Maghe or Makar Sankranti is one of the most significant festivals celebrated by Nepalese. Sankranti refers to the first day of every month. This is the reason why the festival is called Maghe Sankranti. This festival is celebrated to mark the end of month Poush – a month in which all religious ceremonies are forbidden.

 The beginning of the holy season

According to Mahabharat, Bhisma, who had the power to control his own death had chosen to die on the same day. So , it is believed that those who die on this day achieve Mokshya i.e. they will be free from the suffering of life, death and rebirth.

On this day, people take a holy bath on holy rivers early in the morning which is known as ‘ Makar Snan’. Sankranti fairs are held on banks of holy rivers like  Trishuli and kali Gandaki. The Kankai river as well as Devghat are famous for holy bath and pilgrims from places as far as India come to take a holy dip in these rivers.

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The festival is referred to as Maghi in the Tharu community. This is one of their biggest festivals and lasts longer than in other communities. They have a huge feast starting from the end of Poush to 3rd of Magh. Newars on the other hand  refer this festival as Maghe Sangranti Ghyo Chaku Sanun.  On this day they massage their body and head with Sesame oil.

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The festival is particularly special because of the varieties of food items that is prepared on this day. The main food item on this day is laddu made of teel (sesame seed fudge)  and bhuja (puffed rice),  sweet potatoes , yam and  chaku (molasys). These food are healthy and bring warmth to the body in the cold season.

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Hope Maghe Sankranti not only brings a warm season this year but also warmth in the heart of all Nepalese.

For those who have had a wonderful year, the year must have past too early. For those who have had a difficult time this year, it would have been hard to pass each second. And for those who have had both happy and sad times, it would have been a moderate year. Well, whatever the case in the year 2016, We wish all of you a very Happy New year 2017 and a great year ahead. To make a good year , you have to make a good starting. And what better idea than to travel and create beautiful memories from the very first day of the New year. In case you are having confusion about where to visit, here are some places where you can definitely create wonderful new year memories with your friends and loved ones.

Pokhara

Pokhara is undoubtedly one of the most vibrant places in new year. This place offers you a variety of activities that will certainly make your new year memorable. The place hosts new year festivals on every new year. In addition, you can have fun with  adventurous sports like paragliding, hiking, sight seeing, canoeing, rock climbing etc. Click here to view more pictures of Pokhara.

Source: Gizmodo

Lumbini

Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, is one of the most beautiful places with amazing sculptures , which can be a perfect family trip during new year. If you are planning a happy weekend with all your family members, Lumbini can be a perfect choice.

PC: Niranjan Shrestha

Ghorepani

Now if you have a group of young lads , enthusiastic and travel loving, a hike to Ghorepani can make your New year’s day , a day to remember. The sunrise from Poonhill can be something you will  remain at the back of your mind throughout your life. More to add to your fun would be the pictures that you take here which can make anyone jealous about your trip. Click here to view more pictures of Ghorepani.

PC: Sudin

Chandragiri

Chandragiri hills has emerged as one of the most popular one day travel destination for Nepalese and Foreigners. You can get a breathtaking panoramic view of mountains like Everest and Annapurna from Chandragiri.

PC: Surendra Shrestha

Chitwan

Chitwan can be another great place to travel to celebrate New year. One of the major tourist destination, Chitwan has numerous hotels and resorts which also offer special cultural programs for visitors. Also, you can perform a wide range of activities like Elephant ride, safari, bird watching, tharu village tour and many more. Click here to view more pictures of Chitwan.

PC: Vibek Chaudhary

Nagarkot

What better  ways to celebrate new year than going on a refreshing ride to the beautiful Nagarkot village full of mindblowing landscapes. Nagarkot is one of the places  in Nepal from where you can see most spectacular sunrise. During New Year , the hotels and resorts in Nagarkot are highly flooded with national and international tourists.

Durbar Marg
Durbar Marg is one of the most happening areas in the valley. Whatever the occasion, Durbar Marg always has a vibe for amazing late night celebrations. New year is  just another day when Durbar Marg is flooded with people, especially youngsters.

PC: Su Shie Gurung

Thamel

Thamel is a popular tourist destination within the capital city of Kathmandu. During New year time, Thamel is full of visitors and the streets of Thamel decorated with lights , making the place a complete celebration hub. Thamel is a prime tourist area in the valley where New Year is celebrated in a grand way.

Source: Cold Feet Adventure

Bandipur

Bandipur is a beautiful small village which has a touch of ancient newari culture and is a famous tourist destination. Just strolling around the village area will give you a warm feeling of being in a place away from the noises and pollution of a city area. This peaceful area is also famous for beautiful morning views.

Source: dreamhimalayan.com

Kakani

Now if you are living in the valley and don’t have too many holidays to go too far to celebrate new year but still want to spend the best time with your loved ones during new year, a family trip, picnic or a bike ride to kakani would be one of the best choice.

PC: James Nagarbaul

The country is going bright once again with women clad in their all time favorite color –Red. Haritalika teej or Teej is a festival celebrated by women to mark the union of goddess Parvati with Lord Shiva. This festival is observed for marital happiness and well being of family members. Though people from other cultural backgrounds think it’s really hard for women who celebrate teej because of the difficult fasting ritual the festival holds  , it is actually a festival women enjoy celebrating.

Listed are six things every woman who celebrates Teej loves about it.

Fun with Dar

Having Dar before the tough fasting day has its own charm. Moreover, meeting friends and relatives who are sharing similar experiences is what adds to the charm of the festival. We might have delicious food before and after, but Daar always has a special significance to women celebrating teej.

Buying and Gifting Accessories

Buying and exchanging accessories is another important part of teej. We love to embellish ourselves as well our experience sharers with beautiful accessories on this day. So our teej shopping starts a month before and sometimes even before that. After all, shopping is an art and women are masters in this art!

Unveiling the Best Traditional Look

This is the day we dress up in our best traditional attire. We might not step out of our houses but still we prefer to look our very best. Unmarried girls usually prefer red kurtas while most married women are seen in beautiful red sarees and a green tilhari that fully complements their attire.

Strict Fasting on Own Will

No matter what belief we have throughout the year about staying hungry, we love to fast on this day of the year. Some women fast without having a single drop of water while some spend the day with fruits and other pious edibles. We give up our meals for our family especially for the wellness of our husband and in return we get self satisfaction and peace of mind.

Visiting Temples

Women queue up from midnight in Lord Shiva’s temples just to get a glimpse of Lord Shiva on this day. Most of the time women have to queue up for an entire day to keep their wishes in front of Lord Shiva. No matter how great the hardship, teej is never complete without visiting Shiva ji’s temples.

Dancing With Heart

No food to burn calories, no water to trench the thirst, yet we always have that unmatchable energy to dance our heart out on this day. This is the only day when even our mom and aunts dance like nobody’s watching and it gives us immense pleasure to watch them pour all their sorrows and happiness through their dances.