Nepal: Bhaktapur celebrates Panchadan festival with processions, offerings, and ancient rituals

Aug 22, 2025

Bhaktapur (Nepal), August 22 (ANI): The ancient city of Bhaktapur came alive on Wednesday as the Panchadan festival unfolded in its narrow alleys. Towering effigies of Dipankar Buddhas glided through the streets, swaying gently while devotees danced to the rhythm of traditional drums and cymbals. Observed annually on Triodashi, two days prior to Kushe Aunsi or Father's Day according to the lunar calendar, the Buddhist festival of Panchadan is marked by the ceremonial tour of Dipankar Buddha around the city. In this Buddhist festival, gifts are made by the laity to the monks. Buddhist antiques are displayed, and gigantic effigies of Dipankar are paraded around the town. Since monastic Buddhism has long been extinct in Nepal, the recipients of the gifts today are the Buddhist priests, the Shakyas, and the Vajracharyas, who go begging alms at the houses of their clients. However, the main highlight of the festival is the giving away of five elements that is wheat grains, rice grains, salt, money, and fruit. Monasteries and households come alive with displays of treasured artifacts, as devotees extend offerings of rice, money, and daily essentials, each gift reflecting their means and devotion.