Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which also coincides with the lunar new year, is the second largest holiday in Nepal. We finished up our trek just in time to celebrate the festivities in Pokhara.
In Nepal, Diwali is celebrated over a five-day period. The first day is the day of the crow, the second day is the day of the dog, the third day is the day of the buffalo, the fourth day is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and the last day is when sisters recognize their brothers for the protection they provide them.
We were still on the trail during the first three days of Diwali. Most hilltribe people in Nepal are Buddhist, so we did not really observe too much celebrating on those days. However, we still passed by dogs and buffaloes decorated with tikkas and chains of marigolds on the 2nd and 3rd days respectively. On the third day, I was also decorated with a marigold necklace in return for a small (and not quite optional) donation.
Buffaloes enjoying their day
Strung with Marigolds!
The 2-hour bus ride from Naya Pul to Pokhara is when we really started seeing the festival being celebrated in full swing. On Diwali, Nepali children will go around to shops, people, and even moving vehicles singing and chanting and making as much of a racket as they can. They will only go away after being given a small monetary donation. The children will even go so far as dancing in them middle of the highway blocking the road and forcing the oncoming traffic to stop and give up their rupees. Every 10 minutes during our ride into town, rambunctious children would run into the street and try to block the way. The bus driver was getting quite fed up by this and refused to stop, forcing the kids to scatter off the road, screaming, in the very last seconds. At one point, the driver even swerved into a group of kids at the side of the street, warning them that he meant business. Overall, the whole experience was quite comical, especially watching from the roof of the bus.
Night was falling as we arrived into town, and in the darkness the festival really started coming to life. The buildings were strung with colorful lights and the doorways were lined with candles. Groups of boys sat huddled on street corners engrossed in some serious gambling. Children and youth were dancing in the streets, putting on performances for their friends and family. They ran the gamut of classical dances to flashy Bollywood numbers. It was really fun seeing Nepali's enjoying their culture for themselves and not for the tourist dollar.
Dance performances on the street
We spent the next couple days in Pokhara relaxing and eating delicious Indian food. After trekking for 17 days straight, our bodies were pretty exhausted and we spent most of our time catching up on sleep. We did manage a half day hike up to the World Peace Pagoda, which didn't turn out to be that impressive. The of the city below, however, made the climb worth it.
Lakeside Pokhara
The World Peace Pagoda
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