As a child I often saw my mother pick up trash. It was a quiet action that showed me the importance of leaving a place better than I found it. I have picked up trash on beaches, mountains, and in cities for years, so I wasn’t surprised to see trash

Nag Panchami (August 19) is a Hindu festival that worships Nag, the serpent king. Pictures of Nag are posted in doorways, and milk is the prime offering of the day. If you have a keen eye, you must have noticed that snakes are quite prevalent in many wood, metal, and

There’s a festival held in Patan that goes on and on for one entire month–the Rato Mtsyendranath Festival. This year it will be held from May-June. It’s also a festival that has been the foreteller of some tragic events in the country’s history. The focal point of the festival is

Dashain is the most important festival in Nepal. It is a celebration of good prevailing over evil. Families offer goats, ducks, chickens, eggs and coconuts to the goddess Durga. People return to their home villages to spend some or all of the fifteen-day festival with their families. Large swings are

The Hindu, Buddhist and Jain festival of Janai Purnima (also known as Rakhsya Bandhan) takes place on the full moon day of Shrawan. Janai refers to a sacred thread worn by men as they come of age, and purnima means the full moon. During this festival, Buddhists bathe in sacred

Going by just the name, you might think that Gai Jatra (or the festival of the cows) it’s something like the ‘running of the bulls’ festival in Pamplona. Well, that is really far from the mark. Gai Jatra, held on August 27 this year, is actually an occasion to commemorate

Twenty years ago, my father made one last great trip before becoming a stay-at-home dad. I was then four years old and I don’t recall his absence. This final adventure was a hike to Gokyo Ri in the Everest region. Despite his determination, he got caught in a snow storm.

The world is no stranger to Nepal’s natural beauty. Yet beyond stunning mountaintops and sweeping landscapes, Nepal’s urban centers bustle with markets, restaurants, music, and more. Perfect for idyllic photos and film backdrops. Once a quiet trekking town, Pokhara is now full of luxury hotels and trendy nightspots. Beyond the

The Tiji Festival is the most auspicious festival in the Upper Mustang region of Nepal. Ancient mythology relates how the Tiji Festival was celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil. It is believed that what is now the Mustang region was in trouble, and was being destroyed by

If you are here on September 2nd this year, you must visit Patan Durbar Square, for that is where you will see long lines of both young and old devotees queuing up in front of the Krishna Temple to wish Lord Krishna a very happy birthday. Actually, there are two

On a weekend in mid-March, I accomplished something that I never thought I’d be able to do: I ran the full length of the Kathmandu Valley Rim Trail essentially without stopping. This amounted to roughly 170-180km distance, with nearly 12,000 meters of elevation gain in a period of 38 hours.

About half way between Kathmandu and Pokhara, we got off the tourist bus at Hugdi. Adjusting our backpacks, my friend, our guide and I set off from the roadside up a narrow track that was to take us up to Hattibang. After walking a few hours up the narrow track,

We told you the first part of the Ghode Jatra festival story the other day, in Part 1. Are you ready for the second half? This terrifying demon was the legendary Gurumapa, whose stories were often told by elders to their children all over the valley. Scared, Kesh Chandra remained

On March 27 2018, the Tundikhel ground in central Kathmandu will reverberate to the thundering beat of many hooves, as a score and more magnificent steeds race one another. The skilled riders will demonstrate their excellent horsemanship by putting them through their paces and displaying some amazing feats. The occasion

Holi fell on March 1-2 this year, and is known as the ‘festival of colors’. It is celebrated by throwing colors on one another. Copious drinking of bhang (a cannabis infused drink) add to the revelry, making for a boisterous milieu. Like most other Hindu festivals, it celebrates the victory

This year, Bisket Jatra, the most important festival of Bhaktapur, will be held from April 11-18th, amidst the usual high-spiritedness. Thankfully, no injuries or fatalities were reported last time; it’s not uncommon to hear about somebody losing his life after being crushed by a chariot’s massive wheels, or a crashing