Nepal celebrates its New Year in April. Unlike the Gregorian calendar used in most countries, Nepal follows the Bikram Sambat calendar, which places this year at 2083. In Bhaktapur, the New Year is celebrated over several days with religious ceremonies, processions, music and gatherings throughout the city.
During the celebrations, goats, chickens and other animals are sometimes sacrificed as offerings to Hindu deities. The sacrifices are a religious tradition meant to honor the gods and ask for protection, good fortune and blessings for the year ahead.
Another day of the festival is marked by sindoor, a bright orange powder. Men carry enormous, heavy chariots carrying images of deities through the streets, often staying up all night to move them throughout the city. The physical effort is intense, and some men drink throughout the celebrations while others become so exhausted they pass out. Crowds cover themselves and one another in orange powder as the chariots make their way through the streets, bringing the community together to honor their gods and welcome the new year.
