so it is easier to find a place of stand close to the action. Dancers begin performing about 4:00 in the afternoon. Ganesh and Bhairab arrive for preliminary rites inside the Kumari House, and shortly afterwards the trio sets out on the chariots for the northern part of the city. They wheel up Yetkha Tole to the block past Naradebi Tole, then right to Asan Tole and back through Indra Chowk to Hanuman Dhoka. Beer again flows from the Bhairab's mouth and masked folk dancers and pageant-players perform late. The dance and pageant schedule continues the next few nights. On the afternoon of the final day again about 4-5:00 in the afternoon Kumari, Ganesh and Bhairab go for one more ride. This time it's north to Naradebi Tole and role right to Kilagal Tole and then back to Hanuman Dhoka, where beer flows from the Bhairab's mouth for the last time. The extra journey is said to have originated when Jaya Prakash Malla wanted to please his Kilagal concubine who's missed the first tow rides. When Kumari returns this last night the King of Nepal comes for his annual tika. Then about 10:00 at night the pole comes down with great fanfare, the special images out all week are locked up and the festival is officially over. Bhaktapur at this time marks its own Indra Jatra by erecting captured Indra images at selected points in the city. Now Kumari comes along the curious procession of the demon Mupatra, dressed in the green Malla Era clothing escorted by two hooded demons. Mupatra stops before each of the Indra images, circles it three times, brandishing his sword, then jumps up and down thrice before hurrying on to the next images. Whatever its symbolic significance, the gesture is taken by the locals as quite comical and they freely taunt and mock Mupatra throughout the yatra.

This public puja last for 16 clear days. It commences on the full-moon of Bhadra to the 1st of bright Aswin. The Temple of Pashupatinath is the focal sector for the authentic worship. This fortnight is devoted to the worship of one's ancestors. The ninth day is called Matri Nabami, dedicated to female ancestors. The festival commemorates the story of Karna Raja who fasted heavily in his life and gave gifts of pure gold to Brahmans. When he went to Heaven he was served only gold to eat, since this had eve been his sole gift. The King begged to be allowed 15 more days on earth. Graciously granted this wish, the king spent his time giving away huge quantities to food rather, returning to a more comfortable niche in heaven when done so. Nepalese perform sharaddha rites for their dead, generally at Pashupatinath, offering food-balls of boiled rice or barley flour and water to their souls. Many refrain this fortnight from cutting their hair or nails, in glorious honor of Karna Raja, so busy his last sojourn giving away food he had no time for such things.